Why I do NOT support John Edwards
Watching Meet The Press today helped me finalize my decision NOT to support John Edwards or vote for him in the primaries. I have to say that a couple of months ago I thought that he could be the best nominee, but I have changed my mind completely.
So why would n't I support him? Simply because I dont believe that he is sincere and I certainly dont trust him. I always felt uncomfortable with him and now I feel more than ever. He is most certainly an exceptionally smart man and an excellent speaker. But I really dont believe him when he says that he realized that he made an error voting for the Iraq war in 2002. His argument that he made a mistake and he wants to correct it now does not work with me. Why?
Because of the list below:
Akaka (D-HI)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Byrd (D-WV)
Chafee (R-RI)
Conrad (D-ND)
Corzine (D-NJ)
Dayton (D-MN)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Graham (D-FL)
Inouye (D-HI)
Jeffords (I-VT)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murray (D-WA)
Reed (D-RI)
Sarbanes (D-MD)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Wellstone (D-MN)
Wyden (D-OR)
These were all the senators who voted against the joint resolution on 10/11/2002. There were 22 democrats and one republican (Chaffee). Were these people smarter than Edwards (and also Clinton, Kerry and others who voted for the war then)? Or were they simply more honest?
To me the answer is easy. They were more honest. It was very obvious to me then that the whole thing was a hoax and that the Bush-Cheney duo was looking for an excuse to start a war in Iraq. The whole world could see it. Thats why the Europeans were trying desperately to stop it. In my opinion the US senators who voted to authorize that war voted having in mind either their own interests or the interests of oil companies and corporations. Some neoconservative republicans were also voting to start a war because of their bizzare theory that they can bring "democracy" to the middle east.
In the case of Edwards (and also Kerry), I believe that he voted for the war because he thought it would be the right thing to do politically if he were to run for president in 2004. Like many others, he thought that we will win easily the war and that anyone who voted against it would have no chance if he/she run for president. Thats where he was wrong. And I believe that the only thing he really regrets is that did not pick the side that called it right. If he really wants my respect and my vote, he should admit the real reasons that he voted for the war and convince me that he would not do again something similar in the future.
I decided that I will not vote for anyone who supported the war then. I think that I will end up voting for Barack Obama. Although I was critical of him in the past, the more I hear from him, the more I like him. And he was smart and honest to take a position against the war in 2002.
So why would n't I support him? Simply because I dont believe that he is sincere and I certainly dont trust him. I always felt uncomfortable with him and now I feel more than ever. He is most certainly an exceptionally smart man and an excellent speaker. But I really dont believe him when he says that he realized that he made an error voting for the Iraq war in 2002. His argument that he made a mistake and he wants to correct it now does not work with me. Why?
Because of the list below:
Akaka (D-HI)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Byrd (D-WV)
Chafee (R-RI)
Conrad (D-ND)
Corzine (D-NJ)
Dayton (D-MN)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Graham (D-FL)
Inouye (D-HI)
Jeffords (I-VT)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murray (D-WA)
Reed (D-RI)
Sarbanes (D-MD)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Wellstone (D-MN)
Wyden (D-OR)
These were all the senators who voted against the joint resolution on 10/11/2002. There were 22 democrats and one republican (Chaffee). Were these people smarter than Edwards (and also Clinton, Kerry and others who voted for the war then)? Or were they simply more honest?
To me the answer is easy. They were more honest. It was very obvious to me then that the whole thing was a hoax and that the Bush-Cheney duo was looking for an excuse to start a war in Iraq. The whole world could see it. Thats why the Europeans were trying desperately to stop it. In my opinion the US senators who voted to authorize that war voted having in mind either their own interests or the interests of oil companies and corporations. Some neoconservative republicans were also voting to start a war because of their bizzare theory that they can bring "democracy" to the middle east.
In the case of Edwards (and also Kerry), I believe that he voted for the war because he thought it would be the right thing to do politically if he were to run for president in 2004. Like many others, he thought that we will win easily the war and that anyone who voted against it would have no chance if he/she run for president. Thats where he was wrong. And I believe that the only thing he really regrets is that did not pick the side that called it right. If he really wants my respect and my vote, he should admit the real reasons that he voted for the war and convince me that he would not do again something similar in the future.
I decided that I will not vote for anyone who supported the war then. I think that I will end up voting for Barack Obama. Although I was critical of him in the past, the more I hear from him, the more I like him. And he was smart and honest to take a position against the war in 2002.
posted by Nevum @ 3:11 PM
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