Exit Left: Montana Maven and John Nichols about John Edwards

This morning I was cruising a few sites from my blogroll, and went over to Montana Maven's place. I discovered she had posted what she gleaned from John Nichols' piece from The Nation. First, these thoughts from Nichols:

After his third-place finish in South Carolina, Edwards knew he would not be the Democratic nominee. Within the Edwards camp, strategy sessions turned toward discussions of whether he could be a kingmaker in the race between Obama and Clinton. With the 300 delegates he might have won by soldiering on through Super Tuesday, Edwards could conceivably have held the balance of power at a closely divided Democratic National Convention.

snip

But even as Edwards spoiled Clinton's math in key states--in South Carolina, he won among white men--he had little taste for the petty politics of positioning and power plays.

It's true that Edwards was more about substance than rhetoric. But Montana Maven picked up a tone from Nichols that I overlooked, and it was the praise of Barack Obama. Here's what Nichols said, "Presumably he would have aided Obama, whose candidacy holds more promise of healing the divisions between the "two Americas" Edwards sees as pulling the country apart."

Montana Maven doesn't agree with Nichols and I cannot say that I do either how Nichols interprets what the Two Americas are. She believes instead:

The Two Americas that John Edwards talked about was the America for the powerful and their lackeys and the America for the rest of us. It was not rich versus poor. It was an America that we no longer recognize. The one America is filled with folks who believed like Adams and Hamilton that only a few men in a back room should rule the masses. The other American believes in shared goals and equal opportunity to try and reach those goals. The one America is exclusive; the best schools, the best clubs, the best wine, the best martinis, the best, the best. The other America is inclusive; best friends, best neighbors, best stories.

As I told a few friends privately, anyone who thinks that Obama is going to bring bi-partianship back to the White House is misguided. If you heard the 72 times our low-30's approval rated President was interrupted by applause in his SOTU the other night, mainly by the most vocal of his ilk, you would know there is no chance in hades those people will negotiate with Democrats for what the American people want. They are too interested in keeping their own jobs, mainly propped up by special interests groups such as oil companies, drug companies, banks, etc.

Like I said earlier this week: I endorse no other candidate. I will still vote for Edwards no matter what. I have to vote my conscience and I can not follow anyone else.

To close, I replay the Dixie Chicks, "Taking the Long Way". It's tempting to replay "Not ready to make nice" but since I'm not in a vindictive mood, it's more appropriate to hear, "Taking the Long Way", which is what John Edwards did. And I identify with him.



UPDATE: check out Mark Adam's piece from Ohio4Edwards early this morning; it's very thoughtful as well.

JRE Channels the Dixie Chicks

Not perfectly, but he could not ever follow. No wonder he is with the Dixie Chicks in how they do business. They were booed, criticized to no end, then came back with this title song, and won all kinds of awards along with respect. JRE will win in it the long run, and I will post later what the barriers other bloggers, who are supposed to champion Dems, are doing, because they have bought into big money possibilities for themselves.

No wonder John Edwards leads in head to head match ups in Texas and other places. He channels the Dixie Chicks here.

Dixie Chicks Are the Grammy Winners

Including Album of the year award, for "Taking the Long Way Around" and for other awards. My post from last May:

The New Outlaws of Country Music

Back in the 70's, Willie Nelson, Jessie Coulter, and Waylon Jennings called themselves the Outlaws. One of the reasons is that they decided they didn't have to live in Music City to make music and didn't have to be married to the Establishment anymore. Willie moved back to Texas and through him, a whole new progressive country-- grassroots type-- music flourished around Austin and Kerrville. PBS's Austin City Limits was born and is still kickin' with artists of all kinds, but mainly ones who were influenced by Willie and Waylon. Some of my favorite artists were part of that movement such as Nancy Griffith, Lyle Lovett, and Joe Ely.

Some of these outlaws' kids have grown up and in some instances, have become the new Outlaws. In the case of Joe Ely and his band which included Lloyd Maines, a very fine musician, one of the daughters of Maines, Natalie, joined the Dixie Chicks in the 90's and they have become a very successful band.

Dixie Chicks have been the subject of controversy in the past 2 years, after Maines said she was embarrassed her President was from her state of Texas on the eve of the Iraq War. Uh-oh. Talkin' about politics. Many country music fans who generally are supporters of the Republican party, got angry, called Clear Channels and a few other radio station chains, or even locals, and requested they not play Dixie Chicks any more. CD sales went down and even death threats were sent to Maines. They backed off and went into the "Easy Silence" (one of the tunes on their new CD).

But the Chicks are back--and I think they will rebound big. They are on this week's Time magazine cover. They did an interview with 60 Minutes, which looked a bit biased to me, and just kept attacking Maines. She fought back, and decided to be, just like their new release, "Not Ready to Make Nice." Their new CD, Taking the Long Way, is terrific. It's a very personal album for them, but also it is about the hypocracy of many country music critics, listeners, and has a very progressive viewpoint. Lots of social commentary, especially "Lubbock or Leave it". That song has angered a lot of Texas Techans. I am TTU grad, and that song doesn't offend me in the least. I am from Lubbock too. My only comment is that the music, which is very Joe Ely/Lloyd Maines influenced, overshadows the singing and the words aren't easy to understand unless you read them as you listen. The title cut and "Not Ready to Make Nice" do resonate with me.

The Dixie Chicks are the new outlaws of country music. And it's great that they are "taking the long way" around all of the hypocracy. Long time listeners of country music can choose not to buy their music or play it on their damn Clear Channel stations. The Chicks know there is a new audience out there. Progressives are buying their music, via iTunes, Circuit City, Target, or other places. But whoever thought progressive country music would take on a new meaning in our country.