Edwards Remains Very Much in the Running

[waiting for hope]

John Nichols - The Nation

Three new polls from early caucus and primary states suggest that John Edwards, who has had a rough couple of months as a candidate, remains very much in the race for the Democratic nomination for president.

In Iowa, the first caucus state, an American Research Group survey of likely caucus-goers has Edwards at 27 percent. Hillary Clinton is next with 23 percent, followed by Barack Obama at 19 percent, Joe Biden at 6 percent, Bill Richardson at 5 percent, and Chris Dodd and Dennis Kucinich with 2 percent each.

~Snip~

Edwards, who some had begun trying to count out of the competition, is actually in the states that, for better or worse, are likely to set the parameters of the 2008 Democratic competition going into the February 5 "super" primary voting in multiple states.

That a positive development for everyone who wants a race where ideas -- and Edwards has been the most serious policy-pusher among the major candidates so far -- remain in play and, potentially, definitional.

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/campaignmatters?bid=45&pid=192157

:bounce: John Edwards '08

[movonne]

1. If Gore don't run, it is my candidate...

[Vadem]

10. me too! I'm waiting for Gore to get in after Labor Day...if he

doesn't, then John is my man!

[Raven]

2. He's looking more and more like my choice for President.

A lot of water can pass under the bridge between now and next year but, as you point out, he's really the only candidate who has put forth some comcrete ideas. I like his health care proposal and I love his wife! These are good people.

[underpants]

3. Inside the beltway gets a whiff of the outside

No offense to the Nation but Edwards has been in it and near the top of Iowa and NH for a long time now.

Seems to me that he is just laying the ground work and ignoring the national media for right now.

What "rough couple of months" ? :eyes:

[Lex]

4. I agree.

It's going to be amusing when the results of Iowa and NH happen, imho.

[underpants]

6. Iowa in '04-great US News article on it

You could look it up-it was a really great read.

The only people who didn't seem to be aware that Kerry was going to win was Trippi, maybe Dean, and the national media. Everyone else knew that it was already Kerry's.

Maybe the media is trying to boil it down to a binary choice between Clinton and Obama just as they were trying to create Dean vs. Kerry in '04. :shrug:

In the article there was a very interest part about the huge Italian contingency in Des Moines and how Kerry tapped into it to win. They usually never participate in the caucuses but they agreed to on the condition that it would only take an hour not all night like some do. Apparently there is one BOSS there who has his guys cover the neighborhood to get votes (you can vote by mail there) and when the law was changed to require all mail in votes be notarized...he got all his guys to become notaries.

Great read.

[patricia92243]

5. I'm originally for Hillary but am leaning more and more toward Edwards. I think he would make an ex...

excellent Prez. But the old problem of "I might waste my vote" rears it's head. I'm afraid someone else might win the primary if I vote for Edwards and he doesn't win. I know, I know - if everybody feels that way.......

It is still a very real problem for me and a lot of other people. Sigh!! :(

[jsamuel]

7. There are too many candidates, you can't "waste" your vote this time around.

Obama and Edwards will be the two remaining when this is all said and done. But voting for any of the top three will really not be a waste.

[Sapphire Blue]

8. Edwards connects to the voters in a very personal way. His support will continue to grow.

Transformational Change For America And The World - JOHN EDWARDS 08


"I'm proposing we set a national goal of eliminating poverty in the next 30 years." - JOHN EDWARDS 08


Silence is Betrayal - JOHN EDWARDS 08

[Sewsojm]

9. Their afraid of Edwards,

The press wants to act as if Edwards doesn't even exist, Clinton/Obama Clinton/Obama Clinton/Obama that's all you hear. The most news they've reported on Edwards around here lately was about the costs of his hair-cuts (brainwash the sheep), how many people heard about Shrub buying 99,000 acres of land in Paraguay. Their afraid of Edwards and have to take him out first because he is the strongest democratic candidate.

[cally]

11. Great!! He garnered much support at the CA convention

He's who I support.

[Blackhatjack]

12. Of the candidates running, Edwards has put out the most specifics of his proposals...

I will be very surprised if Edwards loses Iowa. He has spent lots of time there, helped the local Democratic Party build grassroots support from the ground up, provided financial and technical assistance, and he comes across really well in one to one settings.

IMHO Edwards is right where he wants to be at this point.

You will notice that the attacks on Edwards have been mostly personal, and all the naysayers are staying away from criticizing his policy positions on healthcare, poverty, taxation, etc.

[elocs]

13. I am an undecided, but I believe that Edwards has positioned himself well.

At this very early point in the process, a strong third place is a good position. Let Clinton and Obama duke it out and Edwards can come from behind. One of the things which bothers me about both Edwards and Clinton is their vote in the Senate for the IWR. At least Edwards has clearly admitted that it was a mistake.