Senator John Edwards and the 2008 Presidential Election

Senator John Edwards seemed to be the reincarnation of former president John Kennedy to many within the Democratic Party in 2004. Edwards is a charming, eloquent speaker who has the charisma that is unmatched by many within politics, much less the Democratic Party. As well, his approach to politics is fairly moderate, including a concern about the sanctity of marriage and a hard-nosed approach to fighting crime in urban areas. However, the Democratic Party primary schedule and its financial backers wanted a candidate with more experience and a greater fund-raising advantage, setting up Senator John Kerry for a relatively easy nomination process. John Edwards, the former senator from North Carolina, was chosen as the vice-presidential candidate and was part of the Democratic ticket that barely lost election in November 2004.

Edwards has certainly gotten attention since his part in the 2004 election. Edwards is now the director of the University of North Carolina Center for Poverty, Work, and Opportunity, which is committed to joining academic, public, and private resources for the abolition of poverty in America. As anyone who observed Edwards in 2004 knows, the former senator's main issue is the bridging of "two Americas," one consisting of the wealthy and powerful and the other consisting of everyone else. Edwards came from a humble upbringing in North Carolina and has stayed active in helping out the lower and middle class, both as a prosecutor in North Carolina and as an advocate for tax and welfare reform in the Senate.

John Edwards has also been prominent on the speaking and television circuit, including appearances on "The Daily Show" and speeches in early primary states New Hampshire and Iowa. Edwards' stump speech has remained largely the same since his 2004 candidacy but it is effective in drawing out issues like poverty that are not discussed on the campaign trail. As well, his charm and affable nature in public appearances and one on one discussions is endearing to the many voters who have grown apathetic of the political process. Edwards presents himself as an advocate for the people and his work in politics, law, and academics seems to bear this out.

However, Edwards faces an uphill battle heading into the 2008 presidential election. The Democratic Party seems to have a full cast of characters heading into the primary season, with Senator Hillary Clinton the frontrunner in fund-raising and popularity within the party. As well, candidates like John Kerry have some more experience in Congress and better name recognition than Edwards. Finally, the 2004 campaign for the Kerry/Edwards ticket saw Kerry getting nearly all of the attention while the campaign managers used John Edwards' great campaigning style so little that it seemed that Kerry was running on his own. After the 2004 campaign, Edwards needed to stay out in front of the cameras to build, not maintain, his political presence nationally. However, the next two years could lead Democratic voters toward a candidate like Edwards who is more interested in working for reform for the middle and lower class rather than play politics with issues like the minimum wage. Look for Edwards to play a prominent role in the 2008 primary season nonetheless, though I consider the former senator and vice-presidential candidate a strong bet to be on the 2008 Democratic ticket.