Not Like the Others

What do Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Chris Dodd, and Bill Richardson have in common? A couple of answers could work: they are all Democrats; they all want to be president in 2008; all are currently in office. Unless Al Gore or Wesley Clark decide to run, these seem to be five of the top six Democratic candidates for 2008. The sixth, however, has one important characteristic that separates him from the rest.

This guy is young, has name recognition, has national campaign experience, and is incredibly skilled in politics, but on top of all this he has one charictaristic that is allowing him to dominate the media cycle over the past few days. What is this characteristic? He is not in office.

The man is John Edwards.

A glance at what Edwards has been doing over the past five days or so clearly reveals his strategy:

• Call for a clear, quick, defined troop withdraw
• Present a $120 billion universal healthcare proposal
• Bash the Senate Democrats' "non-binding" resolution as weak and ineffective
• Openly use the dirty words "raise taxes"

Edwards is using his position as the only one of the Democratic Trifecta (Clinton, Obama, Edwards) not in office to leverage his candidacy. He is the only one who can afford to be brazen enough for the Far Left.

Whereas Clinton, Obama, and the rest are bound by their positions to be pragmatic and realistic, Edwards has the ability to be partisan and brash, without having to consider the impact his proposals would have. Senator Biden (who is recognized among his party as a foreign policy expert) has criticized Edwards' positions for this very reason: they are unrealistic. This according to the New York Times:

But [Edwards] campaign voice is different, at times angry and more impatient. He said that in his last campaign he was handicapped first by his inexperience as a national candidate, and...that this time he was more seasoned and unshackled, which he believes gives him advantages over his two most prominent rivals, Senators Clinton and Obama.

Seasoned and unshackled indeed.

Edwards may currently be in the number 3 position among the Democrats, but beware this non-office holder. He has the freedom to engage in all degrees of politicization without having to account for how his proposed policies would effect the people, the economy, or our national security. This may make him the most popular candidate among the Far Left, but it also may well make him the most dangerous of the Trifecta.