Farewell, John Edwards

Edwards, I think, gets it: The greatest domestic crisis facing the U.S. is its growing income disparity, which only seems to be getting wider. This story from the Times late last year is astonishing. Quoting from the lede: "The increase in incomes of the top 1 percent of Americans from 2003 to 2005 exceeded the total income of the poorest 20 percent of Americans, data in a new report by the Congressional Budget Office shows." That seems as though it should be unfathomable, yet it actually happened. How the highest of the highest echelon creates these investment returns for themselves is unbeliveable, but that's another post.

Edwards understands there needs to be monumental emphasis nationwide on personal savings, higher education, responsible lending practices and decent wages so tens (hundreds?) of millions can feel more comfortable about their futures and their children's. Four months ago, if you asked for whom I would vote, I would have said him. (Purposefully not mentioning my preferred candidate now.)

But it seems as he realized Sens. Clinton and Obama were such celebrity candidates, the only way to break through their spotlight was by taking a harsh populist edge. His stump speech went from "Two Americas" to "Everything is driven by corporate greed and profit is bad," which just isn't the case. I think the video posted above, taken in Londonderry, N.H., in July, summarizes it well: He hits all those main policy points, but the stump language starts to take things in a weird direction. It veered further off course, in my opinion, starting around November and leading up to the Iowa caucus.

What Edwards does now seems unclear to me. He's quite wealthy from his days as a trial lawyer, but in terms of national pull/gravitas, he's a one-term senator whose two presidential and one vice-presidential bids came up short. Perhaps he creates his own advocacy and fundraising center -- didn't he direct some center on poverty at Duke University? -- but it probably sits on the outside of the limelight. Hopefully he finds something enjoyable because it's clear he doesn't want to do anything but be at the top of the top of the country's leadership.

Oh, and I won't post about politics next time, I promise.