Mullings: An American Cyber-column By Rich Galen

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Political Cynicism

Rich Galen

Friday July 9, 2004

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When John Kerry selected John Edwards as his running mate, I was surprised because I thought Tom Vilsac would have made a better choice, being a Governor and coming from Iowa, an important Midwestern swing state which he would probably help Kerry, er, carry.

The selection of Edwards, however, rewards a behavior which should, in fact, be penalized: The cynical use of the American political process for purely personal gain.

I have nothing against people making money. Lord knows, I wish I were better at it. I have nothing against people making a lot of money. Lord knows, I wish I knew how. And I certainly have nothing against people who, having made; inherited or, (dare we say it?) married a fortune, have turned to public service as a way to pay back a country which has allowed them to live very well, indeed.

Senator Jay Rockefeller, Democrat of West Virginia, is an excellent example. He is one of THE Rockefellers. According to his official bio he was:

"Elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1966, and to the office of West Virginia Secretary of State in 1968. Following his term as Secretary of State, he served as President of West Virginia Wesleyan College from 1973 to 1976."

In 1976 Rockefeller was elected Governor, was re-elected in 1980, was elected to the US Senate in 1984, and has served there ever since.

That's a pretty good resume for a guy who has never had to worry about having enough in his checking account to make the minimum payment on his VISA card.

Contrast that with John Edwards' political history.

Zero.

Until he ran for US Senate from North Carolina. While it is not typical for people to start their political career in the US Senate, has not been unknown.

What is rare is for someone to start their political career in the US Senate while making it clear it is but a stepping-stone to the Presidency.

In April, 2002, Al Gore spoke at the Democratic Party of Florida held its state convention - Gore's first public appearance there since the re-count . A parade national Democratic aspirants, including Edwards, followed.

Afterwards, sitting at the airport with a well-known national political reporter, I suggested that Edwards was likely to get cornered during the primary season because John Kerry - coming from Massachusetts - could run as far to the left as necessary, while Edwards needed to remain more moderate to protect his re-election chances for US Senate in North Carolina.

The reporter informed me that, as usual, I had it all wrong because Edwards had no intention of running for re-election and could, therefore, campaign at any point on the spectrum he thought would be most politically expedient.

Edwards portrays himself to be a fighter for the little guy in bringing lawsuits against doctors and insurance companies, further evidence of the pattern of cynicism in his behavior.

Consider this note which I received from a Mullings reader the other day:

"I have a friend who works for $35,000 in Legal Services for the poor and disenfranchised here in North Carolina. HE is the real working-class hero. He doesn't rake in millions upon millions in fees for lawsuits. He simply helps everyday folks every day."

More on the cynicism front: ABC News' Jake Tapper reported last week in a piece headed, "Secret Polls," that the Kerry Campaign took a series of polls to see which of the potential candidates matched up best against President Bush and Vice President Cheney.

Tapper wrote that while this secret polling was going on, Kerry was saying he was "looking for somebody who has the ability to fill in as president if something terrible were to happen." No he wasn't. He was looking for the guy who could get him the most votes.

Kerry and Edwards, it turns out, are a good match for each other.

Or am I being too cynical?

On the Secret Decoder Ring Page today: Links to the Mullings from Florida in 2002, and to the ABC News piece, and the first of many, many Catchy Captions of the Day featuring Two Wealthy Johns.

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