Why John Edwards Will Beat Hillary In 2008

We like John Edwards. How can we not?

We've liked him ever since we interviewed him in New Hampshire last month.

We've argued that if the Democrats are smart they will make him their nominee.

And, even though he just built a house the size of an airport in North Carolina, we think that Edwards truly cares about America's poor and is ready to do something about it. That goes a long way with this "leans Right" independent who feels the current wealth-gap is one of the most disgusting and destabilizing issues we face as a nation.

The Politico's Roger Simon seems to agree.

Simon clacked a good read on the "new" tough talking John Edwards in yesterday's Politico.

Simon wrote that Edwards has 3 things going for him politically as the race for 2008 gets underway - the primary calendar, the Iraq War and "authenticity".

Edwards told Simon:

"When we went to war, Senator Clinton and I both voted for it and Senator Obama was not in the Senate," Edwards told me recently. "I have since said I was wrong, and I take responsibility for that. I have not heard Senator Clinton say that."

Should she say she was wrong? I asked.

"That is a moral decision she has to make," Edwards said.

Hillary, Obama and Edwards are all against the planned troop surge in Iraq. Hillary and Obama want a cap on troops in Iraq but are not now in favor of cutting off funds for the surge. (Obama is not ruling it out if it is the only option remaining.) They both favor passing a resolution indicating opposition to the surge.

Edwards, who wants an immediate cutoff of funds for the surge, thinks the resolution is a sham.

"What is the point in saying we are just against it?" Edwards said. "It is useless. It is exactly like a child standing in the corner and stomping his feet."

Touche!

In our opinion, all Edwards needs to do to secure the Democratic nomination is to continue to outflank Hillary on the War. We've been saying it for weeks.

Team Hillary is well organized, well financed and possess a candidate with awesome political skills. But Clinton's stance on how to move forward in Iraq is too far to the Right for her Primary.

Her most critical political weakness is about to be dragged, kicking and screaming, into the full glare of day by the "anti-timidity" lights that Senator Russ Feingold is currently setting up in the Senate.

The New Left and the Net Roots are going to savage her.

In spite of his populist soul, John Edwards is going to love every last second of it.