Behind the Edwards Surge: Right Message at the Right Time

[Nutmegger]

The Nation -- Much was made of Illinois Senator Barack Obama's superb speech to a huge crowd of Iowa Democrats at the mid-November Jefferson-Jackson Day dinner in Des Moines. Without a doubt, it helped to propel Obama ahead of New York Senator Hillary Clinton in polls conducted in the weeks after the event.

But Obama's speech in November may not turn out to be the definitional statement of the fight for Iowa.

What could turn out to be the most critical comment of the campaign came from John Edwards in the last debate between the Democratic contenders -- and the former senator from North Carolina may well claim the caucus-night victory that is the reward for delivering the right message at the right time.

It wasn't a great rhetorical flourish. It wasn't even a new statement. Rather, it was a particularly pointed and effective restatement of the core anti-corporate message of his campaign.

Full article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/thenation/20071226/cm_thenation/1263409

[saracat]

1. Edwards is the right man at the right time!

[JDPriestly]

2. Great article!

We haven't just lost jobs. I remember a time when you could get good cotton at a reasonable price. The imported cotton just does not have the quality that I remember seeing as a child. And don't even think about buying a wool suit of the kind we could buy for a reasonable price as recently as the late '80s. It's all synthetic now. It is ugly. It does not drape well. It does not wear well. The art of cutting and sewing good fabrics is dying.

[laststeamtrain]

3. K & R.This sounds more like 'the one' to me.

<snip>

To a far greater extent than Obama or Clinton, Edwards has struck at the heart of issues that should matter most in the race to replace not just George W. Bush, but the Bush agenda of corporate giveaways, job-crushing free trade deals, war profiteering in Iraq, and subprime mortgage profiteering in Indiana, Idaho, Illinois and, yes, Iowa.

Edwards summed up his increasingly aggressive and powerful anti-corporate themes with a declaration: "What makes America America is at stake: jobs, the middle class, health care, preserving the environment in the world for future generations.

"But all those things are at risk. And why are they at risk? Because of corporate power and corporate greed in Washington, D.C. And we have to take them on. You can't make a deal with them. You can't hope that they're going to go away. You have to actually be willing to fight. And I want every caucus-goer to know I've been fighting these people and winning my entire life. And if we do this together, rise up together, we can actually make absolutely certain, starting here in Iowa, that we make this country better than we left it."

<more>

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/thebeat?pid=263409

[waiting for hope]

4. Thanks Nutmegger!

:kick: and a ton of these -

:bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :thumbsup: and a :hi:!

[Ninga]

5. Edwards maintaining his presence, and keeping pace, is a remarkable achievement in this

most historic primary - EVER -

It is a credit to his message, focus, responses and platform. Edwards has displayed an acute ability to listen and hear and respond. Because Edwards "gets it" , the voters recognize it, and will vote for him.

He is a force to be reckoned with, and will win.

:patriot:

:hi:

:bounce:

[MethuenProgressive]

6. "Surge"? Link?

I keep seeing the top two on top in all polls. Is there new news about Edwards?