Don't believe me?
Just read these portions of his announcement speech back in 2003 when he was running for the nomination in 2004 compared to the speech gave he gave in 2007 to voters in Des Moines, Iowa earlier this year as he runs for President again in 2008. He speaks about many of the same things: about Washington being corrupt and working against the American people, and his desire to give every American an equal chance to live the American dream like he did!
Then:
We deserve a President who is close to our people, not the lobbyists. Who listens to our people because he knows them, he works for them. A president who hears them even when they cannot speak because they've lost their jobs, because they're caring for a child, or just because the simple struggle to make ends meet leaves them no time for anything else.
http://www.4president.org/speeches/johnedwards2004announcement.htmNow:
And third, in the past 10 years, the number of lobbyists in Washington has tripled to 36,000. That means there are sixty registered lobbyists for each member of Congress and 20 times more lobbyists than people in my hometown of Robbins, North Carolina.
That's all you need to know to know that Washington is the problem, not the solution. Something's wrong when we have 37 million Americans living in poverty and this kind of income disparity. When 45 million Americans can't get health care, but corporations can get whatever they want from Congress. That may be George Bush's America, but that doesn't mean it's right.
http://johnedwards.com/news/speeches/20070726-economic-fairness/-----------------------------------------
Then:
I will be a champion for regular people every day. I will fight my heart out to bring back America's Dream. And together, we will take the power in our democracy out of the hands of that handful of insiders who are running our country right now, and give it back to you, give it back to the American people!
http://www.4president.org/speeches/johnedwards2004announcement.htmNow:
It's time for us to fight back for the American Dream that says we have opportunity for all and special privileges for none. That success is based on how hard you work, not how much influence you have. That a child's future does not depend on his or her parents' wealth.
http://johnedwards.com/news/speeches/20070726-economic-fairness/-----------------------------------------
Of course John Edwards has changed since 2004, he's not completely the same. On healthcare, he's came to the conclusion that the drastic measure of Universal Healthcare is needed when he was once was opposed to it. And he was the first Presidential candidate to introduce a truly Universal Healthcare proposal, and he's got the best vision in that regard. On the war in Iraq, John Edwards has apologized for his vote to give Bush the authority to go to war. And he's been a champion in ending the war, and restoring Americas moral leadership around the world.
But just by looking back at Edwards in 2004, he's still the same guy today. Yes, the times have changed, and he's matured a bit since then--but he's still the same champion for the middle class. He's still the tough fighter for those who don't have voices. And he's still the same man whose all his life fought for hard working, ordinary people.
He'll be a great President, and make our nation proud if he's the Democratic nominee.
And all this talk about him evolving and changing is all hogwash. We all change and mature, but Senator Edwards core values and principles have remained the same. And his motivation behind running has remained the same.