Can we save the Edwards campaign?

[California Dreamer]

Edwards has a chance....not a big chance but a chance.

Dean can play a part. If he stays in he will help Kerry, if he drops out he can endorse Edwards which would help.

But assuming Kerry comes out of Super Tuesday with more wins than Edwards it becomes very hard to see how Edwards wins enough delegates, even with 'southern Tuesday'.

...the big question is whether Edwards will go on the attack, something he has said he wouldnt do...but he is the only one who can take Kerry down now, no one is listening to Dean anymroe

[NHPolitico]

He's going to do well in Wisconsin. The question is can that qualify attention, and does he need contributions now to survive Super Tuesday.

He did well. He'll get attention. He does need cash, and I think he might get it.  He just needs to focus on a few states and try to build momentum and then he can try to run the table with Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas on 3/9 and really try to make a race of it.  Kerry will probably try to steal some of Edwards' thunder, but Edwards just has to hit back harder. He has to say he's the real candidate to save manufacturing jobs, etc.

[MarkDel]

Edwards would definitely be the strongest Democratic candidate in a general election. The more people in a general election get to know about Edwards, the more they will like him. The more they get to know about Kerry and his voting record, the less they will like him.

[NHPolitico]

Edwards would definitely be the strongest Democratic candidate in a general election. The more people in a general election get to know about Edwards, the more they will like him. The more they get to know about Kerry and his voting record, the less they will like him.

If Edwards were smart, he'd focus on two issues-- securing our borders and loss of jobs. Run hard to the right on immigration issues-- reduce overall immigration, reduce chain migration, reduce visa lottery, no amnesty for illegal aliens, reduce importation of foreign high-tech workers via changes in the L-1 and H-1B visas programs, etc.  It's Bush's achilles heel.

[emergingDmajority1]

What Edwards needs now is for Dean to withdraw and endorse him, and a new infusion of cash into his campaign. I also think he'll get some good coverage from the media since they want a 2 man race as well.

[MarkDel]

NHPolitico,

You're right, that would be a great strategy for Edwards. It would pick up the former Perot independents who are still not satisfied with either party.

[Nation]

35% was a good finish, but not good enough, I think. The media will announce that Edwards had a strong finish, but that Kerry is still the front-runner and should be safe for Super Tuesday.


Q: Will the Utah/Idaho/Hawaii Primaries/Caucuses on the 24th make any difference? Very conservative states that may go for Edwards instead of Kerry. Then again, Virginia and Tennessee went for Kerry in droves.

[M]

The Western trends have been interesting. Western dems consistently favored Dean, then Kerry. This suggests to me that the democrats are sp weak in the rockyn mountains that the party there is completely unrepresentative of the states and consists almost entirely of Yankee transplants and ideological "misfits". Course, I could be wrong.

Hawaii is Kerry's. Strong Dean showing, though.

[California Dreamer]

next weeks races are caucauses and a closed primary.  Edwards strength has been Independents and Republicans. This means that Kerry will probably pick up big wins in these states if Dean is in or not.

...but they may not get the coverage that Wisconsin got as all three states combined have less delegates and the focus will then be on Super Tuesday where there are over a 1000 deleagates up for grabs.

...but if Dean scores three more 3rd places...it will seem even crazier for him to stay in it, but hey crazy is his middle name

[opebo]

Edwards is not so much a regional candidate as a one-issue candidate.  He's the one appealing to the defeatist, protectionist, luddite economics of 'fair trade'.  Remember whenever you hear that word fair, watch your wallet.  

If there's any region Edwards appeals to with this nonsense its the uniquely ignorant/unprincipled/self-serving 'union vote' in the Midwest and Northeast.  Its not a big enough portion of the vote in the South to have much of an influence.

Edwards is much farther to the left than Kerry.

[NHPolitico]

NHPolitico,

You're right, that would be a great strategy for Edwards. It would pick up the former Perot independents who are still not satisfied with either party.

The beauty of it is that it really puts the notion of broken glass Democrats to the test. They'd go along with the trade policies, but would they go along with the immigration ones? If they would, he'd really be able to dip into Bush's total and a group of voters who may not regularly vote.

[NHPolitico]

35% was a good finish, but not good enough, I think. The media will announce that Edwards had a strong finish, but that Kerry is still the front-runner and should be safe for Super Tuesday.


Q: Will the Utah/Idaho/Hawaii Primaries/Caucuses on the 24th make any difference? Very conservative states that may go for Edwards instead of Kerry. Then again, Virginia and Tennessee went for Kerry in droves.

It hurt that Clark was in the race, too. That made a difference in how Kerry did there.

[© tweed]

I think, in my wildest dreams, Edwards still has a chance.  Listen.

The 5-step plan:

1.) Finish a strong second in wisconsin today.
2.) Finish second in every primary state on March 2nd, and win Georgia.  Campaign the whole week in georgia and California.
3.) Win the four southern primaries on March 9th: Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas.  This is possible with Clark out of the race.
4.) Now, this is a two person race.  the next of the states are not geographically biased to either side.  
5.) WE CAN DO THIS!!!!

Step one completed!  On to Georgia!

[Filuwaúrdjan]

The latest GA numbers [31st Jan]:

Kerry 30%
Edwards 15%
Dean 15%
Sharpton 12%
Clark 9%
Lieberman 5%
Other 5%
Undecided 5%
Survey USA

It's winnable.

[© tweed]

The latest GA numbers [31st Jan]:

Kerry 30%
Edwards 15%
Dean 15%
Sharpton 12%
Clark 9%
Lieberman 5%
Other 5%
Undecided 5%
Survey USA

It's winnable.

Wrong.

Kerry 50%
Edwards 19%
Sharpton 12%
Dean 10%
Kucinich 4%

http://www.davidwissing.com/demstatepolls.html

But, it still is winnable.  If we spend the whole week there and Kerry doesn't, we can win it.

[NHPolitico]

The latest GA numbers [31st Jan]:

Kerry 30%
Edwards 15%
Dean 15%
Sharpton 12%
Clark 9%
Lieberman 5%
Other 5%
Undecided 5%
Survey USA

It's winnable.

Wrong.

Kerry 50%
Edwards 19%
Sharpton 12%
Dean 10%
Kucinich 4%

http://www.davidwissing.com/demstatepolls.html

But, it still is winnable.  If we spend the whole week there and Kerry doesn't, we can win it.

It's winnable only if he refocuses on issues that Kerry hasn't and in some ways, as the safe establishment choice, can't.  He should come out against PBA and run a real Southern populist campaign.

[MarkDel]

Opebo,

You said Edwards is more Liberal than Kerry??? No way. In fact, Edwards is not the least bit "political" at all.

The truth about Edwards is that he's an amoral, ambulance chaser with absolutely no real core beliefs. In other words, he's a less intelligent version of Bill Clinton, though he does seem to have better control of his genitalia than Clinton did, and was a more accomplished attorney.

That being said, an Edwards presidency, like a Clinton presidency, would do FAR less damage to the United States than the election of a pure leftist like Kerry. Edwards has NO beliefs...Kerry has beliefs, but they are at best naive beliefs, and at worse, his approach to foreign policy could bring about the ruination of the United States.

Give me Edwards over Kerry ANY DAY.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

It was the earliest I could find
Besides GA is winnable as Edwards will get a load of momentum from WI.

[JohnFKennedy]

miami, if you support edwards, whats with the kerry logos in your signature?

[NHPolitico]

It was the earliest I could find
Besides GA is winnable as Edwards will get a load of momentum from WI.

Just having this be a two-man race gives Edwards momentum. He can now make one-on-one debates a demand. Talk about it until Kerry gives in.  Then try to get Kerry to choke. Use those trial lawyer skills to make him snap in front of the cameras.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Good point there.
BTW I've heard a rumour (from several different places) that Dean might endorse Edwards, which (IF it happens) tip the balance in GA (where Dean had been running unusually strongly for the South).
Worth a watch.

[opebo]

Opebo,

You said Edwards is more Liberal than Kerry??? No way. In fact, Edwards is not the least bit "political" at all.

The truth about Edwards is that he's an amoral, ambulance chaser with absolutely no real core beliefs. In other words, he's a less intelligent version of Bill Clinton, though he does seem to have better control of his genitalia than Clinton did, and was a more accomplished attorney.

That being said, an Edwards presidency, like a Clinton presidency, would do FAR less damage to the United States than the election of a pure leftist like Kerry. Edwards has NO beliefs...Kerry has beliefs, but they are at best naive beliefs, and at worse, his approach to foreign policy could bring about the ruination of the United States.

Give me Edwards over Kerry ANY DAY.

Great minds think alike - I posted something like this a few weeks ago, regarding Edwards as a sort of empty-headed Clinton clone.  He's just as characterless and venal as Clinton, but also fairly ignorant.  

But I disagree - I think an Edwards presidency would be just as damaging as a Kerry presidency.  Basically they'd both largely be held in check (thank god) by the Republican congress, and both would nominate horrible Supreme Court justices.   Also both would fail utterly to defend the country.   Now if there was a chance of a Democrat congress then I'd agree with you Kerry would damage us even more than Edwards, but it would still be close.  I think its hard to underestimate how much damage 8 years of Clinton did.

[opebo]

Hard to OVERestimate the damage that is.

Anyway Edwards is *running* to the left of Kerry, though as you say, he believes in nothing.

[© tweed]

miami, if you support edwards, whats with the kerry logos in your signature?

Because Kerry most likely will be the nominee.

[MarkDel]

Opebo,

Maybe you're right, but I think Edwards could at least be convinced to be somewhat moderate on foreign policy issues. Kerry is locked in "vietnam syndrome" and would be a "we need permission from the United Nations" type leader.