The American Mind

John Edwards, with your wife’s performance on Hardball you had right-wing bomb thrower Ann Coulter in an uncomfortable position: on the defensive. Even though your wife called into the show simply to get free media to lift up your fundraising totals before the next FEC reporting deadline she (and you) actually looked liked you possessed a little of the moral high ground. Elizabeth Edwards asking, no pleading, for civility in political discourse was almost convincing. I’m sure it fooled some of the few people who actually watch Hardball.

John, you had Ann Coulter right where you wanted her. You looked like the victim enduring the unfair attack of a conservative harpy. Victimhood is currency in today’s society. You could have ran with it for a few weeks, filling your campaign chest with precious lucre. All that advantage flew into the trash when you decided to call Coulter “crazy” (emphasis mine):

J. EDWARDS: I don’t think she has any shame. There’s no doubt about that. And her response to any effort to raise the dialogue, to talk about things that people care about, is to attack in a mean, hateful, mean-spirited way. I think that’s just the way she behaves. That’s who she is. And I think that’s a lot of what we see from these people who are just — that are crazy. I mean…

MATTHEWS: Yes.

J. EDWARDS: I mean, there’s nothing remotely mainstream about them. And normal people are repelled by them.

MATTHEWS: Well, how do you explain that you see people with good educations walking around the streets of New York and Wall Street, people with big business jobs in equity firms — hedge fund people — all buying books by Ann Coulter? How do you explain the fact that even last night’s fight involving your wife Elizabeth and Ann Coulter probably helped her sell some more books to these kind of guys?

J. EDWARDS: Because I think there is a segment of the population that responds to this sort of hateful craziness. It’s always been true, Chris. It’s been true my whole lifetime. When I was young, growing up in the South, people were very responsive to name-calling of African-Americans, prejudice and discrimination against African-Americans. And people would say the most outrageous, demeaning things about good human beings. And there would be a response.

Here’s the video [via Hot Air]:

John, I seems only your wife cares about civility and talking about the issues. Married couples aren’t clones. There’s no rule requiring them to think alike. Some say opposites attract. However, when it comes to campaigning one of the primary rules is to have everyone on the same page. Sure, past history demonstrates you don’t really give a damn about civil discourse, but the key word is “perception.” After spouting off your rant the perception of you is “two-faced hypocrite.”

I’m looking for a cliche. Help me, John. I’m sure you used a few of them in your tear-jerker closing arguments. I know, “Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.” John, you may be a good trial lawyer, but you’re one dumb politician.

“John Edwards: Coulter’s ‘Crazy’”

UPDATE: USA Today’s Jill Lawrence chops off the most important part of Edwards’ quote. She entered this into her story: “And her response to any effort to raise the dialogue, to talk about things that people care about, is to attack in a mean, hateful, mean-spirited way.” Lawrence failed to include the part where Edwards calls Coulter and her fans “crazy.” That “mean-spirited” rip completely undercut what his wife said when confronting Coulter.