Requiem for John Edwards

With the impending end of John Edwards' campaign tonight what had looked to be a wonderfully hard fought and substantive primary season just a few months ago now comes to an end with John Kerry having achieved one of the most lopsided victories in recent history. Before my better judgement (and every line towing dem out there) tells me to unite around Mr. Kerry, a closing pot shot. Howard Dean invigorated a large swath of America with his open and unflinching challenge to what the great Julian Bond has called "the Taliban wing of American politics." Edwards for his part, brought issues of job loss and work, capitalism and labor back into American political discussion, something largely missing from "mainstream," nationwide discourse the last few decades. While Edwards' populism was likely not much deeper than his skin, the fact that he consistently and eloquently spoke about the divide between rich and poor and the arrogance of business capital made him a welcome addition to American discussion. John Kerry, for his part, does neither of the things that made Dean and Edwards, if not ideal candidates, then at least a welcome change from decades of Clintons, Daschles, Harts, Carters, Liebermans, and, oh hell, 95% of nationally known Democrats. If the majority of Democrats out there honestly think Kerry has the best chance of beating Bush, so be it, this man has got to go. But let the punditry and the DLC be warned right now, when Kerry makes his inevitable move so far back to the right that he ends up in the Canary Islands (who was he kidding with this populist crap anyway) and if Bush gets the most votes counted for him next November, the fault will rest squarely on the shoulders of those people who argue that talking about class or expressing anger over fascistic policies is no way to win a presidency. Thank you Howard Dean and John Edwards, at least you brought a little hope to this long winter.