What would it be like to have a president who actually believes in strikes? Who believes in the rights of workers? Who also understands the danger of media consolidation? That was what became more clear to me watching a video of John Edwards marching on the picket line with striking Writers Guild of America members on Friday.

   Here is the video of Edwards joining the writers on a picket line.  Part of what is amazing is what he said:

  It’s a great privilege for me to be here with all of you today…to walk with you, to walk the lines with you…because what you represent and what you are standing for is to make sure that everybody in America gets a fair chance. we have to strengthen the union movement in America…it is the only way that we will ensure that these big corporate conglomerates don’t take over the United States of America.

   Later, speaking to the press:

  The men and women who are part of the writers guild and are part of this strike, are actually the heart and soul of the creative effort. These men and women deserve a fair chance…these are people who work hard for a living….my party, the Democratic Party is supposed to represent the people, it’s supposed to represent workers in America and we have to make sure their voices are heard…one of the things that we have a big problem with in America is the conglomeration and consolidation of the media.

   But, forget the words. It isn’t just statements and words issued from afar, which get lost in the blizzard of information people get. It’s the images that are burned into peoples’ memories.

   The imagery of a presidential candidate walking and holding a picket sign is really powerful. If you are a non-union worker and you see a leading presidential candidate holding a sign and marching on a picket line it sends a message: striking for your basic rights at work is an American thing to do. Belonging to a union is an American thing to do. Marching with strikers is also the right political thing to do for a politician.