Was Edwards going to lose re-election to the Senate?

[Ebowed]

I ask this question because it strikes me as rather odd that a freshman Senator would stake his Senate re-election for a shot at the nomination.  Did Edwards give any definitive reasons for leaving the Senate?  Do you think he would have won if he'd have run for re-election?

[phk]

No he would have lost.

Thats why he ran for Prez.

[nick]

Had he actually focused on his job as senator and not immediatley began to run for president the day after he was sworn in back in 1998 he could have won re-election.

[True Federalist]

He needed a strong Democratic Presidential candidate to be able to win re-election.  Certainly with Kerry at the top of the ticket, he would have lost, in part because of his Presidential dabbling.  Had he settled down and approached his Senate seat from the standpoint of a job he intended to hold until he retired, I think he would have pulled out a narrow victory, but it would be close.  He certainly could not have pulled a Bentsen and run for both Senate and the Vice-Presidency.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Had he run for re-election to the Senate and not ran for the Presidenticy and VP, he would have won. All of the southern Senate seats we lost were open seats.

[A18]

Had he run for re-election to the Senate and not ran for the Presidenticy and VP, he would have won. All of the southern Senate seats we lost were open seats.

Your second sentence does nothing to support the first.

[Rob]

He would have lost.

[Sibboleth]

That seat be cursed by Nixon so it be

[ATFFL]

The biggest problem he faced is that the less time he spent in state and serving as senator, the better he did in terms of approval, but the worse he did in hypothetical matchups.  If he had spent time in the seante and in state, he probably woudl have had lower approval ratings, but been in a horse race.

In the end I suspect that Bush would have carried Burr over the top in a close race.  The seat seems nigh impossible to hold.

[Fmr. Gov. NickG]

Edwards would have had a close race if he had never run for President.  However, if he had moved back into the Senate race after dropping out of the presidential race, and never joined the Kerry ticket, he would have won in a landslide.  At that point, he was the most popular politician in NC.

[ATFFL]

Edwards would have had a close race if he had never run for President.  However, if he had moved back into the Senate race after dropping out of the presidential race, and never joined the Kerry ticket, he would have won in a landslide.  At that point, he was the most popular politician in NC.

No, he was the most popular politician not in North Carolina.  If he had started spending time in NC again, his ratings would have gone back down.

[WalterMitty]

Edwards would have had a close race if he had never run for President.  However, if he had moved back into the Senate race after dropping out of the presidential race, and never joined the Kerry ticket, he would have won in a landslide.  At that point, he was the most popular politician in NC.

No, he was the most popular politician not in North Carolina.  If he had started spending time in NC again, his ratings would have gone back down.

the most popular politician in nc is jim hunt.

john edwards is no jim hunt.

[nick]

the most popular politician in nc is jim hunt.

john edwards is no jim hunt.

What about MikeHunt?

[Joe Republic]

He needed a strong Democratic Presidential candidate to be able to win re-election.  Certainly with Kerry at the top of the ticket, he would have lost, in part because of his Presidential dabbling.  Had he settled down and approached his Senate seat from the standpoint of a job he intended to hold until he retired, I think he would have pulled out a narrow victory, but it would be close.  He certainly could not have pulled a Bentsen and run for both Senate and the Vice-Presidency.

Lieberman didn't do too badly in 2000 when he ran joint campaigns.  Though obviously I know what you're getting at - an incumbent Democrat is much more vulnerable in the South than in Connecticut.

I heard that a popular nickname for Edwards in NC was "Senator Gone", because he hardly spent any time in the state.  And considering he hardly ever showed up to senate votes either, it kinda makes you wonder what the hell he'd been doing for the previous six years.  He would have lost easily.

[ATFFL]

the most popular politician in nc is jim hunt.

john edwards is no jim hunt.

God knows we could use a few more Jim Hunts in this country.

[Sibboleth]

The seat seems nigh impossible to hold.

Because Nixon cursed it

[WalterMitty]

i think burr will  break that 'curse'.

[Akno21]

i think burr will  break that 'curse'.

Is there a chance Easley will run for that seat, since he will be done as Governor?

[WalterMitty]

i think burr will  break that 'curse'.

Is there a chance Easley will run for that seat, since he will be done as Governor?

very doubtful.  easley has publicly said he wont run for any office again.  i actually believe him because he really hates campaigning.  he isnt a  people person.

fun fact:  as a young district attorney from brunswick county, mike easley did run for the us senate in 1990.  got beat in the democratic primary by harvey gantt, who went on to lose to jesse helms.

[Pictor Ignotus]

the most popular politician in nc is jim hunt.

john edwards is no jim hunt.

What about MikeHunt?

I went to high school with that guy. He got called to the office an awful lot.

[??????????]

The seat seems nigh impossible to hold.

Because Nixon cursed it

Links? Source? I have never heard of this "curse" before.

[Sibboleth]

The seat seems nigh impossible to hold.

Because Nixon cursed it

Links? Source? I have never heard of this "curse" before.

The Senate seat in question (2nd NC) used to be Sam Ervin (of Watergate fame)'s seat.
Since he retired not a single incumbent has been re-elected in it...
A theory is that Nixon cursed it

[Rococo4]

Yes he would have won - the incumbent Edwards would have barely squeaked by.  Bowles was a terrible candidate and should not be used as a barometer in this case.

I dont like Edwards but I think he probaly would have barely won

[nclib]

Had he actually focused on his job as senator and not immediatley began to run for president the day after he was sworn in back in 1998 he could have won re-election.

I agree, though he still had a shot at re-election anyway.