I just got this e-mail from John Edwards a few minutes ago:
Dear Benny,
For the past two years, we've worked together to build an America that lives up to its promise -- one where we all share in prosperity at home and one that shows real moral leadership around the world.
I'm proud of our successes fighting poverty, supporting working families, and standing up for what we believe.
Now, we have a big decision to make -- and I do mean we.
I'm getting ready to take this effort to the next level - to bring Americans together in all fifty states to tackle the big challenges facing our country, from poverty and lack of health care, to energy and global warming.
But this is our effort, and we can only succeed if we're all in it together. So before I make a final decision, I need to hear from you.
Are you ready?
If you're ready to take this to the next level, and launch a renewed national effort to change America, send me a note and let me know: JohnEdwards@readytochangeamerica.com
If you have friends or family who share this vision, I want to hear from them too. Please forward this on to anyone you know who might want to join this big new effort.
I believe we can run a totally new kind of endeavor -- one that puts our ideals into action, and puts the hopes and dreams of the American people above the personal ambition and play-it-safe strategy of traditional politics.
I can't promise you where this will ultimately lead. But I can promise you this: if you're on board, we'll launch a renewed commitment to change our country from the bottom up. We'll always speak from the heart. And together, we'll reach out to millions of people to let them know it's still okay to dream big dreams, and do everything we can to make them real --because that's what America is all about.
So the only question is: Are you ready?
If you want to take this effort to next level, send me an e-mail and let me know.
Stay tuned: I'll let you know what we decide early next week.
Happy holidays, and may it be a bright new year for all.
Your friend,
John
Edwards. Putting the "we" in Presidential campaigns.
Fellow blogger Oliver Willis has been paying attention to the webisodes being posted on the OAC better than I have. I thought I was doing well with posting one diary on the Daily Kos about Episode One early this morning.
Webisode Two: .
It shows JRE with reading glasses (as I suggested on his blog) and more with Josh and with a new advance man, Matt. I love it that Josh cannot define his job when asked. :)
Tags: John Edwards, webisodes, Presidential races 2008, benny's world
JRE Buzz Special Edition: Following Edwards--Webisode One
This is the first of a series of webisodes that shows Edwards when he is not on the stage, as he says in this video. He's very aware that he's been outed as a phony, pretty pol with great photo ops, but people do not know him otherwise.
Newsweek published an article about this webisode this week:
"The Webisodes are the brainchild of Rielle Hunter, a filmmaker who met Edwards at a New York bar where Edwards was having a business meeting. "I didn't think it was John Edwards," Hunter recalls, "because the public persona did not mesh at all with the person who was sitting in front of me." Hunter pitched Edwards on the documentaries as a medium for bringing the "real John Edwards" to the people."
To take this one step further..from the summer, about six weeks before this was filmed...remember when I blogged about John Edwards when he was invited as a speaker at Gnomedex ? Gnomedex is one of several blogger conferences, but focused more on the technology end of it, or it had, until Edwards showed up.
In the Q & A part of (which was about 95% of the session), one blogger said he was tired of politicans who come across as fake, and wondered why they spoon fed their messages. Some wanted more technology outreach via SMS. JRE was able to plug in that his site, One America, was doing that now, as of yesterday. Some wanted to know what the new technology would be in the future to communicate. JRE: I don't know. You tell me.
A little later, another blogger came up with an idea: give a free seat on each campaign trail bus for a citizen journalist, and to persuade the other side to do so as well. Edwards: good idea.
At the closing of Edwards' speech/session, he reached out to the attendees:
"I want the country to know who I really am, not the plastic doll version who looks perfect all of the time, but I want you to actually see who I am... Because I think if you see who I am, and it takes a lot of confidence, you'll decide I am somebody..cou.. should become your president.
Last thing he says: big priority for me to be able to be here with you. I wanted to hear what you all are saying. I also hope...to Help me and others open up this process, make it not-top-down and democratize this democracy we supposed to be living in."
This is just the first one in the "behind the scenes" look at John Edwards, who is expected to announce his intentions to run for President in 2008-- very soon in NOLA.
Hope you enjoy it as I have. And...he's wearing the poverty band I gave him.
Tags: John Edwards, webisodes, Presidential Race 2008, benny's world
I've been listening a lot again to Eric Clapton. My spouse looks a bit like him, but younger and with blue eyes instead. Perhaps it is the Scottish look. I noticed in this video, someone waved a Scottish flag in the audience, and my spouse's family is from the house of Bruce.
However, JRZ (his real initials) cannot play like EC, as not many can either.
This blog is for my friends and acquaintances who were formerly with the John Edwards campaign, which had the most progressive agenda. I am a progressive liberal, musing about politics and life.
I used to read Texas Monthly when I lived in Texas. Great magazine about politics and culture in Texas.
