John Edwards can’t let go
Danny Glover at Beltway Blogroll reports that John Edwards and his loyal campaign staff refuse to let the haircut story die. Now, they’re using it to–snort, snort–raise money:
Since the first round of campaign finance reports went public almost three months ago, Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards has been ridiculed mercilessly in the blogosphere and in the press for because he paid $400 each for two haircuts.
Edwards’ defenders have tried to turn the tables on his critics for obsessing over a trivial matter, but even Markos Moulitsas Zuniga of Daily Kos, the most prominent of the liberal bloggers, has chastised Edwards and his campaign over the haircut blunder. While blaming the press for driving the story, Kos said the haircut “really was a disaster on way too many levels to completely ignore and shrug off.”
With that in mind, why in the world would Jonathan Prince, Edwards’ deputy campaign manager, have sent a fundraising e-mail that draws more attention to the haircut? Titled “Haircuts And Hatchet Jobs,” the e-mail solicitation blasts “political mercenaries and the chattering class” for attacking the messenger in personal ways because they don’t like his message. “Like many of you, I’ve been with John since 2004,” Prince wrote. “The same folks who are attacking him now went after him then. … Last time they attacked his hair; this time it’s his haircut. But it’s the same sad game.”
But as a PR move, the pitch is foolhardy. It keeps the haircut story alive another day — or week, or month. It’s also questionable as a fundraising tactic. While the e-mail might motivate Edwards supporters to back their candidate with more bucks to fight his enemies, it also might make them think twice about bankrolling a candidate who can afford $400 haircuts.
Here’s a flashback from 2004. Because, well, they asked for it:
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Categories: John Edwards
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Next he will be sending out post cards with a picture of his house and bragging about how his electric bill is so high that he needs your cash.
Heck, the haircut was the most positive press he has generated in months. Think his campaign wants us thinking about the ‘bumper sticker war on terror’?
Or the ‘two Americas’ (the one Edwards lives in, and the one the rest of us live in)
Its a very good thing he has pretty hair, or his head would have no redeeming value whatsoever.
Nice music in the video.
Not to defend John Edwards but rather play the devil’s advocate…
I suppose if John Edwards used campaign funds or taxpayer dollars, his haircuts are shameful and hypocritical and maybe even illegal.
On the other hand, if he used his personal funds, he should be commended for helping the economy. I would expect the barber(s) who cut his hair appreciated the generous “tip” — unless that’s what they normally charge — then shame on them.
He could have paid a regular barber like the one I use $12.00 for the haircut and then be labeled as a cheapskate with all of his millions.
Sometime ago I saw and did a screen shot of an entry I saw on a special MySpace site.
As it has probably been deleted by John Edwards’ campaign staff by now, I thought that I would share.
************************************
Hi. My name is Johnny Reid Edwards former Senator from the Great State of North Carolina (actually I don’t think North Carolina is so great and never did, but my advisers have said that I should say that). You can just call me John if you want. I was born on June 10, 1953, although people tell me that I look at least 25 years younger.
I was the very first person in my dirt poor family to attend college. I earned my law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It was a great accomplishment as I was so poor that I had to work 8 different part time jobs to pay for my tuition and just barely enough food to survive.
After getting my law degree I immediately went on my noble mission to save hundreds of victims of gross corporate negligence and gross medical malpractice. When necessary to win a case to help the poor victim that I was representing I would even feel the presence of dead people inside me, talking to me and through me to the members of the jury. If you don’t think that takes a lot out of a man, just try it sometime. I also split the settlement very fairly with my clients. I was VERY generous to them - 5% for them, 95% for me. More than fair. I mean I was the one who had to channel the dead, wasn’t I!!!
If I do say so myself I am so cute that you just can’t believe it! I have such great hair! I am also very boyish looking in a good way, not in a gay way at all. Did I mention that I have GREAT HAIR!!! Sometimes I think my great looks are almost a curse.
I sometimes like to chill out after a long day of campaigning to save America by eating at Wendy’s. I also like to spend some time at home sprucing up around my modest and humble house. I also like to spend hours in front of the mirror combing my hair. Wouldn’t you too if you had such great hair!!! BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN THAT I AM GAY!!! NOT AT ALL!!! In fact I HATE gays, just don’t tell Elizabeth, OK. Contrary to what some of my very few enemies say I never spend more than $399 on haircuts. That $400 on a haircut is a damn lie, as it included a very generous $1 tip.
I would like to think that I am open minded, honest, polite and straight. And I appreciate the same qualities in others.
Who I’d like to meet:
…other bloggers who grew up in poverty. People who like to help the poor. People with great hair so that I can comb your hair and you can comb mine. It’s going to be great!!!
No gays though. They make me feel icky!!!
I wonder if Jonathan Prince has a head of hair as beautiful as the ‘messengers’? And who cut Edwards hair? A ‘gay’ person perhaps? Never!!!!!! unless Elizabeth is close by for PR. The man is an empty, vaccuous hole.
The screen shot is perfect. Who do you really think he cares about? A picture is worth
a thousandone word. Himself!All,
I was commenting on CNN’S Uncovering America segement the next is on Gay People in America, I commented got attacked and couldn’t respond…insidecable.com
I mentioned the size of the Gay population in America is like 4% that is coming from the US Census counting samesex households of unmarried people it is like 500,000.00 anyway I mentioned, I don’t understand who the programing is directed at and who do they think is going to watch (The Size of the Demographic) and isn’t this PBS usual fair and who is CNN trying to compete with PBS…I just had this ugly rant directed at me and I can’t post a reply. I guess this is the Liberal Tolerant message I hear so much about. I wasn’t commenting on whether it is right or wrong just who and why, CNN is directing Programing toward.
It just goes to show how out of touch this lunatic is. This guys thinks its ok for him to stand on a soap box and spout rhetoric about helping the poor and how he is a man of the people, but he pays more for someone to trim his mullet each week then many people pay for their monthly car payment. This guy is a loon. And the worst part (you know besides the obvious hypocrisy of him saying Republicans can’t properly control our nation’s budget) is that he will probably expect the tax payers to foot the bill for hair cuts if he were to become President.
I find myself wondering what the “chattering class” is. I mean, he based his campaign on class warfare. . .but I thought that was dealing with low-middle-upper classes. If there’s a fourth, I want to know the details.
Hopefully, hair today, but gone tomorrow. Goodbye Mr. Edwards!
Edwards: pre-packaged, blown-dry, fluffy-haired trial lawyer. What more could you want in your candidate if you were pathetically weak-minded?
I found out insidecable, won’t let you use the word Gay when you comment, when did Gay become offensive? I had to used G*Y
I love the “logic” of the radical right: Edwards is wealthy, therefore it is impossible for him to speak honestly on issues affecting the poor; Edwards’ hair is important, yet the fawning over the faux masculinity of GOP candidates is unremarkable, as is Fred Thompson’s driving around in a prop pickup truck (authenticity).
Just once I’d like to see substantive criticisms of those who hate John Edwards, rather than focusing on hair cuts. I mean, I know he isn’t a crossdresser, who married his cousin like Rudy, or a serial flip-flopper like Mitt, or a B-actor like Thompson, or a shameless panderer like McCain, or a flat-Earther like Brownback, but there has to be something you like about the guy.
OK, St. Legalize, lets cover some of the fair haired lad’s issues.
1. He thinks the war on terror (nothing more than a ‘bumper sticker slogan’, after all) is best fought with a new ‘peace corps’. In other words, we reward them for killing innocents. He defines weak on security.
2. He pretends to relate to the poor, yet lives like royalty, all the while demonizing those who are successful (like him. )
3. He made his money by demonizing doctors and nearly destroyed his state’s medical system. Now he suggests that we need a government takeover of that system to protect it from laywers like him.
But his hair is perfect.
St. Legalize
You ARE joking - right?
That’s the problem PHenry, you guys still think the bulk of inefficiencies in our healthcare system are due to lawsuits, instead of the insurance industry squeezing ever last cent out of our Doctors.
The frivolous case for tort law change
West ‘on verge of medical crisis’
Just to start the discussion on three wrong assertions you made.
Ahenobarbus..
The problem is that YOU guys seem to think the answer to the problems (mostly created by government action in the past 40 years) in our present system are best addressed by…
Government control!
Now, you look up the facts, because Edwards made his millions suing doctors for not performing cesearians. He claimed that natural birth caused birth defects.
Because of his actions, it became hard to find an OBGYN who would allow natural birth. Meaning thousands of unnecessary cesarians were performed, at greater cost and danger to women having children.
Ahenobarbus - yes - define “you guys”. Like St. Legalize, you refuse to believe that there are people like “us guys” across the whole spectrum of politics. Only the radical right (what in hel_ does that mean anyhow - radical right) has a problem with John Edwards. I beg to differ. There are plenty of people on both sides of the isle - ever moonbats - that have a problem with him. Sorry, try again.
Has anyone figured out what, exactly, is the message of His Royal Highness Edwards?
I still don’t see why he pays so much for a haircut. I mean, it’s gotta be naturally shiny and thick with all that fertilizer he’s got underneath it.
“political mercenaries and the chattering class”
A mercenary I am not as I take no ones salt for my political beliefs or actions.
A chattering class boy, OK by me! I just love the left handed compliments, and the irony of being issued a chattering class sigil by a politician, whose main main attribute is (pardon the unpun) HOT AIR!