2008: Edwards didn't win a single primary or caucus. He came across as an "angry populist" and that doomed him. 2012: Romney ran to the right of Gingrich and Santorum, he wasn't going to be denied the nomination. 2016: even without Orange Slob in the race, Ryan most likely loses to Cruz, Kasich, or Rubio.
2008: Edwards didn't win a single primary or caucus. He came across as an "angry populist" and that doomed him. 2012: Romney ran to the right of Gingrich and Santorum, he wasn't going to be denied the nomination. 2016: even without Orange Slob in the race, Ryan most likely loses to Cruz, Kasich, or Rubio.
Edwards didn't win because he was running against two incredibly strong candidates. He lost to two better candidates not because he was perceived as an angry populist and certainly not because he was a failed VP candidate. I don't know how a Palin-Romney race would've gone, what I am much more comfortable in saying is if Palin did lose it wasn't going to be because of 2008. I think Ryan probably wouldn't lost in a non-Trump 16 field, but that's just because when you have a handful of candidates that are relatively even in terms of strength, no individual candidate is probabilistically likely to win. But, I don't think any of those people were a demonstrably stronger candidate than Ryan
I think he was perceived as all of the above and that's what hurt him. He was peddling a hot brand of left populism but it contrasted so sharply to his persona during his Senate term that, even if you agreed with his message, it seemed like it was coming from a snake oil peddler.
Not to mention his run in 2004. In 2004 he was MUCH more optimistic. Even with that though he only won two primaries: the two Carolinas. He wasn't as strong a candidate as he seemed.
Agreed. I was a college Junior during the 2008 primaries and was open to Edwards bc it seemed cute and progressive against the two behemoths. It did not take long to get turned off. Absolutely did not buy his schtick as a Southern guy turned progressive.
2008: Edwards didn't win a single primary or caucus. He came across as an "angry populist" and that doomed him. 2012: Romney ran to the right of Gingrich and Santorum, he wasn't going to be denied the nomination. 2016: even without Orange Slob in the race, Ryan most likely loses to Cruz, Kasich, or Rubio.
Edwards didn't win because he was running against two incredibly strong candidates. He lost to two better candidates not because he was perceived as an angry populist and certainly not because he was a failed VP candidate. I don't know how a Palin-Romney race would've gone, what I am much more comfortable in saying is if Palin did lose it wasn't going to be because of 2008. I think Ryan probably wouldn't lost in a non-Trump 16 field, but that's just because when you have a handful of candidates that are relatively even in terms of strength, no individual candidate is probabilistically likely to win. But, I don't think any of those people were a demonstrably stronger candidate than Ryan
I don't think Edwards was perceived as angry. Incredibly fake and shallow, maybe.
I think he was perceived as all of the above and that's what hurt him. He was peddling a hot brand of left populism but it contrasted so sharply to his persona during his Senate term that, even if you agreed with his message, it seemed like it was coming from a snake oil peddler.
Not to mention his run in 2004. In 2004 he was MUCH more optimistic. Even with that though he only won two primaries: the two Carolinas. He wasn't as strong a candidate as he seemed.
Definitely fake and shallow. It was a precursor of revelations to come.
Agreed. I was a college Junior during the 2008 primaries and was open to Edwards bc it seemed cute and progressive against the two behemoths. It did not take long to get turned off. Absolutely did not buy his schtick as a Southern guy turned progressive.
That film footage of the hair was devastating imo