Reply #14: He gets mixed reactions at home. [View All]

Since people feel (and perhaps rightly so) that he hasn't given enough attention to NC and too much attention to national politics, there is a bit of backlash. I think Edwards would make NC competitive, but I think the main benefits are that he adds energy to the ticket, has a good economic message, and puts other Southern states into play as well. While Edwards doesn't have NC in his pocket, I think he and Kerry together could make inroads into the South - all those border states in particular.

The only Democrat that I think would have a strong, strong chance of carrying NC would be Jim Hunt, since he was elected governor four times and is widely respected across party lines. But I don't know how he'd run nationally, and I think if he wanted to be in national politics, he might have run for President himself by now.