Whatever your politics, join me in appreciating the grace and strength of character of Elizabeth Edwards, wife of presidential candidate John Edwards. She is the closing keynote here at Blogher 07 today. Quotes for the day:
On being attacked on the Internet and the media: "My experience of trolls; they don't go away if you ignore them. The same thing is true of Ann Coulter."
On stating her views, even when they differ from the campaign's: "No one's ever asked me to stop talking."
On Hillary Clinton and the Defense of Marriage Act: "She's in favor of repealing some of it. John and I are in favor of repealing all of it."
On universal healthcare: "The national will is there. But to pay for it we're going to have to raise taxes."
On Hillary Clinton: "If you say as a woman you should support me, then you should lead on the issues that are important to women."
On youth involvement in politics and community work: "I think one of the reasons young people are not involved is that they feel powerless, and that their voice will not be heard...I think it's part of the jobs of campaigns--wherever they are on the spectrum--to hand young people a megaphone."
On Iraq as a women's issue: "Iraq is a women's issue...I bet in 2004 I did not have a single event where a woman didn't cry in my arms for the loss of their child, or in fear for their child. I think if women were in charge there would be no more wars."
On the politics of war: "I was once at a fundraising event when the the audience was asked who among them had a relative who was serving in Iraq, and not one of the guests raised their hand--but all of the people who were serving raised their hands."
On the politics of media: "John has said that he does not want Rupert Murdoch to be the gatekeeper of the information that Americans receive."
More on Rupert Murdoch: "I don't agree with Rupert Murdoch. I agree with me all the time. But I still don't think I should be the sieve through which all information flows."
On where she gets her news: "I turn on the BBC. I don't want to hear 90 seconds on an issue. I want to hear it fully discussed."
On self-expression: "I think people dye their hair purple because they want to be noticed in a very crowded world."
On campaigning in Texas: "I'd like John to go to Texas and campaign against Rudy Giuliani."
On how her faith informs her political views: "I believe that we are given a set of guidelines and that we are obligated to live our lives with a view to those guidelines....not because of the promise of eternal life, but because it is right."
Anyone want to join me in nominating Mrs. Edwards as a write-in candidate for 2008?
Photo courtesy of Stefania Pomponi Butler at Citymama. And thanks to Robyn and Glennia for filling in a few quotes I missed.
i LOVE her! yes. i think i'll have to vote for her husband. that way, i know she'll be whispering in his ear every night.
i hope the cancer doesn't get her.
Posted by: kyra | July 30, 2007 at 03:42 AM