Edwards the Strongest Democratic Presidential Candidate

But not the Edwards you think. It’s Elizabeth Edwards, the one who criticized MoveOn.org’s “General Betray Us” ad, not John who just did a campaign ad in response to the President’s address.

This to me brings me to the ultimate problem with the John Edwards campaign, and that’s Elizabeth Edwards’ prominent role. The problem isn’t that she’s a woman. Rather the  problem is that when you look at Elizabeth Edwards, you have the feeling the wrong Edwards is running.

A key rule in Presidential politics is not to choose a Vice-President that’s better than you. Ask Michael Dukakis how that worked out. Elizabeth Edwards’ has great qualities. She took on Ann Coulter who whatever your view is capable of delivering quite a tongue lashing and she didn’t get destroyed. She’s the one whose willing to call a spade a spade on Moveon.org’s ad. She may make gaffes, but they come as a result not of changing her mind, but of speaking it.

A healthy Elizabeth Edwards would be a stronger candidate and her position in the campaign reminds us of that. When we think of Elizabeth Edwards, we think of battling cancer, taking on Coulter, speaking her mind. When we think of John Edwards, we think of a multi-millionaire trial lawyer obsessively primping his hair on an infamous video in 2004.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2Srgr-ERAg[/youtube]

Can anyone imagine Elizabeth Edwards getting a $400 hair cut? Most of us can’t. Maybe she does. Maybe the whole thing is a lot more complex than we realize, but people are going to struggle to see him as a real President, and for better or worse, his better half serves as a reminder of that.