John Edwards Makes His Case
In Iowa Polls, The Democratic Hopeful Is No Distant Third, And Is Still Arguing He’s Most Electable
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Play CBS Video Video Edwards Draws Strength In Iowa Clinton and Obama may have star power campaigners in their corners, but in Iowa it's anything but a two-person race. Pollsters say John Edwards is holding his ground. Jeff Greenfield reports.
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Photo Essay John Edwards In his second presidential campaign, Edwards ran as a populist, with a focus on poverty and health.
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Interactive Campaign 2008 Profiles of the candidates, polls, fund-raising, blogs, video and more.
It’s just one more explanation for why the Democratic nomination is so often seen as a two-person race.
But at least in Iowa, the numbers tell a different story, CBS News senior political correspondent Jeff Greenfield reports. It’s a virtual three-way dead heat.
“Well, you can’t count Edwards out,” said Ann Selzer, who directs the Des Moines Register poll.
She points to former vice presidential nominee John Edwards’ strong second place showing four years ago.
“He's been through this before and he knows what it is to surge at the end,” she said.
So what is John Edwards doing? As he did for years ago, he's crisscrossing the state of Iowa arguing that he is the most electable Democrat based on who he is, where he's from, and what he's for.
Part of the argument is geographic.
“I'm the one candidate on our side who's actually won in a red state and grew up in small town rural American,” Edwards said in Iowa. “And I might add, you know, as a practical matter, the last two Democrats who were elected president of the United States, they talked like this.”
But he also links that working-class background to his core political argument: a frankly populist attack on corporate wealth and power.
“The power in government, in our country, has become concentrated in the few, affects every single thing that's happening,” he said.
It's the theme of a new ad linking his campaign to his wife's life-threatening illness:
"And Elizabeth and I decided we're not going to quietly go away," he says in an ad. "Instead we're going to go out and fight for what it is we believe in."
Edwards end game is simple: find the Iowa Democrats who want change, convince them that change requires a fighter and not Obama's intention to be a healer.
And hope for a win here that turns a two way fight into a three-way
fight everywhere.
© MMVII, CBS Interactive, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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See all 29 CommentsAnd the few plans that he finally came up with after he quit HIllary bashing with every breath, have not just wow''d the pants off me either.
Just because HE believes he is the best advocate for the American people does not make it so.
Candidates Reveal they think illegal immigration is legal?
Even though there is a hint in the phrase illegal immigration. : )
He thinks illegal immigration is legal?
Which presidential candidate can answer this very difficult question? Is illegal immigration, illegal?
Or, if we don''t happen to like a person or disagree with their views, must we continue with the unnecessary bashing of any candidate you do not believe in-for crying out loud already - grow up and talk civilly!!
Still, compared with Hillary, Obama and the rest of the mainstream, he is the pick of the pack.
Dennis Kucinich stands head and shoulders above all of the Democrats. He has actually done real yeoman''s service for the people of Cleveland by keeping their public utility out of the clutches of the banksters. He voted against the war.
I''m voting for Ron Paul...but I respect Dennis Kucinich--and Mike Gravel. They all have one thing in common--they haven''t sold out to the Estabishment--and, because of this the Establishment''s mainstream media is not giving them the media exposure that the banker-supported candidates are getting...not surprisingly, all three were left off Katie Couric''s ten question love fest.
I hope he is still in by the time we get to vote in may. "
Posted by jsilver2th
I agree! I want a change of direction in this country and I believe he will fight to give us that.
John Edwards 2008
Edwards has no experience putting ideas into action. He never held any kind of office, even PTA, before his single win (against a guy Forbes dubbed %u201Csenator for sale%u201D). He abandoned his senatorial duties to campaign for himself. His constituent services were terrible%u2014to the point of embarrassing other Democratic office-holders who sent constituents to him for help. After losing, Edwards started a think tank that had no measurable impact on our state.
More importantly, Edwards has never carried a single issue through all the politics of this state, let alone Congress.
Then there%u2019s the hypocrisy. Unlike other wealthy people, Edwards chose to make his commitment to the poor his central issue. Why, then, didn%u2019t he choose to build a modest 1.5 million mansion instead of a 6.5 million, and put that $5 million into nonprofits that help the poor, and amount that could keep many nonprofits going 50 years. What percent of his income does he give to charity? Studies show lower-income people give a greater percentage of their income; if Edwards is truly committed to the poor, he%u2019d be giving the same percentage as lower-income folks%u2014and telling us about it.
In conclusion, Edwards doesn%u2019t have the experience or true commitment to be president.
Sam, the election is still 11 months away with hundreds of millions of dollars of "dirt" about to hit the airwaves. I don''t believe specific polls this far out are useful because most people aren''t really paying attention yet.
Now it''s the comparison of Edwards to Rocky Balboa.....he''s down....he''s a long shot.....but don''t count him out!
Pathetic leftwing blather!!!!
I hope he is still in by the time we get to vote in may.
1a. Hillary vs Giuliani, Romney = wins
1bc. Hillary vs McCain = LOSES by 2 with CNN, wins with Fox, Gallup
2a. Barack vs Romney = wins
2b. Barack vs Giuliani = TIE with Gallup, wins with CNN, Rasmussen, Bloomberg
2c. Barack vs McCain = TIE with CNN, Rasmussen; wins with Gallup
3a. Edwards vs Romney = win
3b. Edwards vs Giuliani = TIE with Rasmussen, wins with CNN, Newsweek
3c. Edewards vs McCain = TIE with Quinnipiac, wins with CNN, Rasmussen
Like who we pick might depend on who gets the Repub nom. If Rudy wins the nom, then maybe the nom ought to go to Hillary. If McCain wins the nom, then maybe the nom ought to go to Edwards. If Romney or Huckabee win the nom, then it would be safe to go with Barack (or Edwards or Hillary . . . )
Gosh, a little too close for comfort . . .
http://blancadebree.blogspot.com
Polls show that Edwards beats every single GOP candidate -- he IS the most electable candidate period.
So why are we still hearing only about Hillary and Obama?? Put them on a freaking reality show and let the grownups get on with fixing the country.
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