The golden boy

摘要

This is a miserable time to be a Democrat. The war on terrorism has dulled memories of the "stolen" election and turned George Bush, a man the party once dismissed as a brain-dead frat boy, into a symbol of national resolve. But you only have to mention John Edwards to dispel the party's gloom. The junior senator for North Carolina is being hailed as JFK and the young Bill Clinton rolled into one. His face graces the cover of US News & World Report. The New Yorker lauds his oratorical prowess and courtroom skills. The Edwards boom is not hard to explain. The Democratic Party desperately needs a southerner to break the Republican lock on the region. The last two Democratic presidents, Jimmy Carter and Mr Clinton, have both come from the south; Mr Edwards has the added advantage of representing one of the big- ger southern states, with 15 electoral votes.