On First Day of Classes, Edwards Speaks to Older Crowd

By: Aaron Lewis
Topics: John Edwards

(CBS)

From CBS News' Aaron Lewis:

PAWLEY ISLAND, S.C. -- On the first day of classes for the spring semester, John Edwards spoke to a crowd of 200 people at Coastal Carolina University. However, not a single student could be seen in the room. In fact I may have been the yougest person in there.

Edwards devoted most of his stump speech to the environment and global warming issues, which is a bit odd given that he rarely steps away from his normal points of entrenched interests and corporate greed. Sweet Potato Lady was there, so she must have been very pleased with today's topic.

The highlight of the Q and A was when he was asked about why he doesn't get as much media exposure as Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

"I've been trying that for a year and it hasn't worked yet," said an exasperated Edwards. "It's a tough challenge, you know."

He then pointed to the media. "There they are," he said. "Talk to them."

Edwards cited his second place finish in Iowa as an example of being able to beat out two candidates with "massive national media exposure."

"It is very hard to get through the noise and be heard," he said in stressing why grassroots efforts are key to his success from this point on. "We have to surprise somewhere, you know?"

Maybe Nevada is the place for that. After all, a new poll in the Reno Gazette-Journal shows Edwards in a close to dead heat with Obama and Clinton before Saturday's caucuses there.

"I just don't know which of these polls to believe given our experiences in Iowa and New Hampshire," said Edwards at a press conference at the Midway Fire Department, where he took pictures with firefighters across the parking lot from the event site.

"What I know is that we're very well organized. We got people there who know what they're doing that we've moved there from Iowa. And I think most importantly my message of standing up for the middle class against entrenched monied interests and fighting for the middle class is one that'll work."

Meantime, Edwards daughter Cate was involved in a minor car accident Friday night in North Carolina. She was not hurt.

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by nanpava January 15, 2008 10:07 PM EST: I am also getting increasingly angry at how the media ignores and marginalizes John Edwards'' campaign. For months, the press has acted like Edwards and the other Democratic candidates have been inconveniently mucking up the ''real'' election, which is, of course, the historic Hillary-Obama celebrity duo horserace the press wants to cover. The media''s coverage of the Democratic race has been unprofessional and shamefully unfair.

I thought that reporters are supposed to report the news, not slant it so much that they are in effect manufacturing it. And, please, self-appointed media gurus, stop advising Edwards that it is time to quit the race or risk hurting Obama or whatever line it is you are peddling today. This is an election. We, the voters, get to decide. And voters in more than two or three or four states should have the chance to cast ballots.

I have never been as committed to any candidate as I am to Edwards. There are many other supporters like me in other states. We are no more ready than he is to give up. This race is by no means over for Edwards. Please quit acting like it is.; Reply to this comment


by giantrobot2 January 14, 2008 11:45 PM EST: Alert *** Alert *** Alert ***

Question:
Would you like to own a brand new high definition 60" LCD / Plasma TV with reclining chair with large cup holder for your cold beverage of your choice?

Answer:
Huckabee! He is the ONLY candidate out of the presidential field willing to implement the "Fair-Tax" system.

Look at your paycheck and see how much they are taking out of your paycheck for taxes... go ahead go look at it now.

Now take the cost of a brand new 60" LCD / Plasma high def TV and reclining chair (& cup holder) and divide that number by how much taxes they are taking out.

Example:
$3,000 (TV cost, chair) / $325 tax holding each week = 8 weeks

That''''s it, only 8 weeks to get this great deal!!!

But if you vote for any other candidate it will take years to save up for this! Say you put away $10 each week, well that''''s 4 years!

So if you want to become poorer then vote for McCain, Romney, Thompson, Guiliani, Paul, Clinton, Obama, Edwards..... but if you want to become richer vote for Huckabee!; Reply to this comment


by worrieddem January 14, 2008 9:18 PM EST: And one more thing, someone should check Aaron Lewis''s credentials. He''s a total hack. CBS should be embarrassed of itself. But then again, they no longer have a "news" arm, just entertainment, so I guess Lewis fits the bill.; Reply to this comment


by worrieddem January 14, 2008 9:15 PM EST: Edwards is the only candidate who has said anything meaningful on education, who has proposed a very specific plan. Instead of playing "follow the leader," why don''t students (and citizens in general) actually read the policy statements of the candidates? Perhaps, then, the "youth vote" would be meaningful rather than simply disruptive. And shame again on the media. Their complicity in drowning the Edwards'' message is shameful, immoral, and very nearly criminal. But I continue to have faith in the American people, that they will actually wake up and think about what governance (rather than a happening) means.; Reply to this comment


by lawaid-2009 January 14, 2008 8:34 PM EST: As a former student at Coastal I would like to take the time to explain why no students would be there.....This isn''t the main campus and is actually where only a few marine biology classes are held. The location is more than 30 minutes from the main campus and would be out of the way for many of the students. Please have your information correct before raising questions such as this. Just poor research on your part as a paid professional in the journalism induatry.; Reply to this comment


by pmorlan January 14, 2008 7:12 PM EST: I''m glad to hear that my fellow citizens raised the issue about media coverage. Here we have a three-way tie in Nevada and the NYT didn''t run one story about Edwards yesterday. And when the press does run a story it is usually to imply that if voters vote for Edwards they are wasting their vote because he needs to get out of the race.

The longer this campaign goes on the angrier I get at the media. Their arrogance is breathtaking. How dare they not cover Edwards. How dare they revise the criteria for the Nevada debate and uninvite Kucinch?

I will, however, compliment this CBS blog because they have consistently covered Edwards and their coverage is balanced. They don''t have the nasty tone that some of the other media outlets have shown throughout this campaign. Thanks again for giving us an up close and personal look at the Edwards campaign.; Reply to this comment