Maybe they feel that they need to go left to win, but John Edwards and Barack Obama are making huge unforced errors that may score them a few points, but ultimately would doom them in a potential general election.
...Obama spoke about his intentions to expand people's access to health insurance, which would include universal coverage for "reproductive-health services." An Obama spokesman clarified that this did indeed include abortion.
...Elizabeth Edwards, speaking for her husband, presidential candidate John Edwards, said that he proposed a "true universal health-care plan," the Tribune Reports. Specifically referring to abortion, she stated that this plan would cover "all reproductive health services, including pregnancy termination."
Universal health care all by itself is a tough sell to the American people, but universal health care that funds a procedure that half of all Americans view as murder is something else altogether. Either they haven't thought it through or they are not at all serious about passing universal health care. It's a tough sell and you're going to need every vote. By including abortion you've just aligned yourself against all the libertarians, plus the pro-lifers, plus the business interests. Congratulations, you've just killed any possibility of passage.
Oh and that's not all.
Obama has gone a step farther in the critical errors department.
ABC News' Teddy Davis and Lindsey Ellerson Report: Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., told Planned Parenthood Tuesday that sex education for kindergarteners, as long as it is "age-appropriate," is "the right thing to do."
"I remember Alan Keyes . . . I remember him using this in his campaign against me," Obama said in reference to the conservative firebrand who ran against him for the U.S. Senate in 2004. Sex education for kindergarteners had become an issue in his race against Keyes because of Obama's work on the issue as chairman of the health committee in the Illinois state Senate.
If you read further down the paragraph you will understand that it's not as bad as it sounds. But it's terrible politics because many Americans, especially those concerned about such things, simply do not trust liberals like Obama to do the right thing on these issues. They keep pushing the boundaries, and it never stops.
If Obama ever became the candidate for the Democratic party he would be nailed for this and forced to explain why any sort of sex education other than "that's something you should ask your parents about" belonged in Kindergarten curricula. And rightly so, Dukakis anyone?
And throughout all this, notice how Hillary Clinton hangs back and doesn't go quite as far as the other two and is not offering any juicy quotes that might come back to haunt her. She has her eye on the ball. Edwards and Obama have lost it.
Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 2)
1. I'll readily admit that Obama and Edwards are trying to be "Too Cute" and give all the answers before they get elected. Republicans have a problem trying to find a candidate. None of the Above could win and do a better job than Bush. Obama and Edwards can promise the world, but none of their ideas matter if they don't win the election. Hillary isn't going to do anything accept pardon Bill and chase him.
Cecil Jones at 11:02AM on Jul 19th 2007
2. A child's knowledge of the difference between appropriate and inappropriate touching is crucial to keeping them safe from predators.
yiannis at 11:28AM on Jul 19th 2007
3. John Edwards is right on track with mainstream America!
New poll - 56% think the government isn't doing enough to combat poverty!
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/56_say_government_doing_too_little_to_combat_poverty
And a huge majority support universal health care - even if it means raising taxes! Edwards plan is to raise taxes on those making over $200K.
Naturally the corporate media and their corporate sponsors - the powerful Insurance and Pharma industries - don't like this one bit.
Hence - we get lots of distracting Edwards haircut stories.
annefrank at 3:08PM on Jul 19th 2007
4. One more reason why I'm hoping for a president and a congress of different parties. Silly ideas will have less of a chance of becoming law.
Steve Bonomo at 6:12PM on Jul 19th 2007
5. Please check your facts; while the abortion issue is divisive, far less than half of all Americans consider it murder.
chuck at 7:21PM on Jul 19th 2007
6. I believe in John Edwards. He is a whole lot better than Hillary Clinton, or Barack Obama. He has a plan for Iraq {a responsible plan}, he has a universal health care plan which is truely universal not just access to health care. He is a brillant speaker. He is a man of moral means. Now somethings I don't agree with but he is our only hope, looking at the other Democrat candidates and republican candidates.
Alex Miller at 8:36PM on Jul 19th 2007
7. Time for fact check for sure. Views on women's reproductive rights nationally fall well within the comments of both Senator Obama and John Edwards. Age appropriate sex education for all is nothing new just still resisted by parents who will not speak to their children and will not shoulder their share of responsibility on the topic. Where oh where are the rational voices like Dr. Jocelyn Elders, fired Surgeon General of the United States, when we need her. Get your head out of your blog.
jim jackson at 9:34PM on Jul 19th 2007
8. Listen, like her or not, i personally love her and think she would do wonders for this country, but whatever, Hillary Clinton is running the perfect campaign, she is running enough left to win the nomination, but has stayed in line with mainstream america. her favorability is rising and when 2 months ago she lost by about 7 points to Guiliani in a poll, she now wins 47-41. and beats all other GOP contenders by considerable margins as well: ahead of fred by 7 pts, ahead of Romney by 10, and ahead of McCain by 2 points, o well, McCain won't even win the nod.
Patrick at 10:28PM on Jul 19th 2007
9. I wouldn't say Obama is destroying his force in the election process. His whole position is to bring in a whole new form of politics, and for him to play it safe like any other politician does.. just to win votes... would be a step backwards for him. Not only that, but it would go against his entire philosophy. Also, because of the 2004 elections, I would imagine alot more people will be voting, and more than likely, he himself will bring alot of people to the voting booths that normally wouldn't. I think he's doing well.
Obama at 4:47AM on Jul 20th 2007
10. I believe Obama is not 'hiding' anything from Americans, and I respect him for this a great deal. Most politicians are 'hiding' their true intentions. With regards to what is appropriate to educate children, I feel that it is very appropriate to keep our children's minds open, and not to keep them in the dark. This is what our current administration and the Christian Right does not not only with children, but they attempt to do it with all of us. They believe that we should teach or BRAINWASH people through fear and ignorance beginning with our children first and foremost, rather than encouraging them to develop minds and hearts of their own.
Chloe J at 10:42AM on Jul 20th 2007
11. This is in response to "annefrank"
Edwards three step "program" to ending poverty is to raise the minumum wage, raise the earned income tax, and help in creating unions so workers can demand high wages!!!
I own a small business where I pay above average wages and provide free health coverage to my employees BUT alot of other smaller businesses will be shut down by his "plan" and should I be taxed higher because I have made better choics in my life...if my hard work is going to have me taxed higher then I will end up downsizing my company, higher people who will work for less and pay myself more to make up the difference. I have a GED, no college at all...single mother of three...collected food stamps a total of three months in my life....and now through hard work own a 4 million dollar company. I used welfare as tool, as a hand up not a hand out!
I dont want to pay for anything short term. Education is the key and the only key. I got lucky and slipped in under the radar or was loud enought o not be discounted; either way I earned this position. What about providing classes in high school that actually give students the ability to earn a living after graduation. Why not provide LPN classes or auto mechanics as part of electives? Why focus on what I can do for the adults who have yet to do for themselves when we should focus on how to fix what is broken so it is fixed, not duct taped? Make classes avaialble in high school that actually set students up for some level of independance and then give the parents back the responisbility for rearing those kids. There would be no excuses such as race or economic background if some basic certificate programs were offered for free at high school level.
Think outside the box for a change. I dont care what this middle-aged white rich guy pays for his haircuts...he earned his money, he worked hard for his money...its his money!!! I wont vote for him, Hillary or Obama...but their money was earned and they can spend it anyway they want....just slowly back away from my money!
Lara at 11:19AM on Jul 20th 2007
12. The 2008 president frount runner will be Clinton with Obama as her running mate. I am a republican and a vietnam vet/marine; I will be spliting my ticket. This country will do well if we forget party lines and choose the most quarlified persons to get this country out of the domestic and international slump we are in.
Pastor Walter G Bracy at 7:57PM on Jul 23rd 2007
13. Hillary is looking better and better. I won't vote for Elizabeth.
Jo A at 4:53PM on Jul 20th 2007
14. i know from experence that john edwards will help the
working poor. i had trouble with social security, his
staff was right with me till the end, by phone calls to social security and by letter. very nice people. by the way no other senater would even write
back to me, much less offer help.i know i went through 18 months of the torment that the goverment
likes to put you. its nice to have some one to speak
up for you.
manford harper at 12:02PM on Jul 20th 2007
15. I am a hard working american citizen.period. everything i have i have worked hard to get.
by providing universal free health care we are just setting ourselves up for another heap of crap like this countries welfare plan. ok give them free healthcare thats when you will seethe lazy get even lazier.drive the americam working class down a couple more notches. raise minium wage and you will see everything else go up to make up for it. just watch it gas, staples, services, it has happend a hundred times before and with the blind leading the blind we will see it a hundred times more.
joe herr at 12:31PM on Jul 20th 2007