A Letter to John Edwards

Dear Mr. Edwards,

We read with dismay the news that you would be leaving the race for the democratic presidential nomination. We understand your decision however, in light of today’s media and money driven political culture. If we lived in a time when a candidate’s actual position on the issues and history of acting on their convictions were the basis of their performance in the election; we’re certain you would have been the nominee four years ago, and President today. Unfortunately, we don’t live in such a time.

The nation is now left with two choices for the democratic nomination, as you know. You must know as well that you could have a major impact on the eventual nominee. Although we know that you have had your differences with both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, we urge you to support Hillary Clinton in the remaining contests. We have confidence that you will look beyond party politics and media biases, and look to the records of the candidates themselves in making your decision.

Hillary has been engaged in the fight for the rights of Americans that have been marginalized due to poverty, race, sex, or a combination of the three, for over three decades. She did so well before she had a political career, and made the decision to fight for her beliefs even when it was considered unwise for one that might seek political office, such as her active participation in the antiwar movement while at Yale. Her work with Marion Wright Edelman, and her continued advocacy of children throughout her career is well documented, but even when she was an associate at a major law firm in Little Rock, she took it upon herself to represent indigent clients in the court room.

Even taking into account Obama’s youth, his work for America’s disenfranchised thus far pales in comparison to Clinton’s. There simply are no achievements of note on his record that can come close to Clinton’s. Instead, his greatest achievement may be voting present more times by far than any other Illinois State Senator, a record for which, as you so rightly pointed out in the last debate, there is simply no excuse for. When you declared in your previous campaign, “Hope is on the way,” we knew what it was we were hoping for. When Barack Obama repeatedly uses the words hope and change, we have to ask ourselves, “Hope for what? Change how?” Certainly his declaration of refusing money from federal lobbyists while still managing to take more money from the healthcare industry in less time than any other politician, republican or democrat, does not support the image he is attempting to portray.

We, and many of our friends and family members that have taken it upon themselves to truly examine the issues facing our nation, and the candidate’s positions on these issues, are fearful of the possible outcome of this election, especially now that you are no longer in the race. We simply do not believe that the empty rhetoric and contradictory record of Barack Obama will take us in the right direction. We urge you to give us hope once again, and support Hillary Clinton for the democratic nomination.

Sincerely,

-jeffrey, heather, abby