Thursday, June 28, 2007

Edwards step up to the plate

By Libby

John Edwards stepped forward today and turned up the heat on the GOP's vile poster girl. The cold-blooded Coulter melts down like the wicked witch of Oz in this audio at TPM. No one has ever called her out directly before and she doesn't know how to handle it. Come to think of it, this may be the first time any of the professional hatemongers has been called out directly by a targert of their smears.

Calculated for fundraising or not, as it unfolds, it appears to have been a brilliant move and John Edwards backed up Elizabeth with just the right statement. The high points were these two.
And what they hope is that we won‘t say anything, we‘ll just let them continue this hateful dialogue. And we‘ll try and hope that the country will hear us talk about important things, issues that affect the lives of Americans every single day.

But we have to fight back, Chris. We have to be strong. We have to speak up. That‘s what Elizabeth did yesterday, and I‘m proud of her for it.
I'm proud of her too and grateful that she did it. It's way overdue. As I said in comments to the earlier post, those that excuse Coulter's remarks, implicitly condone the hateful conduct and those who remain silent enable it. But this remark was truly brilliant, I think.
MATTHEWS: Do you think people should buy Ann Coulter‘s books?
JOHN EDWARDS: No.
MATTHEWS: OK. We‘ll be right back. That‘s a good answer.
A straightforward honest reply, probably untested by any focus group. Now that's a change and I give Edwards big creds for recognizing that this is what the ordinary Jake is hungry for -- straight answers delivered with conviction. And he's right. No one should buy the book. Get the hard copy from the library or a used bookstore instead so she doesn't profit from her vile spewings.

I also liked the subtext that Elizabeth doesn't need John's permission to act for herself. That shows a respect for his wife that plays well with me. I would think it would also play with others.

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6 Comments:

Blogger dave in boca said...

Let's see. A few months ago, Ann used the "F-word" to characterize Edwards at a private political function. Since then, the ultra-left has climbed on a bandwagon that loudly blares out that Ann has hurt herself and the Repubs---the Edwards camp is vociferous in making these statements, saying that Ann is raising funds for JE and his ubiquitous spouse. But RCP notes:

"Back in mid-April Edwards peaked in the RCP Average at 17.8%, while Clinton held a 12.8% advantage over Obama, 35.8% to 23.0%. Today, the Clinton - Obama race is virtually unchanged, with the New York Senator holding a 12.4% edge, 36.0% to 23.6%. Edwards, on the other hand, has lost over 30% of his support and has seen his national numbers fall to 12.4% in the latest RCP Average. The most recent Washington Post and Los Angeles Times polls have his national numbers in single digits at 8%. In the InTrade prediction markets Edwards' odds to be the Democratic nominee have plunged from 25% at the beginning of the year to only 5% today."

Part of his decline is JE's tendency to spend more time and money on hair-and-makeup---but David Gregory is administering some tough-love medicine to the yapping bloggers who think that hiring Amanda "I hate God and especially Catholics" Marcotte, calling the Edwards' neighbor "hateful" for putting a Giuliani sign on his property, and refusing to go on Fox Debates.

JE has been pulling the discourse leftward, and RCP has the results. With more successes like the fever-swamp nutroots proclaim, Edwards should be out of the race soon.

Of course, the Silk Pony has been living in Iowa for the last six months, so he might get a bump out of the Ames & straw poll caucuses. But he is a one-trick pony, and it looks like we've had enough.

1:30:00 AM  
Blogger nolocontendere said...

Whatever, dave.
What I see is the vile MSM giving Arthur Coltrane a stage to say something ugly to attract a few more viewers. They HOPE he/she will spew some trash talk. So that's what they get and political discourse continues it's descent into the filthy muck where repugnants feel comfortable.
There will always be say-anything-for-a-buck cretins like him/her, it's only when the gabfests decide to be a little principled that we can elevate the discussion.

5:09:00 AM  
Blogger Libby Spencer said...

Like I said Dave, if you're excusing that sort of hateful talk, or think it's funny to talk about killing people, you're part of the problem.

This is has got nothing to do with the nomination. This is about restoring civility and even if Edwards loses the nomination, he and Elizabeth made a great contribution to restoring civilized discourse.

As for this "we" stuff, you were never going to vote for Edwards and since you don't see him as potential nominee, why expend the energy on hating on him unless you're threatened by his ideas?

Nolo - I think the majority of the people are getting sick of the hatemongers and are beginning to realize that these are people who tricked them into supporting an incompetent administration by playing on their negative emotions. I see the current level of shrillness coming out of that camp as a sign of desperation to maintain an audience. As Cheney might say, the haters are in their last throes.

6:32:00 AM  
Blogger Capt. Fogg said...

Why do you live in Boca if you hate pretense and coiffure so much? It's an open air Bentley showroom and monument to grotesque architecture packed with newly-minted plumbing fixture millionaires wearing Rolexes and looking for couth. Maybe you can't afford Palm Beach where you could get close enough to sniff Ann's bicycle seat - or maybe they won't let you in.

So how's that for distracting from the discussion with gratuitous and cynical ad hominem? Am I down to your level yet?

I know, it's not good enough for a "Fox debate" and barely snotty enough for a far-right shit slinging phony, but maybe not so bad for an ultra-left fever-swamp nutroot - or whatever you call a decent human being these days.

11:05:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

400 dollar haircut socialist. good for his wife

1:38:00 PM  
Blogger Libby Spencer said...

Jebus Lester. Get off the haircut already.

6:43:00 PM  

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