# John Edwards is a very impressive Presidential candidate **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 6, 2007, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-is-a-very-impressive-presidential-candidate/391017 "2007-02-06T00:47:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2007, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-is-a-very-impressive-presidential-candidate/391017/221 "2007-02-09T17:10:10Z")
And how many times do I have to say it: We know he took money from congressional candidates in the 2004 election. We do not know which ones, and we do not know whether those candidates were subsequently endorsed on his blog. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2007, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-is-a-very-impressive-presidential-candidate/391017/222 "2007-02-09T18:15:38Z")
[QUOTE=Mr. Moto] And how many times do I have to say it: We know he took money from congressional candidates in the 2004 election. We do not know which ones, and we do not know whether those candidates were subsequently endorsed on his blog. [/QUOTE] Exactly. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2007, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-is-a-very-impressive-presidential-candidate/391017/223 "2007-02-09T18:43:52Z")
I think where we are, **Mr. Moto** , is that you feel that absence of evidence implies guilt. I don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2007, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-is-a-very-impressive-presidential-candidate/391017/224 "2007-02-09T19:11:01Z")
No. Where I am is the general view that in politics, more transparency is generally better. Since Moulitsas’ business dealings are not transparent, I have a problem with them. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2007, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-is-a-very-impressive-presidential-candidate/391017/225 "2007-02-09T19:17:55Z")
[QUOTE=Mr. Moto] No. Where I am is the general view that in politics, more transparency is generally better. Since Moulitsas’ business dealings are not transparent, I have a problem with them. [/QUOTE] Umm, dude? _Most_ businesses’ business dealings aren’t transparent. Welcome to the world. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2007, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-is-a-very-impressive-presidential-candidate/391017/226 "2007-02-09T19:19:07Z")
Maybe we should require transparency of any business that takes out political ads in the papers? Just wondering. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2007, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-is-a-very-impressive-presidential-candidate/391017/227 "2007-02-09T20:13:12Z")
[QUOTE=Mr. Moto] No. Where I am is the general view that in politics, more transparency is generally better. Since Moulitsas’ business dealings are not transparent, I have a problem with them. [/QUOTE] Why do you give two shits about whether a liberal website reveals everything about its business dealings to its readers? I seriously doubt that you are a regular reader or that you would have your vote swayed by anything Kos has to say. I am a regular reader of Kos, and 1) I don’t believe he’s done anything particularly nefarious, and 2) I’m not at all concerned that his endorsements have been swayed by contributions. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2007, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-is-a-very-impressive-presidential-candidate/391017/228 "2007-02-09T20:42:38Z")
[QUOTE=Hentor the Barbarian] Why do you give two shits about whether a liberal website reveals everything about its business dealings to its readers? [/QUOTE] Same reason you gave two shits when the Armstrong Williams scandal broke, and commented about it here. C’mon. That’s a pretty dumb thing to say. And I don’t think there’s anything nefarious, either, about taking money from people you’re touting. It just seems to be a strange thing to hide. Keeping it aboveboard keeps appearances clear, and people can evaluate things fairly. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2007, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-is-a-very-impressive-presidential-candidate/391017/229 "2007-02-09T21:04:17Z")
[QUOTE=Mr. Moto] Same reason you gave two shits when the Armstrong Williams scandal broke, and commented about it here. C’mon. That’s a pretty dumb thing to say. And I don’t think there’s anything nefarious, either, about taking money from people you’re touting. It just seems to be a strange thing to hide. Keeping it aboveboard keeps appearances clear, and people can evaluate things fairly. [/QUOTE] Armstrong Williams wasn’t touting an individual, he was on the government payroll spouting government propaganda while in the guise of an independent reporter. Your attempt to portray the two circumstances as equivalent is nothing short of hardened partisan nonsense, and right now I’m having a hard time even recalling how you introduced Kos into this discussion of John Edwards and his floorplan. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2007, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-is-a-very-impressive-presidential-candidate/391017/230 "2007-02-09T21:31:06Z")
Because someone complained about a blogger who was working for the McCain camp without disclosing _that_. Sauce for the goose, and all of that. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2007, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-is-a-very-impressive-presidential-candidate/391017/231 "2007-02-09T22:51:23Z")
[QUOTE=Mr. Moto] Because someone complained about a blogger who was working for the McCain camp without disclosing _that_. [/QUOTE] The comment about McCain’s blogger was that the person is a religious troglodyte. You may sauce your gander with that, if you wish. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2007, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-is-a-very-impressive-presidential-candidate/391017/232 "2007-02-10T01:19:17Z")
Frankly, I don’t care who’s payroll any particular blogger is on. Their words can stand on their own. We need less campaign finance regulation, not more. I don’t want to see Bloggers having to register with the government and jump through a bunch of hoops before they can speak. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2007, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-is-a-very-impressive-presidential-candidate/391017/233 "2007-02-10T01:34:14Z")
[QUOTE=Mr. Moto] Because someone complained about a blogger who was working for the McCain camp without disclosing _that_. [/QUOTE] Who did that? I missed it. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2007, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-is-a-very-impressive-presidential-candidate/391017/234 "2007-02-10T01:39:56Z")
[QUOTE=Mr. Moto] Because someone complained about a blogger who was working for the McCain camp without disclosing _that_. Sauce for the goose, and all of that. [/QUOTE] It still seems to be that your sole counter to the multiple proven offenses on the GOP side (Armstrong Williams, Patrick Hynes) is the hypothetical possibility of an offense on the part of Moulitsas a few years back. I’m not exactly awed. But if you want to keep on flogging this dead horse, go right ahead. ---
**Author:** ![Caridwen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c89c15/32.png) [@Caridwen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caridwen)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2007, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-is-a-very-impressive-presidential-candidate/391017/235 "2007-02-10T01:54:59Z")
[QUOTE=Mr. Moto] Same reason you gave two shits when the Armstrong Williams scandal broke, and commented about it here. C’mon. That’s a pretty dumb thing to say. And I don’t think there’s anything nefarious, either, about taking money from people you’re touting. It just seems to be a strange thing to hide. Keeping it aboveboard keeps appearances clear, and people can evaluate things fairly. [/QUOTE] I don’t know why you continue to say he hid the fact. It wasn’t hidden. Besides, he’s not a journalist. Blogs are a fuzzy area anyway because so many people are involved. How do you know who’s even posting at a blog? Half the posts at any blog could very well be paid staff of a candidate posting a lot of positive things, or something negative about another candidate. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2007, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-is-a-very-impressive-presidential-candidate/391017/236 "2007-02-10T23:18:00Z")
Sorry if this has already been posted here, but I just found [this article](http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_joshua_f_070206_clinton_2c_edwards_and.htm) with the following quote from Edwards: > [@John Edwards](#): > > Let me be clear: Under no circumstances can Iran be allowed to have nuclear weapons … The vast majority of people are concerned about what is going on in Iraq. This will make the American people reticent toward going for Iran. But I think the American people are smart if they are told the truth, and if they trust their president. So Americans can be educated to come along with what needs to be done with Iran. Umm, yikes? The quote is not clearly cited, however. Anyone know if this quote can be confirmed? -FrL- ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2007, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-is-a-very-impressive-presidential-candidate/391017/237 "2007-02-10T23:49:55Z")
[Try here](http://www.herzliyaconference.org/Eng/_Articles/Article.asp?ArticleID=1728&CategoryID=223), the Herzliya Conference on Policy and Strategy in Israel. Could be seen as pandering to the audience, I suppose, but in context he’s clearly referring to a threat to _Israel_, not to the US. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2007, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-is-a-very-impressive-presidential-candidate/391017/238 "2007-02-10T23:52:01Z")
[QUOTE=ElvisL1ves] [Try here](http://www.herzliyaconference.org/Eng/_Articles/Article.asp?ArticleID=1728&CategoryID=223), the Herzliya Conference on Policy and Strategy in Israel. Could be seen as pandering to the audience, I suppose, but in context he’s clearly referring to a threat to _Israel_, not to the US. [/QUOTE] Yeahbut, he’s talking about going after iran, “educating” the american people to get them to “go along” with it, equating intelligence with “trusting the president…” -FrL- ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2007, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-is-a-very-impressive-presidential-candidate/391017/239 "2007-02-10T23:59:31Z")
Still to an Israeli audience. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2007, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-is-a-very-impressive-presidential-candidate/391017/240 "2007-02-11T00:19:41Z")
[QUOTE=ElvisL1ves] Still to an Israeli audience. [/QUOTE] I don’t understand your point. What’s the relevance of who the audience was in this case? -FrL- [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-is-a-very-impressive-presidential-candidate/391017.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-is-a-very-impressive-presidential-candidate/391017.md?page=13)