A feisty and boisterous overflow crowd greeted Team Edwards Wednesday in Portsmouth, NH on a chilly and gray day with more snow forecast for the Granite State. "Only in NH would someone ask the band a question," and JJ, a volunteer who introduced Peter Coyote, Bonnie Raitt and Jackson Browne, even got heckled by another attendee.
That mood was matched by the tone and passion of the new John Edwards stump speech.
"America Rising" is not a warm and fuzzy retooling of a "harsh anti-corporate populist" message that Edwards has been accused of delivering in this race. The remarks by Edwards were fairly consistent with the message I've heard since summer and they encapsulate the core values of our nation. The speech is truthful and aspirational. We were all in the mood for some truth-telling on Wednesday.
Follow me below the fold for all the video of Edwards's closing argument: "America Rising."