Shop Talk

On the stump today,

Democratic presidential rival John Edwards said Friday he’s offering voters a campaign of optimism, inclusion and substance — a far cry, he suggests, from the fiery rhetoric and partisanship that have fueled the front-runner’s ascent.

“If all we are in 2004 is a party of anger, we can’t win,” Edwards said in remarks prepared for delivery Friday to the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco.

“If all we are is divisive and angry and if all we do is attack President Bush and each other, then we will not win the White House in 2004,” he said in a speech that aides billed as a critique of Dean’s campaign methods. “And we won’t deserve to.”

Problem is, rank-and-file Democrats are angry. They’re angry about the 2000 election, they’re angry about Iraqi, they’re angry they got the Medicare issue taken away from them, they’re angry about spiders… SPIDERS… SPIDERS!!!. Or something. I dunno.

And Dean has the anger market cornered, it appears.