However, seeking an issue to elevate his chances at catching the brass ring he has decided to focus on inner city poverty as a campaign issue.
Not to be excluded from this issue Senator Barack Obama has also made this topic part of his message. On page 16A of today’s LA Times he is quoted to having said that “poverty is not an issue I just discovered for the purposes of a campaign. It is the cause that led me to a life of public service almost 25 years ago.” Is that so? I do not recall reading anything in the news regarding his concern about this issue but than again it’s that time of year. Keep an eye on the competition and be sure not to overlook an issue that can resonate favorably with the electorate.
And who ends up footing the multi billion dollar bill for all of the services that this poverty removal effort entails? There is no question that our major cities have higher crime rates, gangs and drug dealers. We read that upwards of 50 percent of high school students drop out.
This is the land of opportunity. I was born and raised in Newark New Jersey, not exactly Beverly Hills 90210. At one stage in my life I worked three jobs seven days a week. While I have compassion for the children of broken homes, where single moms are doing their best to raise their families, perhaps the place to begin is in our public school system. We are taught the three R’s but nothing about marriage or the responsibility of starting and raising a family.
As to the issue of unemployment the answer is to stay in school, select the area where you can earn a decent living and commit yourselves to reaching that goal. Dropping out of school surely limits your chances at getting a job that would enable you to keep up with the cost of living, no less move to higher ground and break the cycle of poverty.
Your thoughts on this latest Democrat campaign issue are surely welcome.
PS: What’s the real cost of a haircut these days? My wife cuts my hair with an electric hair clipper!
Kinda like Rudy G., David Vitters, Newt Gingrich, Rev. Ted Haggard or Henry Hyde discussing morality and family values.
Larry— Nice try but the haircut story has run out of gas. Mark it down as campaign stupidity. But since you’re on the topic, I’d be interested in whether you think Mitt Romney is qualified to comment on poverty since more recently he reportedly paid $150 for a special make up job recently. Do you think they got the powder just so…you know, so that as chameleon Mitt changes his positions on policy issues the makeup color changes ite hue?
And by the way, thanks for the Hooveresque commentary on poverty. Good to know the GOP hasn’t changed much in the past 75 years.
Larry, your argument is flawed. Are presidential candidates only supposed to discuss issues that they have personally experienced?
So the only candidate that should be speaking about poverty is the one that has worked a minimum wage job with two kids? That’s not reality, Larry.
Email response:
My wife cuts mine too, but I know a place that charges $6.00 off El Toro fwy. and the 5. In LA going price is 10 bucks at most you shouldn’t get out of there paying more than a 20 spot tip included. But I guess Edwards got that fluff hair thing going. After they wash it and press and starch every hair strand in place, I guess that can be expensive. Even more than Hilary salon fees.
Another email reply:
You get your hair cut with a safety razor, I hope.
I pay $10 for my haircuts, and tip the lady $5. She is an immigrant, as are all of her coworkers…and they know a lot more about poverty than Edwards ever will.
Sean.
Fair reply.
Bladerunner.
The haircut story ran out of gas? I don’t think so. Do we hit the delete key the day after it appears in the media or does it illustrate a lifestyle.
As to Mitt. I have not heard him discuss poverty but am not tied to the tube 24/7 listening to his campaign proposals as my fingers on on this keyboard for more hours than they should be.
Mike. While I agree that candidates should be able to discuss a wide variety of topics spending $400 for haircuts is not a good way to set an example for those less fortunate than yourself.
I doubt that Obama spends anywhere close to that amount for his haircuts. Perhaps you can find out and let us know.
Edwards “handlers” should have clued him into to perception being reality in the eyes of the voters.
C’mon fellas, give this $400 haircut a rest. Shoulda, coulda, woulda … He goofed in the public’s eye and he’s admitted it. Look at it this way, some hair sytlist made a good day wages. What’s wrong with that?
Besides, most men don’t get the hair cut/color/sytlist thing. Nothing wrong with a man who takes pride in his appearance. If you can afford a $400 cut, go for it; if you can’t then stay within your means.
Fred Thompson and Rudy G. wish they had the hair to clip for $400 a whack. MOVE ON.
Larry, you are now officially an idiotic Republican TOOL.
There have been many wealthy democrats who have done more for the poor than any republican ever has. One simply needs to look at John F Kennedy and his little brother Bobby Kennedy to know, being rich does not mean you dont care about the poor.
If John Edwards feels, he has a solution to the poor, and then kudos to him, it far more that most of the other candidates democrat and republcian alike are saying about this issue.
Why are the republican’ts like LG beating this dead horse? The reason is that Edwards is the ONLY candidate pulling poverty into the national debate, and that scares the hell out of you republican’ts to even discuss it, so they deflect the real issues and rather talk about hair cuts and stained dresses.
Accordingly, none of the other Democratic candidates want to discuss it either!
CQT 96.
Don’t go there. I did not mention anything about a “stained dress.” Nor did I mention Bill Clinton’s extra curricula activites nor JFK and Bobbie’s involvement with Marilyn. Argue the post but stay within the lines.
Larry—Romney addressed the poverty issue in one of his “town hall” meetings in June. So why aren’t you putting up a headline to a post that says ” ROMNEY GETS $150 MAKEUP APPLICATIONS AND FEELS QUALIFIED TO DISCUSS POVERTY” ?
I don’t delete these things the day after they happen but some things run their course. And as for illustrating a lifestyle, does the $150 makeup session illustrate a lifestyle for Romney too?
Bladerunner.
As I do not recall watching said Town Hall meeting I respectfully cannot comment on any of the candidate comments. If he did pay $150 for make-up than I am surprised that none of the Democrat Juice bloggers felt that it was a story at that time.
As to the cost for makeup. I recall being a guest on KOCE where they applied make up on me at no charge. But then again, I always use Turtle Wax on my chrome dome. Not!
I’d pay $ 400 just to get some hair!
Your dodging larry—and with good reason. You can check out Mitt’s comments on poverty by just a little research..google does wonders. It nwas New orleans address. But it shouldn’t matter what he said—–the headline should apply both places–unless you’re in to giving GOP candidates hall passes on the same criticism you give Dems.
Bladerunner.
I am not protecting Mitt Romney. As I have posted previously I have yet to select my Republican choice for president in the 2008 election.
That in itself tells a story but I will stop here.
And yes, I could go to Google, and will do that, when I finish the many other tasks that overflow my plate. Have a good day.
Larry, maybe the reason why none of the other bloggers on this site posted about Mitt Romney’s makeup bills is because stories like that are not exactly newsworthy, just a thought. And another thing, do you guys get told to write posts like this by the RNC? I mean I’ve seen enough polls to know that Edwards beats every republican in national matchups, so your strategy is to tear him down now so he doesn’t make it past the primary. Who’s next on the list, are you going to post about how Barack Obama’s middle name is Hussein?
Jason,
If you ever watch Bill O’Reilley or other conservative commentators, they have one philosophy, MAKE AN ISSUE OUT OF EVERYTHING. They find the smallest thing and they nitpick, and they make it an issue and then the average folks eat it up.
Something I learned when I was among the Right.
Thank you for recommending this post to our Best of feature.
http://www.idrewthis.org/2007/07/its-all-very-de-press-ing.html
Read that again. Let it sink in.
And then allow me to summarize the major points here. What Mr. Ambinder is saying is that if the press corps wants to kill a candidacy and decides to harp endlessly on a petty, insignificant story about the candidate’s hair to do so, that by itself lends legitimacy to the story.
And, conversely, if the press decides a candidate is the “front runner,” that makes it perfectly legitimate to cover him differently, and downplay embarrassing facts about him.
Is it just me or is that, I don’t know, the exact opposite of how journalism is supposed to function?
Poster 22,
The haircut story underscores Edward’s lack of common sense. He never should have charged the haircuts to his campaign fund.
He could have paid from his personal account and avoided the grief!
And of course it makes him look like he is totally out of touch with America’s working class and those mired in poverty.
Yes, there are two Americas. And now we know which one Edwards belongs to.
Good afternoon Jason..
No, the RNC does NOT dictate to me what topics I chose to write about.
Truth be told I am happy to see Edwards in the DNC pack who will beat each other up until the primary is over.
Brother Claudio.
What are your thoughts about Hillary and John’s open mike comment saying “let’s block the second tier from appearing with us in the debates.” paraphrased.
Is that the Democratic way of running a fair and honest campaign?
Newsho.
I can’t speak for you in that I do not know who you are. However, as a losing candidate for political office I can speak from experience that once you step out onto the playing field you had better wear your shoulder pads and helmet knowing full well that you will be a target. And if you don’t have skeletons in the closet the opposition wil create them.
i.e. I was in Orlando Fl when a local reporter attended a CRA Unit meeting to quote me while I was almost 3,000 miles away. Oh yes, when I complained to the paper the newspaper issued a correction in eight point type on page 37 in a later edition. In the meantime the headline story was used in campaign literature against me but that’s all in the past. Simply stated. Politics is a contact sport.
Larry and Art,
I don’t know if you bothered to click the link for additional information – basically indicating that members of the media can get off on a power kick to try and sway who will get elected. Pundits will feel that they know best and will try and get their choice of candidate shown in a better light by repeatedly promoting them, while demeaning a particular challenger. In the case of Edwards – He’s not liked by media spokesmen for some reason, and he is actively being put in a poor light to potential voters.
Edward’s hair or Romney’s skin are such insignificant parts of who these men really are. And who can forget how Hillary Clinton’s hair was scruitinized year after year while her husband served in office?
The same people who fell for the lies about Iraq are going to see something “important” about the reports of hair, flip flopping, skin, a name that rhymes with Osama, etc…. Some people are just “that easy” to get to parrot the latest meme.
In other countries this kind of “reporting” is called opinion and sticking to the issues is called “news”. US media is dumb and assumes that the reader/viewer is dumb. That’s why parroting silly details and making them into something plays us all as dupes.
And Art, not all of us go to Fantastic Sam’s for hair.
Jennifer Lopez pays over a thousand to get her eyebrows plucked. The beneficiaries are the people who provide these grooming services. I am sure that they appreciate that money that comes to support their work and lifestyles for a job well done.