Edwards' Latest Excuse: He's Too White and Manly

Posted by Ken Wheaton on 08.07.07 @ 11:46 AM

Who knew that being an extremely rich white man was a marketing problem in American politics?

Elizabeth Edwards says: "In some ways, it's the way we have to go," Edwards says. "We can't make John black, we can't make him a woman. Those things get you a lot of press, worth a certain amount of fundraising dollars. Now it's nice to get on the news, but not the be all and end all."

The context? She's talking about having to rely on the web because of the lack of media coverage for poor John. She might have a point. The news media likes, well, news. And a shiny rich white guy running for office isn't exactly news. And whining about the Republicans making fun of his haircuts didn't exactly boost his media-exposure numbers, either.

This comment from Elizabeth Edwards might cut through the clutter, but perhaps in ways not expected.