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John Edwards, Marathon Man
January 01, 2008 5:10 PM
ABC News' David Wright and Andy Fies Report: As he embarked on his 36-hour campaign push before the Iowa caucuses, John Edwards told ABC News on Tuesday he is not worried about a new poll showing rival Barack Obama pulling further out in front here in Iowa.
The final Des Moines Register poll before the caucuses today shows Obama with 32% support, Clinton at 25% and Edwards in third place with 24%.
"It's not bad news for us at all," Edwards, D-N.C., insisted, noting that other recent polls show a tight race among the three top Democrats, with the possibility of a photo finish Thursday night.
Edwards says stepped-up attacks from Obama as a sign that the Illinois senator sees him as a threat. In his updated stump speech, Obama now suggests Edwards generates "more heat than light" and argues that Washington "does not need any more anger."
"They see that we're moving and we're moving fast," Edwards told ABC News. "They're trying to figure out a way to blunt our powerful message of ending corporate greed and strengthening the middle class."
Tonight Edwards is pulling an all-nighter, with campaign appearances scheduled across the state pressing his message. He calls it "a marathon for the middle class."
"I'm going to do everything I have to do for this campaign and as president," he said.
Edwards declined to say whether he needs to win in Iowa in order to remain viable, but suggested that a third place showing could be difficult for any candidate to overcome.
"It's very competitive and I think the same test applies to all three of us," he said. "All three of us want to win, but all three of us are not gonna win."
Edwards, who enjoyed the Iowa-only endorsement of Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, in 2004, cannot claim that mantle this time around, losing out to rival Obama.
Nevertheless, Edwards told reporters in Ames, Iowa, on Tuesday, "I think I am the strongest candidate for second choice among caucus goers."
"I had people come up to me after this event today and say they came in for Senator Clinton and Senator Obama and now they're for me," Edwards added, "They just have to hear it. When they hear it and they hear it from me, they respond."
ABC News' Raelyn Johnson contributed to this report.
January 1, 2008 in Bush, George W., Kucinich, Dennis, Tancredo, Tom | Permalink | User Comments (7)
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He's the best at saying nothing that I have ever seen. Is there anything of actual substance in this guy? I haven't heard him say one thing that meant anything other than we have hope and we cant bring back this country and I will stand up against bad evil people etc.......
Posted by: Dennis | Jan 1, 2008 5:33:33 PM
I had people come up to me today, and say that they wouldn't vote for John Edwards..
Your reaching for the rope John, and it's to high.. Your sinking fast, and will never get out of the muck that you put yourself in.. When you throw mud you create the mud hole, and have to live in it..
Hillary Clinton is our best bet to turn the Country back in the right direction.. She will make a great President.. Those of you that are afraid of a women being incharge will just have to live with it.. We've spent the last 7 years under the leadership of a total loser, and bad "Decider".. It's time to put a smart person in the White House, and HIGH time that a Women has the chance to run our Country
Posted by: J.Murphy, CA. | Jan 1, 2008 5:48:15 PM
Because John Edwards is the only viable Democrat recognizing the problem of the giant corporation stranglehold on the U.S. he has been ignored (until the last few weeks) by the corporate news media, who selected Clinton and Obama as its non-threatening darlings. Edwards campaign seeks to return the Democratic Party to the anti-corporate populist tradition of William Jennings Bryan, FDR, Huey Long, and Henry Wallace. Besides, he is the only Democrat in the race who (polls show) will defeat every Republican in November.
Posted by: Philip Baldwin | Jan 1, 2008 8:15:10 PM
Edwards is the fighter we need in the White House. He is the one candidate who has the strength and the will to see to it that the people and the good of our country come before corporate greed. If Americans vote their own best interest, they will be fighting just as hard for John Edwards to be our next President. America has never needed a true leader more -- one who is an American first -- a leader who will turn us in the right direction, and give us back our pride. With Edwards in the White House, the world will love America again. And Americans will have a brighter future for themselves and their children. Importantly, Edwards, according to all the polls, defeats every Republican in General Election matchups -- AND WITH MUCH LARGER MARGINS THAN OBAMA OR HILLARY. If Edwards is not our nominee, we may very well have another four or eight years of Republican "rule." That is a possibility we absolutely cannot afford.
Posted by: rebelfriend | Jan 1, 2008 9:02:47 PM
Rasmussen polls consistently show Edwards as the only Democrat that wins against the Republicans, and he frequently wins by double-digits margins. I wonder why these poll results have not been brought to the discussions of the Democratic primary. Voters can’t make informed decisions if they’re only given selective information.
Most importantly, Edwards wants to bring back fairness to the American worker with governance that addresses the needs of all Americans, not just a select minority. In recent years, Republicans and corporate Democrats have not fought on the behalf of the majority of Americans, and that is what John Edwards is willing to do.
I think that we Americans owe it to ourselves and our children to examine the candidates closely before making a final decision about our vote. We need to learn about the policy positions and proposals presented by each candidate.
If a candidate is not specific about their plans for change, it’s a cause for concern.
The concept of “change” is vague without the details. We’ve already suffered from the consequences of Bush’s broad but undefined platform of “compassionate conservatism.”
Candidates with fuzzy campaigns themes that offer little content deserve our skepticism. “Bringing people together” can mean so many things, or it can mean nothing. Remember that Bush proclaimed that he was a “uniter not a divider.”
Edwards specifies the detailed steps that he will follow to accomplish his plans for improving the lives of working Americans and the unemployed.
I have taken a close look at all of the candidates, and Edwards is the only viable candidate that would strive to bring fairness back to the Americans who have been forgotten—the poor and the middle class. And according to the Rasmussen poll numbers, he is the only candidate that has consistently beaten all of the Republicans.
We need Edwards as our Democratic nominee.
Posted by: tessablue | Jan 2, 2008 2:26:08 AM
I am surprised that Clinton and Obama have not imploded by now. I am with tessablue, there is nothing in their messages that indicate real change.
GO Edwards Go
Posted by: PSDutch | Jan 2, 2008 11:03:22 AM
Obama has begun the process of self-destruction by using Republican talking points as a means of attacking his fellow Democrats, and not just the ones in this campaign.
Obama has also criticized Gore and Kerry. His commitment to the Democratic party is questionable. Furthermore, his positions are often vague, but what is clear is his intention to try and win over Republican voters when he has not been selected as the Democratic nominee.
A bit presumptuous?
Posted by: montegoteam | Jan 2, 2008 10:46:22 PM
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