Will John Edwards Smile or Frown?
John Edwards’ campaign is either finding its groove or spinning out of control.
The New York Times reported this week:
“In a slow but striking power shift, advisers who champion the political power of the Web have eclipsed the coterie of advisers who have long dominated Mr. Edwards’s inner circle, both reflecting and intensifying his transformation into a more populist, aggressive candidate.”
The article reported that Harrison Hickman, who has been Edwards’s pollster since he ran for the Senate in 1998, argued against the shift. It added: “Mr. Hickman did not return calls.”
The issue is more than the Internet. It’s whether Edwards smiles or frowns. Do Democratic primary voters (especially in
In his previous races, Edwards has been a sunny, smiling optimist. He even dubbed his political committee New American Optimists at one point.
But the Times reported that Edwards’s new style is unsmiling and almost angry, attacking an unnamed “they” who “want me to shut up.” He added, “they will never silence me.”
Hickman saw that side of Edwards the night he won the Democratic primary in 1998, giving an impassioned, angry acceptance speech.
“Where did the anger come from?” Hickman asked.
Wherever it came from, it’s back. And it could mark a make-or-break shift in Edwards’s hope to be President.
Will John Edwards Smile or Frown?
John Edwards’ campaign is either finding its groove or spinning out of control.
The New York Times reported this week:
“In a slow but striking power shift, advisers who champion the political power of the Web have eclipsed the coterie of advisers who have long dominated Mr. Edwards’s inner circle, both reflecting and intensifying his transformation into a more populist, aggressive candidate.”
The article reported that Harrison Hickman, who has been Edwards’s pollster since he ran for the Senate in 1998, argued against the shift. It added: “Mr. Hickman did not return calls.”
The issue is more than the Internet. It’s whether Edwards smiles or frowns. Do Democratic primary voters (especially in
In his previous races, Edwards has been a sunny, smiling optimist. He even dubbed his political committee New American Optimists at one point.
But the Times reported that Edwards’s new style is unsmiling and almost angry, attacking an unnamed “they” who “want me to shut up.” He added, “they will never silence me.”
Hickman saw that side of Edwards the night he won the Democratic primary in 1998, giving an impassioned, angry acceptance speech.
“Where did the anger come from?” Hickman asked.
Wherever it came from, it’s back. And it could mark a make-or-break shift in Edwards’s hope to be President.