Edwards: The CANDIDate?

You know, this picture was on the cover of Newsweek magazine two weeks ago. They have been doing each of the candidates for the past few months. Now, this picture seemed kind of candid when I first looked at the magazine. You know, a private moment with the candidate as he really is. But the more I noticed about it the more I realized just how carefully crafted this picture was.

Let's start with the tie. Now any man knows that what he's doing in this picture is pulling his tie up, not loose. You don't loosen a tie with two hands. Nope, the tie means he's getting ready. You put your tie back on when something important is about to happen and you need to look your best. Maybe, let's say presidential.

Now let's look at the sleeves. That's right, they're rolled up in seeming contradiction to the tie. The rolled up sleeves imply that he's a working man willing to...well, roll up his sleeves. He's ready to get dirty to get the job done. You know, the common man. Someone that might work in a mill, for instance.

"But what about the watch?" you say. Well, hold your horses I'm about to get to that. What kind of watch is it? An athlete's watch. No Omega or Rolex. Nothing fancy or elitist about that watch at all. Probably came from Wal-Mart. But it speaks volumes. It says that he's healthy and taking care of himself. Ready for a fight.

Or maybe he really is a man of contradictions.