Edwards Displays Clarity in Democratic Debate (Rep. Charles Gonzalez)

In Tuesday’s Democratic Debate, John Edwards demonstrated clarity; he was the most unequivocal candidate on stage.  Whether the subject was Iraq, Iran, energy policy or what ails Washington, voters know exactly what they are getting. That’s what makes Senator Edwards stand out.

I admire all the other candidates very much and I consider a couple of them to be very good friends. Even then, it’s unclear if they’re in another posture when they’re on that stage.  It is difficult to sense where they’re truly coming from on a particular issue, a problem you don’t see with Senator Edwards. Furthermore, he defends each of his positions with facts and figures, making it clear that he’s not just preaching empty rhetoric, and that stuck out on Tuesday night.

Edwards hasn’t equivocated.  He’s made strong statements that clearly show who he is and what he stands for.  He has acknowledged and learned lessons from his past, notably on his vote that gave the President authority to invade Iraq, where he clearly admitted that he made a mistake and is now advocating positions that would bring a solution to the flawed policy.

Edwards is also executing a sound campaign strategy by engaging with the obvious frontrunner through out the debate.  For a candidate to do otherwise would be ill-advised.  They’d be passing up a valuable opportunity to draw distinct contrasts between candidates.

Sen. Clinton has a long record which gives other candidates material to point to as they draw contrast.  Senator Obama’s record is shorter on account he has only been in the Senate for a limited amount of time, so that opportunity doesn’t necessarily exist with his campaign.

These factors, amongst others, lend themselves to the strategy and the resulting discourse that occurred on Tuesday night.  The result was a clear message coming from Senator Edwards, his campaign, and his stance on the issues facing our country, and accordingly, the strong performance he displayed.