Poor Tour '07

I agree with David Kuo.

Look, John Edwards has caught a lot of crap because of his expensive tastes in vanity. And maybe he deserves it.

Okay.

Yes, John Edwards is a wealthy man. Yes, John Edwards has built his campaign on the idea of the "two Americas" (one wealthy, one poor). Does it seem somewhat contradictory that a very rich dude is championing the cause of those in financial need? Maybe. But, there is one thing that everyone (sans Kuo) seems to be overlooking: Edwards is putting his money where his mouth is... almost literally.

Much to his credit, Edwards is bringing the national media's attention to his cause - combating poverty - and is forcing Americans to hear what he has to say. Maybe you first clicked on that link about John Edwards because you wanted to read about his "$400 haircut". But you kept reading, and found out about the millions of Americans who live below the poverty line.

So now, the former senator from North Carolina is taking a three-day-break from his campaign (an eternity in campaign terms) to embark on his "Road To One America Tour".
Whether you like Edwards or not, you must agree that he is the only candidate who is doing something like this. As Kuo said:

Predictably, the chatter has been about how this will impact the race. Will it help him get votes? Will it raise his profile? Why is he doing this? Is it genuine? Is he a hypocrite because of his wealth?

Who cares? It does not matter. It doesn't matter if he gets a hair weave on the plane and if he decides to but a new Jaguar. What matters - what matters A LOT - is that he is doing it.

Indeed.

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Photo: Amanda McCoy/Getty Images

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