John Edwards: We need a sincere president, not a “cunning politician” (PLUS: NEWT GINGRICH TO RUN FOR PRES.?)

This is hilarious:

Democrat John Edwards said Friday that the nation needs an honest and sincere president more than it needs the “next great politician.”

Asked by a voter what quality he possesses that other candidates lack, Edwards described what he would look for in a president if he was not running.

“I would absolutely require that the person I was voting for is someone I believe is honest and sincere and has integrity,” he said. “We don’t need the world’s next great politician as president. What we need is someone we can trust.

“We’re not looking for the most cunning, manipulative, artful politician. I’m not looking for that. Maybe someone else is,” he said. “I just don’t think that’s what America needs.”

All of which begs the question: If he thinks the ideal presidential candidate is one who is honest, sincere, and has integrity, then why the hell is he trying to get people to vote for him?

In other news related to the 2008 elections, Mike Allen at The Politico reported today that Newt Gingrich wants to run for president. Newt says he needs $30 million in pledges (not actual dollars – yet) in the next three weeks, but will leave most of the legwork to other people. Check out that article, and let me know if you got the same impression I did that he’s not all fired up about running – it’s almost like he feels “obligated” to run, which is not a good way to start out a candidacy.

But if he does indeed officially throw his hat into the ring, prepare for fireworks in the race for the Republican nomination as Newt is not one to mince words, and it’ll be interesting to see how the current group of candidates who have been out there meeting people, making speeches, and participating in the debates the last few months while Newt has been busy on the sidelines tearing them down as nothing but a bunch of “pathetic pygmies,” will react to his candidacy.

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