A President Like My Father

Listening to my dad rant last night after Edwards dropped out was what I imagine it would be like to step back in time to when the Democratic party was a party of the people, NOT just fancy schmancy poseurs. I'm not backing down on that business, either.

Let me tell ya about dad.

Dad's a fervent southern/new deal/yellow dog democrat. His grandfather came here from ireland to dig ditches in the bootheel of missouri. Fast forward to when he was lucky enough to meet my mother, and now I have an Ivy League degree.

My sister and I are the John Edwards of our family. When John Edwards proper dropped out of the race, the voice of earnest 20 somethings like me got a lot quieter.

Sounds like we're giving up. We're not, its just a shame.

"Yet when John Edwards tried to build a campaign around ... issues he was subjected not only to the opposition of the establishment and its media but a notable tone of ridicule whose subtext was: why would anyone want to bother with such things? Especially a guy as rich as Edwards?

And when he pulled out of the race, Edwards was treated to more of the same, especially from such faux hip websites as Gawker, Radar and Fark:

Radar: The pretty-boy presidential candidate scored just 14 percent of the vote in yesterday's Florida primaries. . .

Fark: John Edwards announces he will drop out of race today to spend more time with his hair.

Gawker: John Edwards will end his 49th run for president Wednesday after failing to capitalize on his angry hobo-under-the-bridge message.

These sites, like much of elite America, are led by spoiled offspring of generations who had to struggle with just the sort of issues Edwards was trying to raise, but from which they now consider themselves immune by their education, status and cleverness. "


Sortof embarassing, ain't it? I really feel this argument. The crux of it is a large part of the people-based why of me staying and setting up "shop" here in St. Louis.

Read the rest here. Seriously, skim it.

Makes every point I would've continued to make for John until Nov and I'll make for myself forever. So many points.