Article: Why John Edwards Did Not Make "The Call"

It was Ann Coulter at her very worst and an all-time low for Chris Matthews when he gave up an entire hour to her on Hardball.

It was Elizabeth Edwards at her best, attempting to have a civil conversation with a most uncivil, unnatural creature.

In light of the serious problems facing the country, Edwards thought Coulter's appearance on Hardball would be an opportunity to politely ask Coulter to knock of the personal attacks as they do nothing to elevate political discourse.

In classic Coulter fashion, the diva of despicable distractions from decent discourse on the issues, launched into an attack enabled by a small cadre of sign-waving, jeering Nazi Youth leering from behind her. One of the Coulter Crazies yelled out, why are you calling and not your husband?

Coulter who didn't think up that one on her own, immediately latched on to it like a tigress going for a toothsome piece of fresh meat with claws and fangs extended.

So did the talkie point guys who echoed the question in a chorus of, "Yeah, why didn't John make the call?"

The answer is simple: It would not have been chivalrous -- or in today's vernacular -- it would not have been PC.

It is not acceptable for a man to confront a woman. It's a basic law of human nature going way back when, and was the first rule of vaudeville. No comedy act ever used a woman as a foil. If they had, the act would have suffered an instant death.

No, if John Edwards had made the call, it would have provided endless fodder for the nattering nabobs of never-ending lies and distortions. Forget that Edwards wants to make the country a better place for the dying middle class and endlessly poor, he would have become known as the attacker of a "poor, helpless" female.

Elizabeth Edwards made the call herself, an act of immeasurable bravery in itself, because she had to know she would leave herself open to Coulter's venomous mouth and rude, non-stop talking over the other person.

Coulter did not disappoint, and Edwards' point that vile personal attacks did nothing to further serious discussion of vital matters concerning the country was completely lost on the diva of dastardly distractions, who true to form, immediately brought on the personal attacks.

Well, isn't that Coulter in a "nut"shell? Synonymous with the saying that people who can't do, teach; people who can't make cogent arguements, go into attack mode.

Edwards was neither helped by Matthews who sat there like a p***y-w*****d jackass, allowing Coulter to spew her evil bile at will to land on any convenient target of attack, nor, was she helped by the tiny audience of Coulter fans. Only once or twice did Matthews interject a weak-voiced threat to end the call, and...after the call ended...wound it up by saying Coulter had all the time she wanted to respond to Edwards.

It wasn't until Edwards said she called Coulter as the mother of a deceased son, and as the mother of children who are about the same age as those standing behind Coulter, and said Coulter is discouraging them from participating in useful political dialogue with the "hafefulness" and "ugliness" of her diatribes, that Edwards got any positive reaction from the audience.

Well, at least she got her message through to a few whose heads that weren't buried so deeply in right wing concrete that no voices of reason can penetrate.

Elizabeth Edwards is the only "True Lady" I can single out in today's generation of women. She is that one-of-a-kind woman that I can point to and say: "That is a woman I'd truly like to emulate."

She's a woman of elegance, grace and style that hasn't been seen in our society since the days of Golda Meir, Audrey Hepburn, Deborah Kerr, Myrna Loy, Celeste Holm and maybe Ingrid Bergman. [Okay, so with the exception of Golda, I watch a lot of old movies.]

Edwards braved the tigress, and no matter what Coulter said, Edwards -- with cool aplomb and enduring patience -- stood her ground, repeating her plea for a cease fire of personal attacks and an elevation of civil political dialogue to a higher plane for the sake of the country that is facing devastating problems.

Sadly, it was a valiant effort in futility, because nothing can deter the Tiger Lady from her vicious ways.

In the broader view, The Lady won. The country got the message that obscene personal attacks do nothing but discourage participation in the political process.

Now, if we could only get the message out to the press. We don't give a damn about the peccadillos; we care deeply about the issues. And those issues will be a massive mess for the next president, because they will have been left by the current slobs in the White House for the next president to clean up.