Edwards gains in South Carolina and Iowa polls

Edwards gains in South Carolina and Iowa polls

10-1-03

By ERIC DYER, Staff Writer
News & Record

U.S. Sen. John Edwards' campaign is beginning to show a bit of life in one measure: the polls.

The Democratic presidential candidate from North Carolina led the field last month in South Carolina and has doubled his numbers in Iowa after spending much of the year mired in single digits. Both states will host some of the first nominating contests in 2004.

These improvements could indicate that Edwards' strategy -- concentrate first on raising money and then woo voters -- finally may be kicking in.

"My goal for John's polling in any state is an upward trend," said his general campaign chairman, Ed Turlington, an attorney in Raleigh. "There's clearly an upward trend." (snip/...)

http://www.news-record.com/election/edwards/edwards011.htm

Ya gotta admire the guy's risky style: pile up as much money as possible, let the others go at it, then make a broad-front push to get attention and create a buzz.

It'll be interesting to see how the next few polls go in New Hampshire, too; he's spending a lot of time there. I'm glad our damned Coup d'Etat gets figured out next week so the recall won't suck too much more time from coverage of the Dems. Clark's going to enjoy a little more novelty, but that's about to wear off soon, too. Soon we'll see a little more decisive sorting out of the field.

Very exciting.

I think this is great. Edwards is my second choice and the line is blurry between them for me. I'd work my behind off for him if he were to become the nominee. I never thought he had it in him, but I hope he proves me wrong.

I've enjoyed hearing Edwards speak, particularly at the Harkin Steak Fry, and the two of them would be a geographically balanced ticket with Edwards a Southerner and Kucinich a Midwesterner. Dennis has said he's enjoyed spending time with Edwards on the campaign trail. I'll have to learn more about Edwards' policies but I know he's more moderate than DK, of course, giving another sort of balance. Plus it would combine the handsomest and youngest candidate with the one whose appearance is mocked by those who overvalue superficial matters like appearance. Both come from blue collar families (Kucinich's father a union truck driver, Edward's father a mill worker) so they know what it's like to be poor, what it's like to be the first in your family to go to college. And both have some money now and are ready to go storming into the third quarter of the campaign.