You Won't Have John Edwards to Kick Around Anymore

And that's fine by me. Thanks, John, for playing Piggy in the Lord of the Flies saga that was primary season. I loved you more than Kerry in '04 and I was thrilled when you announced your bid for the White House in '06. I was on board with your policies on poverty and economics, but you lost me when you admitted that I, as a gay man, don't deserve the same right as you, a heterosexual man. Years from now we're going to look back at you the same way we look at Governor Orval Faubus - as a man who could not see beyond the confines of misguided but current popular opinion.

And that's why you didn't connect with most Democrats this time around. Not just because of the gay thing - that's between you, me, and a couple of million civic minded queers - it's because on all fronts you just seemed eager to make a sell or win a vote.

One of my readers said it best:

"John Edwards uniformly comes across as an empty suit to me. What is there to love? That he's good looking? He is perhaps the least accomplished, least attending Senator. While Kerry destroyed Bush in at least two of the debates, Cheney wiped the floor with Edwards in the VP debate. Edwards style, "I, John Edwards, will fight for the little guy...etc., etc., etc.," is used car politician speak - straight from another time. I can't imagine why the Democrats would lend their weight behind him. I really can't."

Hillary sparked the debate over national healthcare when the Republicans ran the House of Representatives and Obama opposed the war in Iraq in 03. I can't recall a tough stand you've taken. And that's what this election is about - a radical departure from the past 8 years of crackpot policy.

This post, however, doesn't mitigate your achievements as an enterprising family man who has done very well for himself in spite of being the - say it with me - son of a mill worker. I applaud hustle and you've got it in spades. You just couldn't hustle us Dems, though.

While my guess is that you're going to endorse Barack (I mean, you were all but playing tonsil hockey with him during the ABC debate)I would encourage you to take a tough stand this once and endorse Hillary. It's her time, we need her, and you just might make a difference in this election after all.

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Sidebar: I'm headed to Colombia on Friday to visit my grandma (expect a long post about that when I get back) and, horror of horrors, I realized that not only would I be missing Fashion Week, but Super Tuesday.

Thanks to the Board of Elections in Manhattan, though, a short ride on the 1 train let me carry out my civic duty within my lunch hour.