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 2 of 2)
16. Manford Harper,
The company I own provides medically necessary medical equipment to the geriatric community, nationwide. What we provide IS COVERED BY MEDICARE. Medicare is the most corrupt institution I have ever seen. I had a elderly man with no legs (bilateral amputee) with cellulitis on both stumps, meningitis of the brain with upper extremity spasticity and his wife HAD to puch him in a wheelchair. MEDICARE DENIED his claim to get a medical device he could control on his own because we didn't prove that he could not walk!!!!! HE HAS NO LEGS!
I could share a million stories about elderly people getting screwed by our government. I promise you when Edwards no longer needs you...he will forget you. You are now a walking advertisement for him because he helped you deal with something while he is running for office. Are you new???
Take a deep look at each candidate and what they stand for. So he helped you...universal healthcare will leave us with the lowest bidder serving our medical needs. Think long term and send Edwards a thank-you card.
Lara at 2:21PM on Jul 20th 2007
17. We should all take a setp back and think about this: If we all had health care, America would have a stronger work force. People able to work rather then taking medicare from the working. If we all had a good education we would feel better about our self and want to succeed. If we had higher, fare wages we all would add to the economy, not on welfare. The business, small and large would have more clients = more busines. Think people, what goes around comes around, we just need to pull together as a nation of one and help one another grow and contribute positivly to our Great Country. Stop taking sides. There is a rule in war," Divide and conquer". We need all walks of life, we need all Americans to unit and succeed in our life.
John at 12:58PM on Jul 20th 2007
18. The Obama Health Care Plan calls for lowering health care costs and ensuring AFFORDABLE, high quality health care for all. There is a difference between free and affordable. He wants to create a plan for those with no insurance to buy coverage, a plan where no American with a pre-existing condition will be turned away (and if you saw SICKO there are many people who are being denied coverage on this basis).
Educating children at an early age with appropriate information is critical to exposing them and preparing them for the world we live in. If their parents and teachers are not preparing them properly, they will be "taught" by their friends and playmates who tend to blow things out of proportion at that age.
andy from nevada at 8:58PM on Jul 20th 2007
19. In response to jimjackson:
I am against sex education at the kindergarden age. As a parent I have already talked to my child about sex. Who is now a pre-teen who I have to revisit the issue withfrom time to time. But as I just stated (MY CHILD), not the schools. It is not the schools responsibility or right to teach my young child about sex. That is my job, and I don't run from it and am insulted that you would think that the reason that parents disagree with this is because they shy away from their job. That is part of the problem with our country now. The government feels like it has a right to tell parents what to do and how to raise their children that they carry for 9 months, love, nurture, and go without so that they can have.
Aimee at 1:50PM on Jul 20th 2007
20. I personally am pushing for both Hillary and Edwards. Both have their heads on straight and aren't going to any major extremes in this race which could inevitably knock them out.
dist34mx03 at 1:59PM on Jul 20th 2007
21. Democrats lost the last two presidental elections by hugging the center insteaad of moving left. Bill Clinton won in spite of his centrist views not because of them. Obama and Edwards are on the right track it is Hilary Clinton who is making the errors
JamesLevin at 8:33AM on Jul 21st 2007
22. I don't see the problem with Obama pushing for sex education for kindergarteners. I think America is too ignorant when it comes to sex education in this country. We need to realize that children are learning about sex at much younger ages so we need to set up the proper educational programs to make sure they have knowledge about sex and sexual issues in order to keep themselves and others safe. Ignoring the issue and pretending as if young kids don't know what sex is will only hurt our children.
Debbie at 4:24PM on Jul 20th 2007
23. Perhaps "Abuse Awareness" instead of sex education would have been a more appropriate term since this is what Obama said: "All I said was that I support the same laws that exist in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, in which local communities and parents can make decisions to provide children with the information they need to deal with sexual predators," Obama said in an AP Interview. He also said "We have to deal with a coarsening of the culture and the over-sexualization of our young people. Look, I've got two daughters, 9 and 6 years old," Obama told the AP.
What is wrong with educating children at an early age about sexual predators. We know the abuse of young children by priests, and we hear about the young children being the victims of on-line sexual predators and others. They have to be educated at some point in time. Starting early is better than later, after they've become a victim.
andy from nevada at 9:18PM on Jul 20th 2007
24. The three DEMOCRAT front runners all have one thing in common. They are spouting a very Socialist line. They all think the government does a wonderful service and should control every human action from pre-birth till death. They do not believe in individual liberty and wish to regulate people , property and and their place in the economy.
The whole Socialist appeal is based on jealousy and exists as a foul base intellect, where one believes that it is alright to take from one's neighbors if they have more than another. This notion, is wrong; people have differing abilities and supply different valued skills to the marketplace. The concept that a parking lot attendent should be paid similar wages and have the same worldly goods as the inventor of some needed good, because the government says so, causes economic rot.
Healthcare, like any other service should be earned, because the people that supply it wish to be paid what the service is worth. Socialists think it is a right and shouldn't be paid for at market price, at all. The argue about paying for drugs yet demand that the drug companies spend billions upon billions to come up with something new, so folks can live forever. Funny thing is US companies do it. Perhaps we could get Obamamama to sit in his basement a mix up a few.
Will the government decide where the services of the unigue healer or scarce drug be applied. If there are limited resources...where will the government decide to apply them?...to themselves , I am sure, like it is done in every other tyranny of the so called people.
In the end though the MOB appeal will win the day and the country will continue it's spiral towards a socialist state. Parents will have almost no say in what the state decides to put into their childrens head. People will have little say in what they charge for their work. Employers will have little power to direct the activities or pay of their employees. The worst of human nature will have won and the cost in loss of individual liberty will drain the life blood from this land. be careful what you ask for you might get it.
joem at 7:25AM on Jul 21st 2007
25. What's this election all about? It's about change. Kerry-Edwards accepted the challenge when Democrats were written off as "Losers." Democrats shocked the world and no established political consultant can take credit for the strategy? What's up? Who is leading the charge? Are Edwards and Obama messing up? They are not following the traditional path, but we need to go in a new direction. The traditional voices are "All In" for Billary, but if we want real change it's going to have to come from Edwards or Obama. To win the nomination, they must get past Billary. What are they doing to compare and contrast themselves to Billary? Edwards has the "Poverty" issue until Billary's book comes out. Obama has the Black vote and he always will. Obama isn't offering change he offering a message that won't sell in a racist nation. Would you take a chance on a Black man post 9-11? Would you trust a Woman to negotiate with people that don't recognize Women at all? Would you trust someone that answered the call for leadership when nobody expected us to win? The right combination could catch fire. The wrong choice could mean nothing changes. What are Edwards and Obama doing to make that case? That's a critical error because Billary isn't going to include either one of them in their plans. That's wrong, but true. Why would she take a Black or someone more photogenic? All this would be for what?
Cecil Jones at 6:13AM on Jul 22nd 2007
26. i've heard that barack obama hs muslim ties from his parents. is this true?
roybickel at 5:06PM on Jul 25th 2007
27. i've heard that barack obama has muslim ties or because of his parents. is this true?
roybickel at 5:12PM on Jul 25th 2007
28. I wonder if anyone who is for ANY of the democrats can tell me why Hillary, J. Edwards, and Obama are going to be speaking at the Kos convention? On the Kos website was the most VILE and HORRENDOUS picture I have ever seen on ANY website about JOE LIEBERMAN, the PRESIDENT and Karl Rove. THIS FAR LEFT GROUP has a LOT of explaining to do. AND, they owe the President AND Leiberman a HUGE apology!! These guys on KOS are not even on the left. They are the ones who are the RADICAL LEFTISTS that has been shown by the American people that these tactics are NOT WHAT AMERICAN WANTS OR NEEDS IN A PRESIDENT! They are so far left that if they go any further to the left, they will run into the right!! This pic is despicable, it is VILE, VULGAR and the American people are OWED an explanation as to why ALL THE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES are going to be speaking at this VILE convention! AND why these candidates, all but JOE BIDEN, and we sincerely thank Joe Biden for his integrity and honor for NOT speaking at this groups convention. Hillary, Obama, and Edwards and the rest of the democratic candidates, like Bill Richardson, Dennis K.; and the rest of those candidates are STILL speaking at this convention, given the HORRIBLE and VILE picture (and I do mean VILE and VULGAR) posted there by some nitwit under the cover of his s/n). If Obama, Clinton, and Edwards think for one minute, this is going to get them elected President, then they are living in a fairy tale world where anything goes. JOE LIEBERMAN IS ONE HONEST AND UPSTANDING MAN IN CONGRESS and HE IS OWED AN APOLOGY by these "FAR-LEFT LIBERALS" who are taking the democratic party to the depths of and it's final demize as we knew the democratic party to be., AND, NO ONE seems to care. (go figure that one out) JOE LIEBERMAN IS VERY SMART, HE OWES NOTHING TO THE DEMOCRATIC FAR LEFT PARTY! No wonder so many have abandoned the "liberal leftist.....and I do mean very FAR LEFT GROUP they used to call the democrats who were for the people. I for one am glad to say I have never and WILL NEVER be a democrat and PEOPLE, WAKE UP!!! Hillary, Obama and Edwards are dangerous when they fall into groups like this one, called the KOS!!!!!!! One other thing, OBAMA is someone I wouldn't trust as far as I could throw him and his idea about teaching KINDERGARTEN AGE children about sex, is OVER THE TOP! Let the children for ONCE, be kids and do NOT rush them into adulthood! And please, tell me how John Edwards can understand poverty when he lives in a 28,000 spread fit for a sultan and he also lives across the street from a trailer park and everyday when he comes home from being a "money hungry" trial lawyer, his neighbors waive at him and he turns his head as though he never sees them. AND, not ONCE has EDWARDS been across the street to talk to the folks in the trailer park....but he wasted NO TIME announcing his candicacy for president in the poor section of New Orleans, where the levies overflowed their banks following hurricane Katrina....but Katrina went in and HIT the MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST and because of the super governor they have, he was prepared to handle this situation. Does John Edwards, Hillary Clintoon, or B. Obama EVER make any sense? Obama wants to go and talk to the President of Iran. IRAN!! IRAN who has threatened to blow Israel off the face of the map! And he "thinks" you can reason with a guy who denies that the Holocaust ever, EVER took place! Sure, we can trust all these terrorists.....DUH!! How many brain cells do you need to know this man is a liar, a cheat and will stop at nothing at achieving his goal. PLUS this President of Iran was one of the CAPTORS and TORTURERS OF OUR AMERICAN HOSTAGES during the Carter years. Get the pic yet? And, one other thing, they all criticize Bush for his handling of the Iraq war, but when questioned, not one of the democrats has a plan or offered a better plan after 9/11/01 and they were given plenty of time. Hillary and her hubby, Teddy Kennedy, John Kerry, all said "saddam had WMD and they said it on the floor of the senate....yet, now, they are calling Bush an idiot for this war. They just don't get that these people....these radical ISLAMIC FUNDALMENTALISTS WANT TO KILL US DEAD! And will stop at nothing to achieve that. This is not a border war and it will not just go away by pulling our troops out of Iraq. It will continue to go on because it is a WORLD WIDE WAR! And how hard is that to comprehend?? 9/11/01 was not some Kooky, nutty, inside job. (like some say. These that say that, apparently, don't have a brain cell in their heads.) Anyway, the longer these canidates run, the more IGNORANT they are and I am amazed at the stupidity of the American people. Wake up AMERICA!!! We have gone from crazy to INSANITY! And we need a STRONG PRESIDENT WITH STRONG MORAL CONVICTIONS AND A PRESIDENT THAT KNOWS THAT IRAN, and NORTH KOREA HAS TO BE STOPPED BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE! (these problems didn't just all of a sudden come up while Bush has been in office....these nations have been a problem for the USA for a long, long, LONG time and we need a President who stands for truth, righteous, and ONE NATION UNDER GOD! And my friends, that is NOT the democratic candidates nor any republican running at this stage of the game! Think about it....when AMERICA IS ATTACKED AGAIN....do you really want an OBAMA with no experience in the WHITEHOUSE? Or another long 4 years of the CLINTON SAGA's??? Or a man who gets a $400 haircut and thinks YOUR taxes need to be raised?? OR do you want a man who doesn't play games, and who honestly knows the score and knows how to deal with the tragedies both here at home and abroad?? The democratic Congress has already shown their true colors....and now the talk of impeachment. LOL.....if you EVER find the grounds to impeach BUSH, then you will need to go back and impeach the Clintons, Kerry, Kennedy and the rest who publicly read all the documentation that was given to the PRESIDENT and they had said BEFORE 9/11 that Saddam must be removed MILITARILY! Cindy Sheehan is just a pawn for those who hate Bush. She hates Bush and blames him for the death of her son, but her son, the night he was killed volunteered to go out on that mission. And Sheehan has done nothing but DISGRACE her son's memory and allow the NUTCASES on the far left, to use her as a pawn in their evil game. GOD HELP AMERICA SEE THE TRUTH AND GOD HELP US! We have passed crazy and we are now into the world of INSANITY!!!
Terry at 10:34AM on Jul 31st 2007