Don Hazen, in his AlterNet column Saturday, praised John Edwards for his "striking leadership" in pulling out of yet another debate to be moderated by Fox News, this one co-sponsored with Fox by the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC).
Edwards deputy campaign manager Jonathan Prince explained to the AP, "there's just no reason for Democrats to give Fox a platform to advance the right-wing agenda while pretending they're objective." The Edwards campaign went out of its way to point out that Edwards planned to participate in a CBC debate hosted by CNN. The Democratic National Committee has also come out in opposition to the Fox debates, excluding them from the six debates they plan to sanction.
But of course, there's every reason for CNN to advance the left-wing agenda while pretending they're objective.
Really, though, there's nothing wrong with the Edwards campaign complaining about the slant (real or perceived) of any of the news outlets. The bigger question is what this serial boycotting says about Edwards.
Let's pretend that Barak Obama sticks his inexperienced foot in his mouth one too many times and Hillary positions herself too far to the right for the Democrats' left-wing base, so Edwards gets the nomination. And let's pretend even further that the Republican base gets ticked off at the "moderate" GOP nominee and sits out the election, thereby giving the presidency to John Edwards. What then?
Will President "Two Americas" Edwards only converse with one of those Americas? Will he punish the half of the electorate that didn't vote for him? Will he work with only one side of the aisle in Congress? Will he punish Fox News for every little slight by excluding their reporters from White House press briefings?
The fact that Edwards is holding a grudge against Fox News doesn't speak well for him. Edwards is either a petulant little boy pouting over everything that doesn't go his way, or he's a vindictive SOB with a long memory. Neither one says, "Presidential material."
Politics is a big sandbox, full of people you like and people you don't like, and you can't help but get a little dirty when you climb in. If Edwards can't handle the realities of the sandbox, he needs to brush himself off and go home (and complain about his neighbors).
Update:
Barak Obama and Hillary Clinton join John Edwards in his Fox News Apoplexy Syndrome (FNAS). Again.
4 comments:
Great Post. I especially like the part about the sandbox at the end.
Bush has been an example of reaching across the aisle, even to the point of folly. He keeps that hag Helen Thomas in the front row. He keeps the grandstanding clown David Gregory. He gives interviews to networks hostile to him.
The Dems are running and hiding from Fox News. What does this say about how they will act toward the really bad guys. Somehow I get this picture of Scooby Doo jumping and shaking in Shaggy's arms.
Ruh-Roh.
Outstanding point aics. How will they act towards Irans nutter in chief? Or OBL if they allow us to continue this war?
Thanks Janice. And where are the TV reporters saying, " 'SOME SAY' that this shows a fear among the Democratic candidates. 'THEY' wonder how these candidates can be expected to go toe to toe with more serious foes. Back to you Anderson."?
I've got to go with:
"Petulant Little SOB."
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