John Edwards Makes It Official: He's Running

John Edwards made it official this morning that he is running for president. Sarah Wheaton of The New York Times reports:

... Mr. Edwards, a Democrat, outlined his platform:

We know what we need to do. Changing our country means:
- Providing moral leadership in the world — starting with Iraq, where we should begin drawing down troops, not escalating the war.
- Strengthening our middle class and ending the shame of poverty.
- Guaranteeing health care for every single American.
- Leading the fight against global warming.
- Getting America and the world to break our addiction to oil.

(snip)

Mr. Edwards also appeared on the “Today Show” and other network morning shows to make the announcement.

Here's more from AP's Nedra Pickler in The Boston Globe:

Two years older and he says wiser, too, John Edwards announced a repeat presidential campaign Thursday with new ideas that make him a very different candidate the second time around.

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This time the 53-year-old faces a tougher fight for the Democratic nomination and has a more progressive campaign of eliminating poverty, reducing global warming and providing universal health care for all Americans.

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The unorthodox campaign launch site -- the middle of a neighborhood still devastated more than a year after Hurricane Katrina -- itself demonstrated how Edwards campaign has changed. ...

... He talked less about what he wanted to do as president and more about how everyone can change the country.

"That's why I'm in New Orleans," said Edwards, standing before student volunteers working to rebuild a home, "is to show what's possible when we as Americans, instead of staying home and complaining about somebody else not doing what they're supposed to, we actually take responsibility and we take action."

Republicans have spent twenty-five years telling Americans to just go shopping and they'll take care of everything else. I like the way Edwards talks.

Steve Soto on The Left Coaster has some observations:

John Edwards officially entered the 2008 Democratic presidential race today, with a kickoff event in New Orleans. I have a great deal of respect for Edwards and his wife Elizabeth, who would bring a grace and sensitivity to the White House that has been missing for a long time. ...

(snip)

... Edwards will run this campaign from the base upward using a well-organized effort and top-notch staff committed to a progressive vision, without resorting to straw men arguments to set himself apart from other Democrats. His agenda and his commitment to it will do the talking, not any phony attacks against other Democrats for their alleged deficiencies.

My main concern with the candidacies of Edwards and Obama are their relative lack of national experience, especially in foreign policy and national security in a post-9/11 world. Yes, Bush came into office with zero knowledge or interest in world affairs, and we are paying for it now. No doubt both would be a vast improvement over Bush, but I want to hear more from both about how they see the world and get a sense of the type of people they would surround themselves with.

I've been watching Edwards for some time and I've seen some definite growth. I get the strong impression that Edwards can handle a steep learning curve. He's been educating himself, particularly on foreign policy and he's been working hard, particularly by helping a number of candidates in the recent elections. There are several other good Democratic candidates for president but let's wish Edwards well.