My favorite memory of John Edwards
I “met” John Edwards many years ago when he was a potential VP candidate for the 2000 election. He was passing through the town where I was working as a reporter and stopped by for very casual luncheon at the community center. I always tell everyone how cool it was to see him mingling over hot dogs with everyone from dairy farmers to grandmas. I’ve met a lot of politicians and he was definitely one of the most genuine and down-to-earth. I still cringe, though, because I was very green at the time and the only question I asked him was stupid. He posed for photos with my friends, who were fellow reporters, but I didn’t have the nerve to ask for one.
On a side note, former Pres. Bush stopped by the same week in an effort to get money for his son’s campaign. He bypassed most folks and opted to visit the county’s more affluent area to attend a swanky dinner party that charged several thousand per plate and even more money for photos with him. He gave a short speech centered around his need for money and then zoomed off in his Secret Service caravan. The contrast in objectives was striking.
