NPR: The TRIFECTA of Dems: And YOUR Vote

The TRIFECTA of Dems: And YOUR Vote

Sens. John Edwards and Hillary Clinton photographed on the campaign trail.

Getty Images

So, we played you our interviews with Senator Hillary Clinton and Senator John Edwards today.

We got the three big Dems ... including Senator Barack Obama from yesterday's show. (The above links will take you to full audio and text transcripts of the interviews.)

So, who are you planning to vote for, if I may so boldly ask? I mean, really ... Democrat, Republican, Independent: who are you for? Hit us up with a comment on the blog because it strikes me that we have a lot of information now about both what candidates have said (though they're often, well, politic) and how they make us feel (which is something we talked about on today's show).

Let
Us
Know

Anyhow, here are a couple of important moments from our interviews with Senators Clinton and Edwards.

We got down to dolla dolla bills, y'all, with Senator Edwards.

Q: If you don't perform well in South Carolina, will you drop out of the race? What do you plan to do after South Carolina's primary, if you don't come in at least second?

A: I'm in this for the long haul, and the causes that I've engaged in -- speaking for the people who don't have a voice, speaking for the uninsured, for people who live in poverty, for our veterans, for the men and women serving in Iraq --- those are the causes of my life. And they're not going away, I'm in it for the long haul.

Q: Are you running out of money?

A: No, actually. Here's the amazing thing that's happened. Since the first of January, we raised a record amount online, on the Internet and as a result, the money won't be the issue. We have plenty of money.

And Senator Clinton got personal with us:

Q: We actually spoke with actress Victoria Rowell. She's written a best-selling book about growing up in the foster care system. She's stumping for you.

A: Isn't she wonderful?

Q: Absolutely. And she talked about your commitment, not just with Marian Wright Edelman, but providing free legal services in child abuse cases when you were getting your law degree at Yale. Why is this kind of work important to you?

A: I think that it initially was important because my mother had such a very difficult life, and if she had been born at a later time, I believe that she probably would have been put into the foster care system because her parents essentially abandoned her, and her grandparents were very unwelcoming. Basically, she had to leave their home when she was 13 to go to work in someone else's home just to be able to have a safe place to live and to try to be able to make some way in her life. They let her take care of their children, but she had to get up and get the other children off to school, and they let her go to high school. So I really saw at a very early age, that despite my comfortable, secure upbringing in my family, that wasn't the case for so many children. It just became the cause of my passionate commitment here in public service to do what I can to give every child the chance to live up to his or her God-given potential.

Farai Chideya

Tags: Election 2008 | Hillary Clinton | John Edwards

2:46 PM ET | 01-25-2008 | permalink

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GOOD MORNING. I DO THINK THAT SENATOR CLINTON HAS A DISTINCT ADVANTAGE IN THE FACT THAT HER HUSBAND, WHO HAS MUCH LOUDER POLITICAL VOICE THAN ANY POTENTIAL PRESIDENTIAL SPOUSE HAS EVER HAD, CAN SAY WHATEVER HE WANTS, NO MATTER HOW INACCURATE, AND SOMEONE WILL LISTEN. THEN WHEN THESE THINGS ARE DISSPROVED SHE COMES BACK WITH THE LINE ABOUT "ALL OF US HAVE SPOUSES THAT LOVE US AND SUPPORT US AND I AM GRATEFUL TO HAVE MY HUSBAND OUT THERE FOR ME". MY PROBLEM WITH THIS IS THAT IT IS A WAY OF SEPARATING HERSELF FROM RESPONSIBILTY FOR WHAT HE SAYS AND HOW HE BEHAVES. I HAVE TO ADMIT THAT I HAVEN'T QUITE RECOVERED FROM HER STATEMENT ABOUT DR. KING AND PRES. JOHNSON.
I DO THINK THAT THE STATEMENT MAYBE NOT INTENTIONALLY BUT NONETHELESS INFERED A DIMENISHED ROLL BY DR. KING IN THE PASSING OF THE CIVIL RIGHT'S BILL. I HAVE SEARCHED AND SEARCHED FOR SOME PROOF THAT WITHOUT DR.KING'S PRESSENCE THERE WAS SOME POSSIBILTY THAT PRES. JOHNSON WOULD HAVE LEGGED THE WORK HIMSELF. FURTHERMORE, BECAUSE OF THE INSPIRATION, MOTIVATION, AND ORGANIZATION OF A NATIONAL COMMUNITY OF AMERICANS(BLACK, WHITE OR OTHERWISE) THE MOVEMENT HAD REACHED A LEVEL WHERE IT NO LONGER EVEN MATTERED WHO WAS IN OFFICE, THE CHANGES HAD TO BE MADE TO AVOID RIPPING THIS NATION IN TWO. I THINK PRES. JOHNSON CAN CLAIM CREDIT FOR DOING WHAT HAD TO BE DONE WHEN IT (((HAD))) TO BE DONE, BUT I DOUBT VERY MUCH THAT HE WOULD HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT THERE BEING A FORCE LIKE DR. KING. AND AS FOR JOHN EDWARDS HE SAYS HE WAS THE ADULT ON STAGE AT THE LAST DEBATE BUT I WATCHED AND HE NEVER HESITATED TO TOSS A LITTLE GAS ON THE FIRE WHEN EVER PRESENTED WITH THE OPPURTUNITY. EVEN GOING SO FAR AS TO GANG UP ON WHOEVER WAS BEING ATTACKED AT THE TIME. I AM A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED IN SEN. OBAMA JUST IN THE FACT THE HE FELL INTO THE TRAP LAID OUT BY THE CLINTONS BUT I WOULD LIKE TO URGE HIM TO CONTINUE WITH HIS MESSAGE OF CHANGE AND UNITY BECAUSE AS DR. KING AND DRED SCOTT AND SO MANY OTHERS THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE PROVEN IT TAKES A LOT MORE THAN ONE TO BRING ABOUT CHANGE BUT JUST ONE VOICE CAN MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD.
LET'S GET IT TOGETHER AMERICA, I KNOW WE CAN DO IT....

Sent by J. A. WILSON | 12:56 PM ET | 01-26-2008

I have already voted for Senator Obama in early voting, and I expect to vote for him again in November. If, in fact, Senator Clinton is the Demoocratic nominee, I will NOT be voting for her. I will vote in November, and just leave my selection for President blank. There is no way I could vote for the Clintons after the divisive, malicious way that they have injected race into the campaign and dismissed the thousands of people (Black, white and otherwise) who voted in the SC Primary.
I find their behavior disgusting and unbecoming of anyone who wants to be president of the most diverse country in the world.

Sent by James McKissic | 7:10 AM ET | 01-28-2008

Bill and Hilary's machine at work! Black Box Voting Clear proof of New Hampshire Stolen Election

short 6min clip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKQEQ7qHvgM

Sent by J Wright | 4:22 PM ET | 01-28-2008

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