I'm impressed with Edwards.

[PresidentObama]

It seems John Edwards is sitting and waiting, while Clinton and Obama overshadow him. But could all this media attention crack away at Clinton and Obama's frontrunner status? The little disagreement between Obama and Clinton's campaign about Geffen's statements last week turned into media up roar, and really gave both campaigns there first minor blow. And the winner in all of this? John Edwards. All he had to do was call the situation sad, and that was it. He didn't take any hits, and didn't get any damage.

Truth is, all three candidates are raising mounds of money. But the advantage Edwards has right now, is he doesn't risk overkill so early because the media isn't talking about him--at least not in the same way as Obama and Clinton. So basically my theory behind the Edwards campaign is they know they have the money to compete, and right now they'll sit it out and let these two go at it and do as much damage as possible. Then Edwards will come out of no where, and start increasing his voice in this race.

If you go to John Edward's website, he's got a great website. I really like Obama's because you can create your own profile, and it has the MySpace/Facebook appeal. Clinton's seems your average, yet really professional campaign website. But John Edwards, IMHO takes the cake.

First off, he vitalizes the internet's powerful social networking tool with an entire page dedicated to his various social networking links:

http://johnedwards.com/action/networking/

And while other campaigns use the major social networking sites (MySpace, YouTube, Facebook, Flickr, etc.) Edwards is whoring himself across the net and making his campaign available for millions to see across the net. Add that with his incredible blog, and OneCorps organization, and he's really got an impressive online operation. Edwards also has 12,340 MySpace friends over on MySpace.

So the strategy is simple: Lay and wait, and let the other two go after each other. At the same time, continue to rake in money by the bucket full. And vitalize the internet, and do what Dean did in 2004 and use social networking websites to connect with voters in new and exciting ways.

Out of the three frontrunners, I like Edwards the most. I thoroughly enjoy both Obama and Clinton, but Edwards of the current candidates is my favorite. Now if Clark or Gore get in, I'll shift there way.

[JNelson6563]

1. He's also looking outside IA and NH

In April he'll be here in MI to be the keynoter at our state party's Jeff/Jack dinner. Very smart to be working the mitten state. I hear no word of Hillary or Obama coming any time soon.

Julie

[PresidentObama]

2. Well, Obama is working outside of IA and NH too.

For example, that big 20,000 person rally in Texas. And I heard he's going to some event soon in Kentucky. KY of all places!! I think it's smart to branch out since we're so far out from the primaries. Start the conversation now, and make your case to the nation--not just the primary voters in NH and IA!!

[AtomicKitten]

3. the only thing

I have against Edwards - as well as HRC - is their IWR vote. I will manifest my displeasure regarding that in the primary, however, will support the Dem nominee, whoever that is, in the general election. That is perhaps why I cringe when the discussion gets ugly about the candidates running for president, wondering if doing a 180 will leave skid marks on the internets.

[bluehighways911]

4. I Like Edwards, BUT

Sorry, your post was so nice, I hate to throw cold water.

But, C'mon. He is just sitting there waiting. We saw that in his VP run. He just sat there and waited. And nothing happened.

Edwards is a great guy, but c'mon. Why would you want another flip flopper.

You do remember the 04 election? Flip Flop, Flip Flop, Flip Flop.

Don't worry, you will be welcome on the Obama train.

[JNelson6563]

5. "Cold water"?? More like reich-wing nastiness

Edwards is a great guy, but c'mon. Why would you want another flip flopper.

You do remember the 04 election? Flip Flop, Flip Flop, Flip Flop.

Gosh but this is almost like stepping back in time to the 04 elections. On a different board....initials "F.R."

Don't worry, you will be welcome on the Obama train.

Gosh I'll bet he's glad your out here rolling out the welcome wagon in such a nasty way....

Julie

[Clark2008]

7. Not right-wing, but the truth

Edwards has flip-flopped on nearly every position he's taken, either directly or indirectly.

[Czolgosz]

6. Edwards is BY FAR the best candidate on the issue of access to health care:

Here is an excerpt from Paul Krugman'a Op-Ed in the New York Times on Feb 9, 2007

... Mr. Edwards sets out to cover the uninsured with a combination of regulation and financial aid. Right now, many people are uninsured because, as the Edwards press release puts it, insurance companies “game the system to cover only healthy people.” So the Edwards plan, ... imposes “community rating” on insurers, basically requiring them to sell insurance to everyone at the same price... offers financial aid to help lower-income families buy insurance... would “require all American residents to get insurance,” and would require that all employers either provide insurance to their workers or pay a percentage of their payrolls into a government fund used to buy insurance.

But Mr. Edwards goes two steps further.

People who don’t get insurance from their employers wouldn’t have to deal individually with insurance companies: they’d purchase insurance through “Health Markets”: government-run bodies negotiating with insurance companies on the public’s behalf. People would, in effect, be buying insurance from the government, with only the business of paying medical bills — not the function of granting insurance in the first place — outsourced to private insurers... As the Edwards press release points out, marketing and underwriting — the process of screening out high-risk clients — are responsible for two-thirds of insurance companies’ overhead. With insurers selling to government-run Health Markets, not directly to individuals, most of these expenses should go away, making insurance considerably cheaper.... This would offer a crucial degree of competition. The public insurance plan would almost certainly be cheaper than anything the private sector offers right now — after all, Medicare has very low overhead. Private insurers would either have to match the public plan’s low premiums, or lose the competition.

And Mr. Edwards is O.K. with that. “Over time,” the press release says, “the system may evolve toward a single-payer approach if individuals and businesses prefer the public plan.”

http://johnedwards.com/about/issues/health-care/nyt20070209/

[Colobo]

8. Edwards is a great, great candidate... a good guy, but...

He's letting the other candidates get way ahead of him... it might be a strategy, but if it is, it might backfire badly... it remains to be seen if Edward's can compete in the "money war"...

[Czolgosz]

9. Ask Howard Dean why he lost:: "we peaked too early, and gave everybody an opportunity to go after us

We knew that whoever won Iowa was going to win the whole thing and we just peaked too early, and there was not much we could do about it."

I think Edwards is just about where he wants to be: letting Hillary and Obama trash each other while he's off meeting voters, getting endorsements, and pushing one great idea after another.

[PresidentObama]

10. I wouldn't doubt if Edwards is raising as much if not more money....

....then Obama. What do you mean compete in the money war?

[Dammit Ann]

11. I couldn't agree more.

I liked him way back in 2000. I think he has a chance.

[AshevilleGuy]

12. Sorta like Bill Clinton in 1992,

standing quietly while Ross Perot and Poppy Bush tore each other new ones. I suspect that is what John is doing as well. It's smart, so long as he comes into the public view from time to time.

As for his 2002 Iraq vote, he has apologized over and over, what else can he do? He and Hilary can't go back in time and fix it. No one can. Now if he were standing by that vote that would be a very different thing, but he clearly does not.

At the moment I think that only President Gore would have a better chance to win the November 2008 election than Edwards, and that is all I care about.

[Apollo11]

14. I agree

Let's all find ways to show our support for Al Gore! :patriot:

Read Al's blog: http://blog.algore.com/2007/02/our_next_step.html

Help Al Gore lobby Congress: www.algore.com/cards.html

Get ready for Live Earth on 7/7/07: www.liveearth.org

Sign the petitions at www.algore.org and www.draftgore.com

:kick:

[rodeodance]

13. Edwards was my first choice last time. Maybe again.