John Edwards Supporters vs. Barack Obama Suppoters

Edwards vesus Obama. It's been the hottest race for second place in years. I leave Hillary out because she has, in my opinion, not captured the imagination of the "new direction" crowd or the anyone but Hillary crowd. Obviously. And frankly, I still haven't figured out a single, unifying reason Hillary supporters support Hillary.

But the contrast between Edwards and Obama is more interesting. Both are running as outsiders, against Washington, both are you young, fresh faces. But there is one underlying difference I've noticed when Obama supporters talk about Barack, and when Edwards supporters talk about John. I'm, of course, talking about dedicated, active supporters here not passive supporters.

Obama Supporters
It's all about Obama, the man is the message.

Edwards Supporters
It's all about the message, the message is the campaign.

Let me elaborate.

Obama Supporters
Go talk to Obama supporters and ask them why they support Barack, and I can guarantee you that the first thing they will mention will not be his Health Care Plan, or his plan to end the war in Iraq, or any other policy. They'll talk about, well Barack. His sincerity, truth worthiness, and his ability to transcend traditional political boundaries. You'll hear accounts of when they first saw him speak on TV, or when they first realized that he was the one. There is a great sense among Barack supporters that he is a "once in a lifetime" candidate, and even though they might not be able to dictate his policies, most do know about his stances on the major issues (especially the war in Iraq). But they didn't choose Barack because of his education policy, but because of what they see in him.

Edwards Supporters
One criticism I see on many pro-Obama blog posts is from Edwards supporters - Barack never talks about the issues in his speeches. While not a completely valid criticism, its true that Edwards goes into far more detail about his populist policies than any other candidate. Case in point, the environmental forum last week in California.