Snapshots: Edwards Makes a Subdued Appearance
March 8th, 2007 at 5:57 pm
John Edwards visited Austin today, but with only one brief public appearance in front an audience for a taping of Texas Monthly Talks. It differed a bit from Obamapalooza, but it’s likely that his Texas two-step through the area was more about fundraising than stumping.
The most striking thing about the half-hour interview with Evan Smith, editor of Texas Monthly, was the subdued nature of the whole event. The seats were not packed with die-hards. Edwards spoke calmly and assertively. That trademark smile, everpresent in ‘04, flashed only on occasion. Not that he lacked focus or intensity, but his stage presence seemed geared toward exuding competency, not just charisma. Long gone are the Deaniac days of last primary.
Then again, it is still an awfully long way out from any cast ballots, and campaigns can heat up in a hurry. But for now, Edwards seems to share with Barack Obama a desire to bring a sense of calmness and security to the race for president, at least judging by their stage presence. Or maybe Edwards was just tired.
As for the interview itself, it ran from the trivial (Ann Coulter) to the monumental (lots of talk about Iraq). It was great to hear Edwards unabashedly champion “universal health care” instead of dancing around the term as Dems have in the past.
Of course, Edwards’s harshest words were reserved for the Current Occupant. “He should not pardon Scooter Libby,” Edwards said at one point, punching every word for emphasis. But even with the continuous stream of lies and misrepresentations coming from the Executive Branch, he doesn’t think Bush or Cheney should be impeached. “I wouldn’t do that,” he said, adding that the public will hold them accountable for Iraq, Halliburton, Katrina, all the rest.
The full interview with will run a week from today on Thursday, March 15. Check here for your local station and time.
