This is what we've been waiting for.

I've always wanted to see a politician speak like this. He may not have Obama's rhetorical charm (and I do like Obama) but this is a real guy. He's got real ideas about poverty reduction, health care, greenhouse emissions. He's running his campaign like I would (no holds barred) and calling them like he sees em.

I like him. I've been wondering who's going to get my vote, and Edwards is the guy.

Nice work, Walter Shapiro. I'm surprised you didn't ask Edwards what his favorite Bruce Springsteen song was, and why. Or pehaps "How do you and Elizabeth find the courage to fight the good fight that you are waging on behalf of the common man?"

What a crock.

Next time, ask Edwards what his plan is for medical malpractice reform. Ask him if he is satisfied with the results of the tobacco litigation a decade later. Ask him for his comments on the allegations that famous trial lawyers in a number of states skirted camapign finance laws in laundering funds to Edwards through their office staffs.

Ask Edwards if he will raise taxes. Ask him to describe what part of the Patriot Act he would eliminate. Ask him if he favors the unionization of TSA workers. Ask him to describe his detailed plan for mandatory reduction of greenhouse gases.

Then publish that interview.

Please, Democrats. Give us Edwards. This is the guy we want to hammer.

This a response to the person called 'elephantman.'

You appear to be occupied with your personal problem with Mr. Edwards' trial lawyer experience. Too bad. It is nitty, bitty whining about stuff dealt with some one running for Congress, not the office of the President. The present 'President' already has a trial lawyer issue flack.

Now if you have some subject of interest and relevance to ALL United States citizens, let's hear it.

Here is one for you: What if he wins the Democratic candidacy, and chooses Senator Obama as his running mate?

The least of my worries is that a Republican will be the next president. I hope the Republican supporters bankrupt themselves supporting their candidates. What I am concerned about is that too much money and too many people think the next president should be Clinton or Obama. Clinton would be bad for the country and Obama is not viable at this point in time. This country has one great candidate and I suggest that if you care about other peoples lives as much as your own and if you care about the future of this country then the choice is obvious - John Edwards! A Hillary Clinton presidency would be very similar in style to Bush’s reign. She does not speak to the people, she speaks at the people. She is arrogant, unflinching in her positions and unwilling to accept responsibility for mistakes made. She is deeply beholden to the wealthy elite and PAC people. Contrast that with Edwards who is self-assured and confident. He speaks to the people with insight, intelligence and clarity. He has a vision, not an agenda. He is open to dialogue and is willing to consider other opinions and views if it will be best for middle class and less fortunate Americans. He can compromise and more importantly he is a big enough person to accept responsibility for all decisions – right or wrong. Obama is a fine person but he is not presidential material yet and unfortunately I think the country is still not willing to elect an African American. His campaign is considerably more rhetoric than substance – his positions are neither defined nor articulated. He is still evolving into one day becoming a great leader. I think ultimately, the race issue will be his undoing in the primaries. That race is an issue is reprehensible to me but I believe that once the African American community begins playing the race card, most voters will recognize that the effectiveness of America’s highest office would be compromised. People will not be comfortable electing someone that will constantly have policy decisions being needlessly infused with racial innuendo. I like Obama – I think one day he could be a great president but for now I hope that he can serve as vice president to John Edwards – hopefully our next president!

P.S. Elephantman – I for one appreciate you posting here. Your naive and ignorant comments do much more to bolster the Democratic Party than your fellow elephantmen. If you are like most Republicans, you are wealthy and self-absorbed. If you aren’t rich then I retract ignorant and replace it with plain stupid. In any case, you be sure to take good care of yourself now and keep giving all your money to the Republican Party – you won’t hurt my feelings at all!! And please keep those letters coming big guy!

to rub the filth off me I felt after voting for Kerry.

THIS is the person I would vote for. Hillary? Please give me a break. Obama? Long on rhetoric, short on actual plans.

I've been impressed with John Edwards since I viewed him in action during the last election, before he became Kerry's running mate (and the order should've been switched on that one, for sure).

This guy IS presidential. He admits his mistakes, he tells how he's learned from them, and he outlines what he would do going forward. He has concrete plans for alleviating poverty in this nation, he cares about the environment, and he has always been a staunch supporter of women's rights. What's not to love?

And to anyone who takes umbrage at the fact that he was a trial lawyer, you are nothing but a dupe of big corporations, who would like nothing better, when you hurt yourself at work, or use one of their faulty products, which they put on the market KNOWING it was faulty (Ford Pinto, anyone?), than to screw you over.

Everyone hates a lawyer. Until they need one.

What a pleasure it is to be a Democrat right now. In spite of Bush trying to destroy everything that's good about this country, we have two fabulous candidates in Edwards and Obama. I'm still not sure which I'm going to support but this interview by Walter Shapiro gives me great insights into Edwards and how he would function as President. And what I'm seeing, I definitely like.