With “Edwards 08″ banners hanging in the background and students holding “I heart Edwards” signs, Democratic presidential hopeful John Edwards spoke to about 1,000 people on the Kerckhoff Patio on Monday about reviving the United States’ role as a moral leader in the world.
Though he briefly touched on higher education affordability, the former North Carolina senator and 2004 vice presidential nominee spoke mainly about his platform, which includes greater international philanthropic outreach to Africa and the Middle East and domestic social policy reform.
He said for the United States to have more of a moral standing in the world, the relationship between the president and the American people must be built on trust. He added that current social issues, such as poverty and health care, must be reformed so the United States is represented not only as a dependable country through its internal actions but a moral force through its external attitudes.
“You look at what’s happening in the world today and one of the things that has become clearer and clearer over time is that America needs to be a force for good again in the world. We need to be an example both here at home and in the world,” he said.
On the issue of foreign policy, Edwards emphasized the need for total American troop withdrawal from Iraq within the next 12 to 18 months. He said the problem in Iraq originates from sectarian violence that can only be mended through political compromise between the groups, not through U.S. intervention.
“Instead of spending billions of billions of dollars in a war in Iraq, how about if we spend some money in leading a world effort to make primary school education available to every single child in Africa,” Edwards said.
In terms of domestic policy, Edwards spoke about his plans for a federal work-study program to help college students to better afford tuition fees. Students would have to work a minimum of 20 hours a week while maintaining a certain academic standard in order to receive full-paid tuition.
The former senator also highlighted plans for universal health care, emphasizing that he is the first presidential candidate to have outlined a process to achieve such reform. The plan would mandate that businesses and employers cover or help finance their employees’ health care costs and make insurance more affordable through new tax credits, repealing President Bush’s tax cuts, and reforming insurance laws.
Heather Gonzales, the Bruin Republicans committee whip, said though Edwards’ plan for universal health care is very thorough, she is concerned that it could be incredibly costly and that the tax increases to support the program would hurt the economy.
“By repealing all the tax cuts, the economic progress we’ve been seeing coming back from our recession is going to be reversed because the tax cuts stimulated the economy,” Gonzales said.
Edwards also announced that as president, he would help implement environmentally conscious policies in light of the world’s increasing climate temperatures by providing a national cap on carbon dioxide emissions.
Highlighting criticisms he had of the Bush administration, he said in the previous years the president has lost touch with such international outreach and national social reform programs that would have helped the country gain more moral influence in the world.
“America must lead again,” he said.
Allison Rokke, a first-year political science student who attended the event, said she liked that Edwards placed an emphasis on the United States becoming more of a moral leader in the world. She also added she liked how he tried to appeal to young college students and the potential they have in exerting influence in the political realm. “He basically cares about the common person and how they can help change things in this country to help make it a better world,” Rokke said.