Edwards has a well-known hatred of corporations and powerful interests because of their corrupting power in Washington.
But that hatred has come dangerously close to becoming an obsession. Don’t believe me? Check the transcript of today’s debate in Iowa (DC’s analysis here). The man can literally speak of nothing else. Here’s the number of times each candidate used the words “corporations,” “corporate,” or “companies”:
John Edwards: 19
Barack Obama: 5
Bill Richardson: 3
Hillary Clinton: 2
Chris Dodd: 1
Joe Biden: 0
I respect Edwards’ willingness to speak truth to power, and it’s admirable that he can stay on message so well. And I think he’s totally correct on this stuff. But there is a very real chance that Edwards is defining himself more and more narrowly in the eyes of Iowa voters as they get ready to caucus. He runs the risk of becoming a one-dimensional candidate who has lacks a well-rounded vision for America.
He can cut his focus on corporation in half and still be the leading candidate on this subject.
Update: More fun debate counting. In the last debate for the Dems, they mentioned Iraq 10 times. In the last debate for the GOP, they mentioned Iraq once.