Edwards Out; Who Benefits?

Much to my surprise, former North Carolina Senator, John Edwards, ended his presidential ambitions today in New Orleans, the same place where he announced his '08 candidacy.  This was shocking to say the least.  I had expected Edwards to stay in the race until the convention.  After all, what does he have to lose?  Or more importantly, what else can he do?  He has been, for the last 5 years, a professional Presidential candidate.  

Despite the shock and surprise of this drop-out, the media has already begun speculating on whom Edwards will endorse.  As I've stated in the past, I'm not sure how much endorsements matter.  I know several Edwards supporters and they have already made up their mind on who they will vote for now that he's out.  Some say Clinton; others Obama.  They assure me that whomever Edwards endorses is no more likely to get their vote than that person was before that potential endorsement.  

With that said, the Edwards vote is really split in my mind.  You have those Edwards supporters who are low-income, white, mostly rural voters.  Those voters are pretty much exactly how one would describe Clinton voters, minus the rural part.  You also have the labor unions, which, in some states, are heavily hispanic.  Those votes would also vote for Clinton, although the Kennedy endorsement might help slightly with latinos.  

Then there are those liberal "change" voters, whatever the hell that means.  They are Daily-Kos and Huffington Post Democrats, who support Edwards simply because of his far-left positions on some of the issues.  Those are, clearly, Obama voters.  

So the question should not be who Edwards will endorse, although it is more than likely to be Obama, considering all his anti-Clinton talk as of late, but who Edwards voters will break for.  Right now, my estimation is a 50-50 split, which leaves this race just as dead-locked as before Edwards got out. 

Conservatism: The Ugly and Unamerican Ideology

In the four years I spent on active duty in the Marine Corps, I was not asked one time if I was a liberal or conservative.  Yet we all shared the same thing and looked after and took care of each other.  We all served our country at a very young age and I am proud to be a Korean War Veteran.  We were "always faithful" to our motto and each other.  Being an American and a Marine was the only ideology. 

 

I worked for over 45 years in the business world and not once was my job or life affected by my political beliefs.  I can say the same thing about my life outside military service and work place.  But now, politicians have changed all of that, why?  The simple answer is political greed, and make no mistake, it started with the neoconservative administration of Ronald Reagan.  Ever since then Republican candidates have tried to paint themselves as the good guys and everyone else, the bad guys, especially liberals.  They have tried to change the meaning of patriotism when others do not share their ideology.  They have even stooped to the low of accusing people who do not always wear an american flag on their coat as unpatriotic. 

 

How did the people of this great country get suckered into this conservative ideology that is meant to divide us?  If the american people were impressed with facts, they would turn off this ideology tomorrow.  But people seem to go with the flow.  If some one in my Marine outfit or in my working career took the attitude that his ideology was better than any one else's, he would have not lasted long at all. 

 

Too many Americans have forgotten the good life we have lived as Americans and have bought into ideology as a substitute for being an American.  All one has to do is listen to what the Republican candidates running for President are saying.  "No one else is fit to serve in the office," that is the thrust of their speeches.  They can't even bring themselves to embrace the ideals that America has stood for since the beginning.  They even try to out do each other as to who is the most conservative.  That really gets to be a laugh.  The cure is very simple. Get a life and be an American first.  Come down off your high perch, you may like it here on earth, and you just might remember the days when ideology took a back seat in the real world.  Those were the days when much was accomplished.

 

If conservative politicians and candidates really want to do something for their country and fellow man, prove it by your deeds, tap into the real spirit of America and let go of your phony "holier than thou" attitude.  You will find it is better to have an American ideology than a phony conservative ideology.

 

Presidents Eisenhower, Nixon, and Ford described themselves as conservatives, but never did they themselves proclaim a "holier than thou" attitude in their political campaigns.  They spoke to the issues facing the country.  I just wish the candidates these days would speak to the issues, but that seems unlikely.