And what is that? In the Senate his most important vote was in support of our invasion of Iraq -- a vote he now frankly condemns as a "mistake." But in his politics in general, and especially since letting his ambitions for 2008 become known, Edwards has hammered out a position that is rather strikingly far to the left. For one thing, he wants us to start pulling out of Iraq -- now.
And, again and again, he has described the United States as consisting of "two Americas" -- one small and almost ridiculously rich, and another that is large and just barely scraping by. This is the politics of class envy with a vengeance, and Edwards seems convinced that it is exactly what the doctor ordered for the Democratic Party. On "Meet the Press" recently, he fleshed out this vision by putting forth a healthcare proposal that would cover all Americans, cost upward of $100 billion a year, and require increased taxes.
Finally, Edwards possesses one further attribute that gives him an edge over all the other serious candidates for the Democratic nomination: He is from the South. When you reflect that the only two Democrats who have been elected to the presidency in nearly 50 years were also Southerners, that is an asset not to be sneezed at.
Watching Edwards on television, I am torn between admiration of his finesse and a deep wariness over whether somebody so glib can possibly be real. A good many other Americans may come to share that doubt. But this country cheerfully elected Bill Clinton twice, and he was surely the King of Glibness. So keep your eye on John Edwards.