With the exception of the totally-clueless Rudy Giuliani, John Edwards just continues to show that he’s the least informed candidate running this year. He continues to prove Bob Shrum’s point that Edwards is “a Clinton who hadn’t read the books” and to verify the National Journal’s survey which ranked him as the most overrated Democratic candidate. Political Radar reports on another statement which puts Edwards’ ability to be president in question. (Hat tip to Captain’s Quarters.)
When an Iowa resident asked former senator John Edwards Thursday whether the United States should follow the Cuban healthcare model, the 2004 vice presidential contender deflected the question by saying he didn’t know enough to answer the question.
“I’m going to be honest with you — I don’t know a lot about Cuba’s healthcare system,” Edwards, D-N.C., said at an event in Oskaloosa, Iowa. “Is it a government-run system?”
That should have been an easy one, considering that virtually everything in Cuba is a government-run system. Perhaps we might try to give Edwards the benefit of the doubt here as, due to the inevitable failure of Communist systems, countries such as China have turned to non-government industries. The problem in using this as a defense for Edwards is that he was discussing Sicko, which looks extensively at the Cuban system, just a few days earlier:
As Willie Nelson’s classic “On the Road Again” blared, Edwards leaned out of a window of his campaign bus dubbed “Fighting for One America”, to hear an off-camera voice howl, “I wanted to ask ya, is it required that everyone go see “Fahrenheit 9/11” and “Sicko”?
Edwards, in between autographs outside Dan’s Pizzeria in Onawa, Iowa, replies, “I watched Sicko,” later adding, “It’s a great movie.”
Later in the report we find that Edwards missed the ending of Sicko, which still leaves the question of whether one needs to see Sicko from start to finish to know that Cuba has a government-run system. I’ve never been impressed with the standard interview questions of having a candidate give the names of multiple heads of state, as this could represent either rote memorization or true knowledge of the other countries. There are basic concepts about other countries which a candidate should be aware of, such as that Cuba has a government-run health care system. John Edwards doesn’t even cut it as a movie reviewer here. He certainly is not qualified to be President.
