Presidential Rhetoric

Yesterday I wrote about how Coultergeist reappeared and the Edwards' responses to her caustic, hateful words. There are some of the DU who think their responses were tepid at best and should have gotten into the mud pit or post stronger rhetoric.

If these same critics had read Saving Graces, they would know that Elizabeth was a target of hate herself in the last campaign. Here are a few excerpts worth sharing from Saving Graces, p 252-3, in which the setting is Grand Junction, CO:

On a bench outside the airport gates sat a man, perhaps in his 60's, his hair thinning, the color of his faded jacket and the color of his weathered skin nearly the same, and on his lap he held a handmade sign, maybe 12 by 18 inches, and on the sign a single word, plainly printed: FATSO.

skip a couple of paragraphs to page 253:

The sign I realized, was meant for me. It was a thrust of ugliness and meanness, designed to throw me off. The man had made the sign, driven to the airport, parked and sat on that bench for who knows how long, waiting for me to come by, so that I would read his sign, so I would see that someone, a plain old man, called me Fatso.

If you didn't understand John, or even grasp what Elizabeth said, read further here, again quoting from her book:

--there were 3 Secret Service agents and my little team, more than the usual load. "Did you see that guy?" I could tell 2 things from the way the Secret Service had responded: they had hoped I hadn't seen it, and they were mad."

I think I understand how John and Elizabeth operate. They have to "shrug" this off, but as Elizabeth and John say, this talk has no place in our society at large. But like any president or first lady, it is important to keep the message focused, then move on. The difference in the response here, and one I haven't seen in the past 6 years, is one of true empathy. I think empathy, a true Saving Grace, is what the Edwards as a family will bring to the White House in 2009.

Update: James S at JE08 reminded me of this PSA spot Elizabeth did at Thanksgiving last year. Here's the clip.



Decency costs nothing, as Elizabeth said.