Edwards early S.C. favorite

More and more, South Carolina’s Feb. 3 primary is shaping up as the defining contest. It will likely determine who is eliminated in the first cut that happens early in every primary season.

To make sure he is not among those to vanish, Edwards has set what he believes are “realistic expectations” for the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary — in Iowa, fourth; New Hampshire, third.

Edwards’ campaign is confident the senator can win South Carolina if he meets those goals.

http://www.thestate.com/mld/state/news/politics/6936103.htm

Although not my first choice, I really want to see Edwards prove to be a viable candidate. He's an appealing candidate.

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I strongly condemn the hit and attacks you've been making on other candidates. It's revolting, and certainly doesn't reflect my beliefs.
I suspect you're not really a Dean supporter, but a provocateur from, well, from some other place. Even if you are a Dean supporter, I fervently wish you'd get lost.

eom

I have said good things about a number of candidates. My post was a direct response to a non-substantive swipe on Edwards by a Dean supporter.
Dean is doing well in the polls -- but not in South Carolina -- and in the money race, but I am not in favor of him being our nominee for lots of reasons. You made a reference, I assume, to FR, but I can assure you that I am not from FR. They, like Rove, are hoping your guy gets the nomination.
But you need to understand why people don't like some of the Dean supporters and your post is a great example. Someone makes a remark that a Dean supporter doesn't like and you begin the attack on them personally. ("He must be a Freeper if he posts against Dean, because Freepers are so afraid of Dean.") Some good, longtime Democrats don't like your guy. You may not like that, but it is true. We don't like his attitude, we don't like his calling us "weepy and liberal", we don't like him. We'll support if he is the nominee, but we favor other people.
I am a provocateur, I guess, from the real Democratic wing of the Democratic party.

And by the way, do you want a Edwards-Dean debate?

But among the 10 candidates seeking the Democratic nomination, the 50-year-old North Carolina senator is the only one showing any forward movement. The others either have faded or remain stuck in neutral.

According to a recent survey by the American Research Group, Edwards drew 16 percent among likely Democratic voters. His closest rivals — U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut and retired Army General Wesley Clark — follow with 7 percent. Forty-two percent remain undecided.

I don't think many of these candidates have anywhere to go. Until people stop dropping out of the race, I don't think there will be drastic change in poll numbers. If Graham or Kucinich drops out, then that will free up some voters...

Frankly, I'm skeptical of Edwards. Living in North Carolina, I hear from a lot of Democrats that they aren't crazy about him. Many seem to feel that he hasn't paid his dues (which he hasn't - he served the state for four years but is now spending lots of time on the road). I am doubtful that he could carry his own state, whereas other southerners such as Clark and Graham would probably have much more value to the ticket.

Edwards has deep support in NC in regions that used to be Democratic but got co-opted by Helms. Anecdotal stories posted by non-supporters cannot change this. The polls, which were not great in the beginning of his run, are increasingly positive. And he has enormous support in the minority communities. he has something Clark and Graham (and the others) don't have: His genuine connection with the minority communities combined with his proven success with middle-income urban and rural voters will win NC, other key Southern states, and mid-western states as well.
Edwards 2004! Check out the website.

It'll be between Gephardt, Lieberman, for the first role of dropping out... then Graham and Kerry.

Finally, CLark and Edwards get to duke it out to see which of them goes against Dean.

Cause I don't think Dean or Kerry will be players in South Carolina, even though Dean has been running television and radio ads and even though Kerry announced there.