Edwards: Rivals have let focus slip He says recent personal attacks...

[chimpymustgo]

 

Edwards: Rivals have let focus slip He says recent personal attacks have overshadowed goal of beating Bush


By THOMAS BEAUMONT
Register Staff Writer
11/03/2003
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Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards on Sunday said his rivals have allowed the race for the 2004 nomination to become personal and have let the focus slip from reclaiming the White House.


"I think it's perfectly fine for candidates to point out differences they have on policy positions," the North Carolina senator said. "I think when it gets personal, it's much less useful. Some of the things I've read sound fairly personal."

Edwards was in north central Iowa on Sunday, the second day on a three-day campaign swing aimed at the Iowa caucuses, which launch the 2004 nominating season Jan. 19.

Last week, spokespeople for former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean and Missouri Rep. Dick Gephardt lodged angry charges over a confrontation at a Gephardt campaign event in Des Moines.

-snip-

"I think it's important to keep our eye on the goal, which is to beat George Bush and to make our case about what he's doing wrong, and, very importantly, to present our positive, uplifting message and vision to the country," Edwards said.

-snip-

 http://www.dmregister.com/news/stories/c4789004/22659081.html
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[Brucey]

1. good, keep on that track.

[indigo32]

2. Good for Edwards

eom

[JohnKleeb]

4. Edwards and Carol Moseley Braun it seems to most people

are running the cleanest campaigns. Hes a good guy I like the guy, pretty good on social issues and I like him on economics as well.

[unfrigginreal]

3. This John Edwards?

To hear his opponents and much of the media tell it, however, he might as well have said he wanted to be Strom Thurmond's running mate on the Dixiecrat ticket. Richard Gephardt claimed Dean was reaching out to voters "who disagree with us on bedrock Democratic values like civil rights." Joe Lieberman labeled it "irresponsible and reckless." John Kerry said Dean was attempting to "pander to lovers of the Confederate flag." Wesley Clark said all candidates should "condemn the divisiveness the Confederate flag represents." And John Edwards, who made a big deal about going after the Bubba vote early in his campaign, grumbled that "to assume that Southerners who drive trucks would embrace this symbol is offensive."

Edwards, who represents North Carolina in the Senate, might want to get back to the South one of these days and take a look in some parking lots. Southerners who drive trucks do embrace this symbol, as do a lot of rural northerners with pickup trucks.

Neither Edwards nor any of the other candidates really believes that Dean - who is usually accused of being too much of a New England liberal to appeal to Southerners - is a Confederate flag-waving racist. They're just trying to create that impression. In doing so, they are being ridiculously cynical. And, of course, much of the media is aiding the initiative.

http://www.madison.com/captimes/opinion/column/nichols/60451.php

[MichDem10]

5. The Press

Now if we could just get the press to follow and report the ISSUES instead of the "side show"....

:kick:

[AWD]

6. RIVALS have let focus slip???

...so Mr. Edwards, you AREN'T in on the "Kerry-Gep-Edwards plans attack against Dean" over the SEIU nomination?

Hypocrisy anyone????

[LuminousX]

7. Call it covering his ass

the KerGepEd alliance is his first foray into the mudpits and I'm sure it is weighing on his conscience.

He is correct in his analysis though.

[jmw25]

8. Go Edwards!

Edwards has been running a very clean campaign and I really respect his character. With his honesty, great policy, and support of the South, I don't see why more Democrats haven't started paying more attention to him...

Keep up the good work Edwards! I raise my glass to you and to what you have the chance to accomplish.

:toast:

[RogueTrooper]

9. Says the junior member

of the axis of feebles

10. it's not 2004 yet... or isn't this obvious?

At this point in the campaign, I don't think anyone really needs to be that worried about letting the focus slip, the closer to the election it gets the more the focus will hone in.

I also specifically remember Edwards in a debate saying that one's personal story was very important & that it gave him some credibility which is why he brought his own bio up.... seems a bit inconsistent on his part.