John Edwards gave a barn-burner of speech in Hanover, New Hampshire.
I've posted the full text below.
Edwards is currently my favorite of the Democratic candidates, although I am by no means suggesting that there are not others that would be fine too. Nor am I claiming I agree with 100% of what he says — I'm more conservative on trade, less willing to demonize corporate profits (while agreeing that corporate political behavior is often not in the common interest); I'm more liberal on gay marriage. Overall, though, he seems like the major candidate most passionate about poverty, health care, and ending the war (although Obama, to give him his due, was right about this long before Edwards).
Unfortunately, I am not as impressed by the John Edwards campaign organization as I would need to be to feel optimistic about his chances of winning the nomination given that he's running third in fund-raising. Clinton has a machine. Obama has a press and (slightly diminished?) public vibe. Edwards has passion. And a platform. But passion (not to mention a platform) won't make up for money unless you have a really good organization. And while they're a lot better than they were six months ago, and have some great instincts (e.g. their web presence, and unleashing Elizabeth Edwards), it's going to take both luck and still-better command of the fundamentals of campaigning to make it happen.
I believe Edwards is sincere and passionate when he says this:
A few weeks, ago I met a man named James Lowe in Wise, Virginia. James spent the first fifty years of his life without a voice — literally without a voice — because he didn't have health care. All he needed was a simple operation to fix a cleft palate. That a man in the richest country in the world could go unable to speak for 50 years because he couldn't pay for a $3,000 operation is something that should outrage every American. We are better than that. America is better that that.
It's a stark reminder of our broken political system that leaves millions of Americans without a voice in their government — a government that is supposed to work for them.
But it doesn't have to be that way. And we can change it together.
One can hope.

