At Commonwealth Club’s book signing event in Santa Clara Convention Center, the former Senator and Vice President Candidate John Edwards talked to a roomful enthusiastic crowd about his new book Home, and how our homes shape the ways of our lives and unite us as a nation.
The conversation with John Edwards quickly turned into political discussions. Many questions from the audience surrounded the issues of housing, energy crisis, healthcare, immigration, etc. In particular, people were most interested in his political future. When asked which room in his home is his favorite and which room in the White House, John Edwards answered “the kitchen†for the former and “don’t know YET†for the later.
In his short speech, John Edwards said that America at its best is much better than it is today. Being the most powerful country in the world, the United States has the responsibility to lead and should be a natural rallying point that provides a stabilizing force for the world. However, the US has lost its credibility to lead, and it has many severe consequences.
“The next President of the United States,†said John Edwards, “has the challenge to restore America as a moral leader – to lead by example and lead with integrity. If we do right things for right reasons, be moral and just, it will have good consequences.â€
He talked about his plans to develop affordable housing that transcends ethnic and class boundaries for American people, conserve energy consumption at a global level, and deliver a universal healthcare that it goes beyond providing access and reducing marginal cost.
He also emphasized that the next President should travel all over the world and meet people, not just the heads of states. I was impressed when I heard him say that there are 3 billion people in the world who live on less than $2 a day and America has responsibility to do something about it.
I particularly like his theme of “One America" and his view on globalization. At the book signing, he took time to talk to people and personalize his autograph. Although I don’t know much about politics, I was convinced that John Edwards would make a good President of the United States. I am glad I was courageous enough to tell him in person!
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Comments: 17
For Home is where the heart is for some and Home is where all the evil in the world is for others. Many Homes have no kids, many homes have no married adults, many have a single parent, many have un married parents, many have married parents.
There are many that have no so called home, many rent, many are purchasing a home, many live in Ghettoes, many live in wealthy areas, many live in poor neighborhoods, and many live in the middle class suburbs, and many live in apartments, condos, and other dwellings in cities.
So what's a home?
So what's wealth?
So What's value?
So what's living a good life?
So what's living a bad life?
So which is better to live a good life or living a bad life?
So What's important?
So what's being united with others?
So what's others?
So what's a family?
So what's a community?
So what's a region?
So what's knowledge?
So what's beneficial?
So is it beneficial to have a pet?
So is it beneficial to have sex?
So is it beneficial that I stop here?
So what unites us as a country? You do.
You brought up very good questions! I agree, for people who grew up in unhappy or brokend homes (there are so many!), it's hard for them to relate to what home can united us as a nation.
From what I read from the book Home, which is a collections of stories of homes from different contributors, the central theme is that home is a place where American people, no matter their background, no matter their circumcises, can build a great future. It's a sense of home that unites us as a nation.
I really like you last question: So what unites us as a country? You do!
Yeah, I know. Gush, gush, gush. All I know is, for maybe the first time in my life (well, second, since I supported him in 2004) there is a candidate I am absolutely thrilled to vote for.
About his book, Home, I really thought when I first got the book that it was not going to interest me that much. It's a collection of essays by different people about how their childhood homes influenced their lives and I thought, "Wow! What a boring topic." I picked it up anyway, because I got to have it signed and because the proceeds go to Habitat for Humanity and (I think it's called) the International Rescue Committee.
I have to tell you, I was wrong about the book. It's really interesting. Some of it seems almost too positive to me. I keep wondering if the people are leaving out the unpleasant parts of their childhoods. What I like about it, though, are all the stories of how one life experience or another inspired someone to do something for others. It's uplifting and comforting.
Thanks for sharing your view. You know what, at the talk, I was really inspired by him, even though I tried to be suspicious. Now that I see your comment, it confirmed my intuition. I agree with you he seems a person whose heart in the right place, whose feet on the ground, and whose mind ready to lead. I hope he wins in 2008!
Regarding the book, my husband said he wouldn't want to read the book even though he really likes John Edwards. But when I brought the book home, he is the one who couldn't put it down!
Look at it this way.If your family was starving and someone gave you $5 would you feed your kids or give that $5 to someone else and let your kids starve? Now replace "your family" with America and "someone else" with other countries and that's the gist of what I'm saying.
I didn't know much about him, but I had a friend who kept telling me "check out John Edwards. Check out John Edwards. Check out John Edwards," like a broken record. This was a friend who I knew was like-minded and who I had many fascinating political discussions with. I trusted her judgement, so I did check him out. At that time, he had a PDF file on his site that was about 60 pages long. It was called "Real Solutions," and in it was a fairly comprehensive and detailed plan about what Edwards wanted to do as President. Well, after reading it, I knew he was my candidate.
I don't think his site currently has anything quite as comprehensive all in one place as "Real Solutions" was. He hasn't yet officially announced he's running. But, if people are interested in knowing more, go to http://www.johnedwards.com. I would highly recommend clicking on "Speeches" and reading some of his ideas. Several of the speeches posted there are very informative and will give you a good idea of what he cares about. I would try it later, though, because I just went there and the site seems to be down.
John Edwards directs the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill's Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity.
John Edwards's 2003 financial disclosure form revealed a net worth between $12.8 and $60 million.
John Edwards can really work up a crowd and has cultivated an image of a genuine guy who truly cares about America's working men and women.
John Edwards's 2003 financial disclosure form revealed a net worth between $12.8 and $60 million.
John Edwards ran a 2004 presidential campaign on the theme of "two Americas," one for the wealthy few and the other for the hard-working yet struggling many. His stump speech regularly included a story of his blue collar parents, a textile mill employee and a postal worker, counting pennies on the kitchen table in an attempt to pay the family's bills.
John Edwards's 2003 financial disclosure form revealed a net worth between $12.8 and $60 million.
http://www.truemajority.com/oreos/
The League, you've made your point. However, since it's impossible in our current political system for anyone to ever run a viable campaign without a lot of money, it's a moot point. If your comparing bank rolls, Edwards has a lot less money than, say, Bush or Cheney or many of the other possible candidates.
I think it would be great if we could finally take the money out of politics, have publicly financed campaigns, and make it possible for even a homeless person to run a viable campaign. But, that's not the reality we're living in now, and unless we want to give up on the possibility of ever electing anyone who might help to change the situation, right now we have to live with the fact that all our presidential candidates will be wealthy people.
I was not.
We do NOT have THAT kind of responsibility to the world, while our own peoples standard of living is degraded...
how do you think the idiot neo-cons got in power?
Yes, our own standard of living is degraded. That is also because of the neocons. We need a shift in priorities.
http://www.truemajority.com/oreos/
Helen, I hope you don't feel like I'm taking over your article. At least you're getting points! It's just that I've already written several articles either about John Edwards or mentioning him as an inspiration, and I don't want to write another one right now, or I might be in danger of looking like one of those one issue people.
I've been thinking about The LEAGUE'S comment, and I want to respond to it more fully, because after supporting Edwards for a couple of years, I see the fact that he has money brought up a lot as a negative. I happen to think this issue is a red herring, and here's why:
I guess the implication is that if he has so much money and he cares about poverty, he could give all his money away. True, but would it be as effective as what he's doing?
Poverty is more than a $60 million problem. If he were to give however many millions he has away, it would help a lot of people for a day, a week, a month, or a year. Or, it could help a lot fewer people for a longer period. BUT, the problems in our system that allow the imbalance between wealth and poverty that we currently have would still exist.
As I've already explained, he could not give away all his money and also successfully run for President with the way the political system currently works. Money is needed if he wants to run. He has to choose.
If he gets elected President, he would be the first President in many, many years to really care about poor people. He would be working to change the system so that the current imbalance is evened out and if successful, poor people would soon find that they are being given a hand up out of poverty and there would be less danger of falling into poverty for the middle class. If he is successful in changing the system, the hope is that it could help a whole lot of people for generations.
Whether you believe this can happen really comes down to a couple of questions: 1) Is it possible for a wealthy person to want to help those who are less fortunate? Of course it is. If it wasn't the whole idea of charity would not exist. 2) Is it possible for change to happen through the political system? Well, it certainly was when FDR was President. The forces resisting change may be great, but change has happened and I believe can continue to happen through political involvement.
My own conclusion on this question is that John Edwards is doing something with his money that is more risky than simply giving it away, but also takes more courage and may potentially have a much more positive and useful result.
In reality, it's pretty hard to justify a company that wouldn't fix their swimming pool drain cover product with a screw that cost a few cents after it had sucked out the guts of more than one child.
Please don't worry about taking over my article. I am glad you are keeping the conversation going. Obviously, you know much better than me on the subject. Also, I have been busy these days and didn't have much time on Gather. I will try to think about some of issues raised here and respond as soon as I can. Again, thank you very much!
Unfortunately, the Republicans have become VERY good at attacking people's strengths, making them look like weaknesses, twisting the facts, and then getting their version plastered all over the news, starting with their very own propaganda network, FOX. This is Karl Rove's specialty, using the opponent's strengths against them.
It really muddies the waters when one side would rather try to ruin their opponent's reputation than discuss the issues. (I really do think a lot of the political nastiness started on the Republican side, though lately, Democrats have felt the need to retaliate some.)
Anyway, since I'd really like to see Edwards in the oval office, I've made it my mission to be able to counter whatever smears the Repubs throw out. I wish they would discuss the issue of poverty and why they think we shouldn't be trying to solve it or what they think is wrong with Edwards' approach, but expecting maturity from a party that lately seems to make evasion of the issues its top priority is probably expecting too much, sadly.