Friday, March 05, 2004
The always-excellent EJ Dionne offers a sharp diagnosis of the Edwards campaign:
Edwards also shortchanged himself. By sticking so relentlessly to his stump speech, he only occasionally gave voters a glimpse at the extensive set of policy proposals beneath his rhetoric. This allowed skeptics to see him as slick, even though the substance was there.
Most important, Edwards, like Reagan, managed to offer a searing critique of the status quo while still conveying an unapologetic optimism about his country as a place 'where all things are possible.' Edwards's message will be heard again, because his fellow Democrats would be fools not to steal it.
