Edwards Moving Staff Out of Nevada

[Poiuyt]

WASHINGTON (AP) - Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards is moving staff out of Nevada to focus on other early voting states, a reflection of the uncertainty about the prominence of the first Western contest.

Two Edwards campaign officials said Wednesday that the Nevada staffers were being relocated to Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. They would not disclose how many staffers were being moved, but characterized it as a handful.

The Democratic National Committee gave Nevada a new early role in the presidential nominating process for next year, allowing it to schedule its caucus on Jan. 19, between Iowa and the New Hampshire primary. But New Hampshire has said it may go earlier than the Jan. 22 date set by the DNC, possibly moving Nevada back in the voting order.

Edwards has raised $23 million, less than half of the more than $50 million that rivals Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton have brought in. That leaves him fewer resources to spread across multiple states. He has declined to staff up in states that come on the Feb. 5 super Tuesday primary day, banking that victories in the early states will create the momentum needed to win contests that come later.

The campaign advisers wouldn't say how many staff would be left, but said Nevada state director Bill Hyers will keep running the Edwards campaign in the state.

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20070815/D8R1GNPG0.html

[napi21]

1. That's not a good sign. Iwonder if he'll make it to Feb? n/t

[saracat]

3. Just strategy as NH is moving up.I wish he had more people i n the West! He won the Ca straw poll.

[jsamuel]

4. He is shifting where they are, not firing them.

This just reflects a change in strategy.

[Annces]

2. Will he be Hillary's running mate?

I think they would make a good pair.

[jgraz]

5. Just a guess, but I think Edwards has had enough of the bottom of the ticket

He hasn't had a lot of good things to say about his 2004 experience.

[Poiuyt]

7. I don't think he's interested in the second spot either

I think he was really frustrated with that experience and I don't think he'd like being with a more moderate candidate like Hillary.

[Blackhatjack]

6. This is reaction to a fluid situation ... who knows when any primaries will be held

The movement of staff to New Hampshire and S. Carolina seems to be an acknowledgement that no matter how early the other states move up their primaries, these states seem certain they will hold their primaries first.

There is going to be some serious confusion as the period of time for primaries becomes 'compacted' into just a few days.

Not a single candidate can effectively campaign in dozens of states simultaneously with the kind of money and presence that has traditionally reserved for just Iowa and New Hampshire. That includes Hillary and Obama.

IMHO this is a recognition that the eventual Democratic Nominee will win on a momentum play.

If this were about technically winning the most delegates over the entire primary season we would see them camped out in Florida and Calif, but so far that has not happened. Even with Florida moving up their primary date.

I don't see repositioning of staff as a negative at all. It seems like a smart move to me.

[trayted]

8. Headline is misleading, and was intended to mislead

It should have read, "Edwards moves SOME staff out of Nevada."

If New Hampshire moves up in front of Nevada, which I expected them to eventually do anyway, since Hillary would lose Nevada to Edwards if he won Iowa, but she'd probably win NH even if he won Iowa, then it makes perfect sense for Edwards to shift some staff from Nevada to NH.

The headline was misleading.