The other night, a friend recalled John Edwards’ first political speech. It was in November 1997 when Edwards, a surprise Senate candidate, appeared before the Wake Democrats. “I could see he had something even then,” my friend said. I didn’t remember it that way, so I pulled out the story I wrote. There it is in black-and-white: “Edwards Will Be President Someday.”
No, not really. “Looking Good” was the headline, but soon I was pontificating about how Edwards was elegant but had little to say–and hadn’t said it that well, either.
Three weeks later, there was Edwards at the Independent‘s holiday bash, pushing through the crowd until we were practically nose-to-nose. “Don’t give up on me!” he said, tilting his head in admonition. And then he broke out in that wondrous grin and allowed as to how he needed to get better–and would.
I’ve been a John Edwards fan ever since.
I voted for D.G. Martin in that Senate primary, not Edwards, and I pulled for Howard Dean this time, but that doesn’t mean I don’t think John is the right addition to the Democratic ticket, because I do.
At no time since that Senate campaign has Edwards strayed from the center path of Democratic politics, which has its downside (Iraq, e.g.) but also its ups: Democrats are supposed to be about people, and trying to help, and Edwards is a genuine people person with a capital “G.”
I think of him as Bill Clinton without the egocentrism. And, yes, he’s gotten a lot better at it since ’97.
I was in Washington last weekend, getting cut off by rude drivers and thinking how Southern folks actually smile when they let you in. After George W. Bush, Washington needs a good smile, and whatever John Kerry’s virtues, that isn’t one of them. But when John Edwards is on the stump, you’ll see a man who’s smiling on the outside because he’s smiling on the inside too.
