What was that Edwards was saying?

[littlejoe]

About him being the only candidate that could possibly have a chance of winning down south?

[spooky3]

1. Unless you have a link, I've never heard him make that claim.

Obviously, I don't know everything he may have said.

I HAVE heard him say that he believes he could beat Bush in all parts of the country.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

6. It is generally known to be true.

[spooky3]

9. If it's true, you should be able to provide a link quoting him.

I think it is a misstatement of what he has actually said. So please provide the link.

[bearfartinthewoods]

12. i think the poster may be confused.

there is a BIG difference between winning a southern dem primary and winning a southern state in the general election.

[littlejoe]

2. Don't you watch any of the news programs?

[spooky3]

3. link?

Until you produce a link, I have nothing else to add. Thanks.

[AP]

4. He said he has the best chance of beating Bush in the south.

Since the exit polls showed that a lot of southerners were voting for Kerry because he was the frontrunner, and for little else, I think this question hasn't been answered.

My intuition tells me -- especially given the demographic strength of the Edwards campaign -- Edwards is still the only candidate who can beat Bush in the South.

(And lets not forget, Clark and Sharpton have been running in all the southern states thus far. Let's see what happens when they're out, and after we get to compare and contrast Kerry and Edwards.)

[mohc]

5. While I do not believe

he is the only candidate that can beat Bush in the south, I definitely believe he holds the best chance. Southern Democrats, for the most part, have absolutely no problem voting for candidates from other regions. Moderates, independents, and cross-over Republicans are a bit harder to convince. Those groups did in fact vote more heavily for Edwards in the TN and VA primaries according to exit polls (Clark did equally as well and in fact beat Edwards with the cross over vote in TN). Being able to win a Democratic primary in the south and winning the state in the GE are two completely different things. Any of the remaining major candidates is going to carry the solid Democratic vote, its the swing vote that matters the most.

[SangamonTaylor]

8. tis true.

Here in TX my friends who are nonpolitical, who tend to run in the middle and vote for the best candidate are really positive about voting for Edwards. They don't really share the same enthusiasm about voting for John Kerry. Kerry wont have any problem securing the ardent Democratic vote in southern states, it's his ability to sway the middle in the swing states such as Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Florida that still has me questioning whether Kerry can beat Bush in the South come November.

[ochazuke]

7. Take a look at the exit polls and you'll be parroting Edwards

He drew a much larger share of his vote from independent voters, while Kerry won by getting traditional Democratic voters.

When it comes to the general election, I think Edwards will continue to have greater appeal to independents and even Republicans upset with NAFTA and job losses.

[SangamonTaylor]

10. exactly

Republican and Independent voters are looking for an alternative to Bush that appeals to them.

They are more likely to go with Edwards than Kerry when the general election rolls around.

[uconnyc]

11. This is a silly thread!

JRE can attract Independents and Republicans much better than Kerry in the general election.

It's not like the Dems. that voted for Kerry are going to turn their back on JRE.

[Moderator]

13. Locking.....

8. If you make a highly questionable and inflammatory factual assertion about a candidate, you must provide a link to a reputable source to back up your claim. Rumor-mongering is not allowed. Allegedly "innocent" questions which are actually an underhanded effort to spread rumors are not allowed. If you really need to know the answer to your question, try Google.



DU Moderator