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From email, and posted to the Kentucky state forum:
SMALL TOWN HAS BIG WELCOME FOR JOHN EDWARDS
Edwards brings message of real change to crowd of more than 1,200 in Columbus, Kentucky -- population 229
Says Democrats must offer the best ideas for how to change the broken system in Washington and also be able to win in small-town America
Columbus, Kentucky – Today, Senator John Edwards visited Columbus, Kentucky to meet with residents and answer questions about his plans to bring real change to America by fixing the broken system in Washington and restoring economic fairness to rural communities. Speaking before a crowd of more than 1,200 people at Columbus-Belmont State Park on the banks of the Mississippi River, Edwards emphasized his own small-town roots and his belief that real change begins in small towns all across America. He also challenged the recent criticism from inside the Beltway of his decision to seek public financing for his campaign, saying elections should be about ideas, not money.
“The establishment wants you to believe that a candidate who says no to lobbyists and rejects the financial arms race that is drowning our democracy in waves of corporate money can’t be elected,” said Edwards. “I think that couldn’t be further from the truth.”
Edwards continued: “The press, the pundits, the career politicians – they all think the most electable candidate is the one with the most money and the most ties to Washington. I think the most electable candidate is the one with the best ideas, who can go to every corner of America and tell the truth about how badly Washington is broken.
“If this race comes down to a corporate Democratic politician against a corporate Republican, all bets are off. But if our party – the Democratic Party – rejects the broken system, says no to the corporate interests and stands once and for all with the people, we’re going to win in small towns, we’re going to win in Kentucky and we’re going to win all across America.”
Columbus, a small town in rural Kentucky, won Edwards’ visit through an online competition organized by the campaign through the website Eventful.com. Residents from Columbus, population 229, used Eventful.com to lobby for Edwards’ visit, organizing a national effort that generated thousands of votes and successfully outbid competition from more populous communities.
Shawn Dixon, a 24-year old Columbus native, who, like Edwards, was the first in his family to attend college, led the drive to bring Edwards to his home town. “When John Edwards said he’d visit any town in America that demanded him the most, I don’t think there’s anyone who would have guessed he’d end up in Columbus, Kentucky,” said Dixon, who is now a first-year student at the NYU School of Law. “To us, it means a lot to see a candidate you can trust to make good on a promise – it’s a good indication of what kind of president he’ll be. I am supporting John Edwards because he understands the challenges facing small towns like Columbus, and he has the strength and the vision we need to bring real change not only to rural America, but to all of America.”
Edwards attended a community barbeque and hosted a town hall forum with Columbus residents. Located on the banks of the Mississippi on the far western edge of Kentucky, Columbus is roughly a three-hour drive from the nearest urban areas, Memphis, Nashville or St. Louis.
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