Edwards supporters offer no real answers; they offer fortune cookie proverbs and unremitting vitriol. And it is the Edwards supporters who control the Democratic ticket, which is why every Democratic candidate kowtowed to the far left during Sunday night's debate. Clinton, that paragon of reasonableness, contradicted her previous positions by stating in absolute terms that as president, her first priority would be "to bring our troops home." Obama, that prophet of national "unity," ruffled at the moderator's suggestion that English be dubbed our national language. No matter who wins the nomination, it will be the Edwards supporters steering the Democratic ship.
And don't count Edwards out yet. Edwards is slimy, to be sure. His "two Americas" shtick has always been pure demagoguery. His newfound willingness to exploit his wife's cancer for political gain -- Elizabeth Edwards, unsolicited, told the media on Monday that she was writing a letter of advice to her children for them to read after her death -- is particularly stomach-churning.
Still, Edwards is leading in Iowa. He's running second to Hillary Clinton in the most recent New Hampshire polls. His support will bump once Democrats realize Al Gore is out; he'll get another boost as Obama continues to fade.
Will John Edwards win the Democratic nomination? It's too early to tell. But no matter what happens, Edwards' brand of bilious, apothegmatic politics will continue to dominate liberal discourse -- to America's detriment.