John Edwards --- Superstar

The New York Times carries a really good portrait of John Edwards. The conclusion? The rest of the world is starting to learn what we in North Carolina have known for awhile --- namely that JRE is a helluva politician. But the really interesting thing to me was the explaination of how Edwards is campaigning in his role as the Vice Presidential candidate --- a job generally reserved for hatchetmen, slash-and-burn party hacks, and general, all-around bomb throwers --- without compromising his optimism or faith in the American people.

The best part?

"But Mr. Edwards's natural style is not the cutlass of Richard M. Nixon or the stiletto of Bob Dole. Instead, he excels at snatching an opportunity, weaving his own life's history into his speeches and capitalizing on endearing moments."

Oh, and then, there's this:

"Mr. Edwards generally sticks to his message, assailing the Bush administration on Iraq, the economy, health care, a tax system that Democrats say favors the rich. He often does a half-dozen local television interviews in a row, answering mostly the same questions. Somehow, he sounds as though he is answering each question for the first time. "

Definitely worth a read!