Things Edwards needs to do to Improve his Campaign

1.Stop joining forces with Obama to Attack Hillary during the debates: The image of the two leading men beating up on the one woman in the race is disconcerting to all viewers. You win support for Hillary by doing this. Besides, Obama with his large amount of corporate contributors is just as deserving of your criticism. You need to remain consistent in your criticism, and right now you are not. Even I sometimes rethink my support for you when I see what appears to be your hypocrisy—they are both entrenched in the same old Washington corporate game (aka propped up and financed by corporate supporters and lobbyists who they will need to repay when in office).


2.Be more inclusive in you speech: please read Steven Rosenfeld’s article on Alternet “’Yes We Can’—the Secret Behind Obama’s Message” (http://www.alternet.org/story/73014/). He writes: “Basically, the other candidates are all saying, ‘I will do this,’ ‘I will do that,’ ‘I will be there in this way for you,’ as they recite the fine print of issues to show what they would do as president.” Meanwhile Obama “is not emphasizing the ‘I’ pronoun. He is all about we and you. ‘We can do this.’ ‘We can do that.’ ‘If we come together, we can achieve ...’ The former grass-roots organizer is making his candidacy inclusive.” The media is having a field day calling you the “angry” candidate (although, like the saying goes, If you’re not angry, you’re not paying attention.... or you’re the corporate media lulling us to sleep). If you use the language above, I believe it may transform your speeches enough to reduce this perception.

3.Learn form Kucinich: This may be counterintuitive, but recently Bill Moyer mentioned on his show that post-debate polls often favor Kucinich as being strongest in the debates. You’ve said you’re against corporate greed, but your arguments lack substance. Kucinich does represent the ideas of a good portion of America—he’s just a bit too wacky (seeing flying saucers and all) to have a chance. You have the poise and ability to take his message and give it more credibility. I predict it will help your standing in the polls as well.

4.Attack Obama’s claim for “Change”: Obama has aligned himself largely with the corporate friendly Democratic Leadership Council wing of the party. Despite his claims of being anti-war, he supported the candidacy of pro-war Joseph Lieberman over the anti-war democratic candidate, Ned Lamont in the 2006 Connecticut Senate race. He voted for the Peru Free Trade Agreement. He supports Nuclear Power (largely due to one of his largest contributors and supporters, Exelon—jump on that). He avoided voting against the resolution that declared Iran’s revolutionary guard a terrorist organization. He’s received the second most money form the health care industry of any presidential candidate. He has corporate lobbyists on his campaign staff. He does not represent any real change to the presidency other than race. (for more fodder see Paul Street’s article, http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?ItemID=14612).