About a year ago, I was agonizing over what campaign to support. As a New Yorker, it would have made sense for me to support Hillary. But, after her endorsement of Lieberman, and her consistent habit of listening to the very. important. people. who. are. always. wrong. about. everything (Joe Lieberman, Iraq, Iran, everything), well, Molly Ivins summed up where I was at in January 2006:
I'd like to make it clear to the people who run the Democratic Party that I will not support Hillary Clinton for president.
Enough. Enough triangulation, calculation and equivocation. Enough clever straddling, enough not offending anyone This is not a Dick Morris election. Sen. Clinton is apparently incapable of taking a clear stand on the war in Iraq, and that alone is enough to disqualify her. Her failure to speak out on Terri Schiavo, not to mention that gross pandering on flag-burning, are just contemptible little dodges
In December 2006, I knew that America needed a progressive leader. I was torn between Edwards and Obama and leaning toward Obama.
I have done a fair amount of organizational work in election protection work, and I was ready to try to do my part in making a difference in the election. But whom to support? For the longest, Obama had the edge. He was right about Iraq when Edwards was wrong, and the symbolism of Obama's campaign impressed me. As for Edwards, well I loved his Two America's message in 2004; I loved his anti-poverty work; and he seemed to have finally stopped listening to the very. important. people. who. are. always. wrong. about. everything. Edwards decision to stand with Ned Lamont and against Joe Lieberman impressed me, and it distinguished him from Obama.
But, ultimately, it was something of a leap of faith. In January 2007, I heard John Edwards at Riverside church:
John Edwards stood in the same pulpit where Martin Luther King first denounced the Vietnam war. In 1967, King tied the ill-conceived war in Vietnam to America's failure to truly address problems of poverty at home. In 2007, Edwards denounced the Iraq war. And he linked the failure of that war to America's failure to address poverty and economic injustice. Edwards blew my mind. I took the leap of faith and became a supporter.
I worked with the Edwards team to organize Lawyers for Edwards, a volunteer group committed to ensuring that every vote was counted. But, still, I had my doubts. As a candidate, Edwards was too perfect. I admit to not being sure that he was sincere. And I was still intrigued by Obama.
Want to know when Edwards eliminated all doubt in my mind? I was fortunate enough for the campaign to comp me a ticket at $1000 a head fundraiser in New York City (as a civil rights lawyer, I could no more afford to spend a $1000 on a political event than fly to the moon). John Edwards stood in a mult-million dollar apartment in Park Avenue, with a Picasso hanging on the wall, and he talked about income inequality. He was passionate; he was genunine. And he was speaking the truth, even though the millionaires in the audience might not have gotten it. At that point, I realized that John Edwards was 100% for real. He might be a politician, but he was being suicidally honest. And he earned my undying admiration and support.
And, ever since then, John Edwards has taken the lead on all of the issues that are important to me. Our government is fundamentally broken; there are too many voiceless in America. John Edwards campaign has given them voice like no presidential candidate since Bobby Kennedy. I am proud to support him.
But I'd also like to say that I no longer have any regret that I'm not part of team Obama. Why? Barack Obama has steadily run to the right of Edwards AND Hillary. And he has embraced the politics of listening. to. the. very. important. people. who. are. always. wrong. From endorsing Joe Lieberman, to having Colin Powell advise him (Colin Powell? Is there anyone on earth with less credibility on matters of foreign policy? Were Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz unavailable?).
It's not an accident that 37 million Americans live in poverty while we waste billions on a failed war in Iraq. Powerful forces made that happen. We need to challenge those powerful forces. Edwards will. I am no longer confident that Obama will.
I'm going to close this diary with the final quote from Molly Ivin's great article on Hillary that I quoted above:
Do not sit there cowering and pretending the only way to win is as Republican-lite. If the Washington-based party can't get up and fight, we'll find someone who can.
That someone is clearly John Edwards.
He is the most electable Democrat. Join us. Let's all work together to realize the dream.