Environmental Group Gets Heated with Edwards
EmailABC News’ Raelyn Johnson reports: John Edwards believes he has the most comprehensive plan on global warming but at a town hall meeting in Portsmouth New Hampshire, that wasn’t enough for one audience member.
Sam Witherbee an organizer with the Carbon Coalition organization, stood up during the question and answer period and criticized Edwards for not speaking directly about climate change in his opening speech. Witherbee was upset that he was the first to bring the issue up.
Edwards, who divides his time between addressing voters and then answering their questions, adamently defended the format of the town hall.
"I could spend 30, 45 minutes in every town hall meeting giving speeches, or I can answer questions," said Edwards. "Now if you want me to roll in like other presidential candidates and give a long speech shake on on few hands and leave I can do that. I think I show more respect to voters in New Hampshire answering your questions."
Edwards response to Witherbee was quickly met by applause from the audience and he began to talk about various enviromental issues.
After the event, Witherbee told ABC News, "I think it’s great he leaves a lot of time for Q & A, but no event should go by without a mention of climate change." Witherbee says Carbon Coalition members have canvassed the state closely listening to democratic and republican presidential candidates and added that he was not trying to critique Edwards’ proposed policies, rather the timing of which he spoke about them this particular evening.
After the event in Portsmouth, Edwards attended a town hall in Durham where another audience member affiliated with Carbon Coaliton expressed the same concerns.
CPAC: Romney Struggles to Convince Voters 
Obama Backs Off Birth Control Battle?
Whether at a town hall meeting or any other campaign event, I would appreciate the opportunity to have my specific question addressed rather than sit and listen to a carefully prepared speech. Any politician can deliver a well written speech, but directly answering questions extemporaneously posed by potential voters usually gets to the core of a candidate’s true position.
It sounds as if Mr. Witherbee had an agenda other than getting answers from Senator Edwards about carbon emissions and climate change. Otherwise, he would have asked very specific questions on the topic and received the information he wanted.
The nature of the confrontation appears to be a transparent personal attack.
Posted by: tessablue | November 7, 2007, 1:03 am 1:03 am
When I am at town hall meetings, I also appreciate the opportunity to have my question answered … but I share Mr. Witherbee’s concern because Edwards wasn’t simply saving time to answer our questions, he was saving time to talk about Hillary Clinton. Trying to slam your contenders is not something I like candidates to make a priority of over talking about important issues.
Posted by: Emily | November 7, 2007, 11:34 am 11:34 am
Yes, I agree with Sam and Emily. Mr. Edwards was able to put time in his speech to pick on Hillary and talk about other issues. Yes, I want to ask questions, but if Senator Edwards wishes to be known as the “Environmental Candidate” and the candidate that is a leader on climate change, then he better talk about. This is THE most important issue, and he should not be waiting for people like me (the person who asked him the same question in Durham) to ask him about it. He can spend time focusing on moral issues, but as I mentioned to him last night, if we don’t make fighting climate change a number one priority, then we will be seeing more moral issues such as war, genocide, and spread poverty.
This is not a personal attack at Edwards, Tessa, this is a message that if he wants to be a leader, he needs to act like it.
Posted by: Erin | November 7, 2007, 12:10 pm 12:10 pm
The Carbon Coalition was in no way questioning the validity of the Edwards climate plan. He was the first candidate to have a climate change plan and many of the ideas that he discussed during last night’s Q&A mesh with the Carbon Coalition’s Seven Benchmarks.
BUT,
If climate change does not maintain a consistent presence within the current primary discourse, it will fade as an issue within the general election. Silence on this issue will just give the national media another excuse to focus on negative campaign attacks and once again relegate climate change as a second tier issue in 2008, something we simply can not afford.
Posted by: Carbon Coalition | November 7, 2007, 12:39 pm 12:39 pm
Maybe the would be Ambulancechaser-in-Chief would have more credibility on the enviro front if he did not tread the Earth with a Sasquatch-sized Carbon footprint!
Posted by: The Carbonistas | November 7, 2007, 3:54 pm 3:54 pm