Marcotte, McEwan Not Fired- Where Does Edwards Go Now?

Despite what I thought was going to happen, John Edwards did not fire his bigoted and hateful new bloggers, but rather decided to give them a "fair shake." Okay, that is his decision as the candidate and while I disagree with it, I will say that it is his choice.

But the incident does damage the Edwards' campaign in two ways. First, it perpetuates the story of the staff rather than the candidate, never a good sign in a campaign. Second, it will leave some of the more moderate and centrist Democrats scratching their heads about the campaign strategy of John Edwards.

If Edwards is trying to play the populist card, and it is a good card to play, the I am not sure that these two women will move that message forward. Of course, there are some political activists in the mold of Marcotte, McEwan and some of the liberal bloggers who routinely comment on Daily Kos and others in language that might make even some sailors blush, but I refuse to believe that most Democrats fall into that category. Are many Democrats passionate people, who truly believe that their ideas for governing the country are right? Yes, but that doesn't make them hateful bigots, anti-religion, anti-men ranting lunatics. I don't believe that most Democrats adhere to such standards as those espoused by Marcotte and McEwan.

So Edwards populist image, already damaged somewhat by the revelations of Maison d' Edwards, takes another hit. How will Edwards pick up the pieces. First, there will be a lot more attention paid to Edwards' campaign blog. That may work in Edwards' favor by excercising some tight control over the messages put out by Marcotte and McEwan, if Edwards' can move the base with his now high profile blog, he may dodge the bullet. Second, Edwards' is going to have to work hard among the religious groups that all canddiates are seeking to recruit. Again, Edwards, despite his politics, is an engaging speaker and if he can get in front of a crowd, he may be able to minimize the damage. It won't be easy, but among Democratic candidates, Edwards has the best chance.

Third and finally, Edwards may have to reshape his campaign strategy. He is clearly going after the netroots base. Whether or not that is a good thing may have to be decided in the long run. Ned Lamont had the support of the liberal netroots and he is looking for a job. If the netroots is to be Edwards base, he will have to seriously rethink how to appeal to the remainder of the Democratics party and then how that would affect his chances on the off chance he wins the nomination. Courting the netroots is a clear signal of moving leftward, but how far left will Edwards go and not lose the populist touch he is trying to portray?