Edwards to campaign for 36 hours straight in Iowa

[Catchawave]

snip...

Over 36 Hours, Edwards Will Discuss 36 Bold Ideas for Strengthening the Middle Class

Des Moines, Iowa – In the final hours leading up to the Iowa caucuses, Senator John Edwards will hold a 36-hour "Marathon for the Middle Class." Starting January 1st, 2008, Edwards will campaign across Iowa for 36 hours to talk to thousands of caucus goers and share 36 ideas to strengthen the middle class. As he makes his closing argument to Iowans, Edwards will highlight his bold plans to stand up to the powerful special interests and give hard working, middle class families a voice in Washington.

"Middle class families are working hard everyday just to get by, and they deserve a president who will work just as hard on their behalf," Edwards said. "I’m looking forward to meeting with Iowans across the state over the 36 hours who are as restless as I am for change – and who understand that making change happen is going to take a fight. Together, we can take on the special interests and do what’s right for middle class families."

During each hour of the 36-hour marathon – at events and on JohnEdwards.com/Iowa – Edwards will highlight one specific step to strengthen the middle class. Edwards has outlined his bold solutions for change in an 80-page policy book, "The Plan to Build One America."

Edwards will kick off the 36-hour "Marathon for the Middle Class" the morning of January 1st, embarking from Des Moines for a New Year’s Day event in Ames. The marathon will end with a "This is our Country" rally back in Des Moines with John Mellencamp. During the marathon, Edwards will campaign in 15 different counties across the state: Appanoose, Cass, Des Moines, Henry, Jefferson, Johnson, Lee, Linn, Polk, Pottawattamie, Poweshiek, Story, Union, Wappello, and Webster.

snip

Below is a schedule for the last five days of the trip – including the 36-hour "Marathon for the Middle Class":


http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/12/29/235046/38/323/427828

[ruggerson]

1. Something tells me Edwards is going to win this

n/t

[DS1]

2. I hope he does

but I hope this doesn't wear him out too much. However, it's obvious he wants it, and want can be a powerful stimulant.

[Catchawave]

5. DS1 - You made my night

I can rest now that you responded to my thread :hug:

P.S. I'm a huge fan of yours :hi:

[DS1]

9. ohh

err :blush:

Thankya, and do enjoy your night :hi:

[lisainmilo]

17. Me too...Me too.....Me too.....

:applause: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :applause:



:patriot:

[Catchawave]

4. Believe :) I do

:hi:

[youthere]

10. Edwards will win Iowa.

No doubt in my mind.I've been saying this for months now.

[midnight]

3. We are there in spirit. Go John.....

This is the energy that draws people to your cause.....

[balantz]

6. Damn John!

I sure hope we can keep up with you!

:kick: You got what it takes Mr. Edwards

[Catchawave]

7. Whew, me too,

:hi: balantz, WE can do this :toast:

[balantz]

11. We'll just ride this Edwards wave all the way to the White House!

I'm with you Catchawave :toast:

[Catchawave]

31. Yes, indeed !

:toast:

[DS1]

12. Can you imagine Capt. Shithead keeping up that pace?

He gets cranky if he's not in bed by 9 with his 'pilly'

and by Capt. Shithead I don't mean any of our candidates /disclaimer

[gristy]

8. Pace yourself, John. Pace yourself. And make sure you have a quality

coach with a very comfortable bed.

[Auggie]

22. Yes... we don't need any mistakes brought on by drowsiness

[troubleinwinter]

13. Wow. Well, RIGHT ON!!!!

[zalinda]

14. Like I have said for months

this is one guy who knows how to work. He has a plan for everything. He has planned this campaign out to the nth degree. I believe he is on a mission. Maybe it is Wade's honor, or maybe he just sees it as the right thing to do. Whatever the reason, I have never seen anyone work so hard at getting a thankless job.

I don't think this is a "career move". I don't know if he will stay in politics after he finishes his terms. But, whatever he does later, it will be 100%. And for those of you who slam him as a snake oil salesman, I have never seen a con artist work this hard for anything. The sole reason they con is because is isn't work.
I'm sorry, but I can't see an ulterior motive here, or what he would gain to be President.

zalinda

[Nutmegger]

15. John Edwards is dedicated.

Not only to his campaign, but also to us.

R&K for Edwards!

[calteacherguy]

16. What about lifting up the underclass?

I thought that was his big theme.

[FrenchieCat]

18. The poor don't vote.......the middleclass does.

Edwards is about winning the primaries, and so he has "adjusted" his theme.......because he understands who his audience is. Call it politics. :shrug:

[calteacherguy]

19. Oh

I thought it might have been something about bringing more of the underclass into the middle class, thus strengthening the middle class.

How naive of me. Politics is politics, of course.

[The Traveler]

21. Oh, Frenchie

A mean comment, and one that sheds no light. You full well know that if the middle class is pressured and shrinking, there is no practical way to elevate the lower classes. I know you from an earlier campaign. This comment is unworthy of you.

[FrenchieCat]

27. Was it a mean comment, or could it have been an honest comment.?

because the issue wasn't whether Edwards should campaign on middle class issues.....as there's nothing wrong with that.

The issue, Traveler, was why the shift from emphasis on the poor to the Edwards campaign morphing quite recently to emphasis on addressing the middle class instead?

Since you know me from an earlier campaign, you also know that I try to keep my comments as factual as possible, and this was no exception. Edwards has clearly massaged his message because speaking of the poor constantly could not get him as many votes as aiming his message at the middle class.

There was a deliberate shift made in Edwards' strategy as the political winds indicated there should be. Edwards' is running a political campaign, so I don't necessarily fault him for adjusting his message based on the feedback he's gotten on this......so I'm not quite sure why there's a defensive stance on my comment about this. :shrug:

I would just have wished that objectivity would have allowed you, Traveler, to acknowledge the possibility that what I was saying had merit as opposed to short changing me by calling it "mean"; that was unworthy of you, IMO.

--------------------------------------
Edwards started out like this........

Edwards is the first politician who, when he talks to a room full of middle-class people, doesn't necessarily seem to be promising something to them. Sure, he's a little vague about just where the line is between the "Two Americas" -- it's "the rich and powerful" and "everyone else." But when he gets specific, when he starts talking about the ten-year-old girl who goes to sleep hoping that it isn't as cold tomorrow as today because she doesn't have warm enough clothes -- it's got to be apparent to any audience that he's not talking about what he's going to do for them. He's making a moral claim about what our country owes to those who have the least, not promising something to everyone who "works hard and plays by the rules."
http://markschmitt.typepad.com/decembrist/2004/02/how_john_edward.html

Then he got the message.....

The Problem With John Edwards' Poverty Message
As far as substance goes, I totally agree with and support Sen. Edwards speeches and policies with regard to poverty. The problem is, from a political standpoint I think it's a loser. Edwards has clearly made discussing poverty a centerpiece of his campaign, and it was what he was working on inbetween the last election and when he declared his candidacy. But as a motivator to capture someone's vote, it's a clunker.
<>
Most people who are poor statistically when asked will likely not say that they're poor. In fact, they're probably likely to say that they're "middle class". It's the same way as if you ask people that are by many standards wealthy, they're also likely to describe themselves as "middle class". I think it's kind of an American thing to want to be part of the middle class, because we have one in this country while other nations you're either really rich or really poor.
http://www.oliverwillis.com/archives/2007/07/20/the-problem-with-john-edwards/

So the question was asked.....

Can John Edwards Appeal to the Poor and the Middle Class?
<> That's not to say I liked everything I heard from Edwards. If I have a complaint about his substantive message these days, it's that it's become too focused on the people left behind--and not enough on those who might fall behind but haven't yet. Edwards is an incredibly compelling spokesperson for the downtrodden, and I'm grateful for that.

But I wonder if he dwells on them too much, losing the attention of the middle class.
I've seen Edwards in enough other contexts--debates, convention speeches, and such--to think he's perfectly capable of hitting both themes simultaneously, of appealing to both the poor and middle class at the same time. I just didn't see it Wednesday night.
http://www.daylife.com/article/01up9WJdPecsB

and the answer is clear....

Edwards' big finish: It's the middle class...
The theme for Edwards’ final swing through Iowa will be: “America Rising: Fighting for the Middle Class.” .....Consistently high focus groups dials indicated undecided voters responded with enthusiasm to Edwards’ answers. Frank Luntz found when Edwards talks about health care and the middle class, the scores “can’t get any higher.”
http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2007/12/edwards_big_finish_its_the_mid.html

[The Traveler]

28. Thanks, Frenchie!

I just skimmed your post, which deserves more attention than I can now summon due to various distractions. I will read over it in detail shortly. I hope you know that while you and I do not always agree, I do value your thoughts on these matters ... so I was, uh, deliberately trying to provoke a response of this kind. Sorry. :) Back at ya in a little bit.

[ruggerson]

25. Just like Obama panders to virulent bigots in South Carolina

because there are more of them in that state than the object of their bigotry: gays and lesbians.

Yet, you think that's insignificant and support him anyway.

[Catchawave]

32. Somebody needs to "adjust" their twisted knickers.....

and write about the perfect candidate we should all get behind :evilgrin:

I found mine.

[Beaverhausen]

41. Don't hold your breath

Posting positive information about a candidate is beyond the capabilites of some posters here. All they do is criticize - the funny thing is, it seems to be working in reverse.

:hi:

Wasn't this morning's speech from Iowa great?!?!

[Catchawave]

43. Hi Beav !!

:hi: That WAS a great speech. I posted a link to it in OC's thread in the JE forum.

[Beaverhausen]

44. You rock!

I hope Elizabeth will be overwhelmed by how many people show up at her 2 AM event!

John had me in tears at the end of that speech when he talked about the homeless and those who go to bed hungry. He really shone today.

And I liked the fact that several of the callers to the segment with Elizabeth were republicans who said they like and will/might support him.

[The Traveler]

20. Obviously

uplifting the poor must of necessity involve expansion of the middle class. A healthy middle class is essential to reducing/relieving poverty.

[lumberjack_jeff]

26. He's got it exactly right.

People who belong to the working class perceive themselves as middle class.

So when he says that he's going to strengthen the middle class by raising the minimum wage, or expanding SCHIP (for instance) this appeals to his audience.

Whether it makes sociological/mathematical sense is another question, but the reality is that the bottom two quintiles (those families making $34,438 or less annually) generally think of themselves as middle class, but the specific programs and promises which resonate with them are not the programs and promises which resonate to those who economists consider middle class.

So Republicans say "I'm going to support the middle class by eliminating the capital gains tax on investment-grade paintings", they're appealing to the self-image of their constituents as well as promising some actual benefit. Middle class is meaningless except as a way of saying "Hey you! Yeah, I'm talking to you!"

[saltpoint]

23. God, I love the names of those towns. Edwards is plunging right into the

prairie milieu and he just might pull this off as a big win.

And that would be just fine with me.

Go, Johnny, go!

[waiting for hope]

34. Hey OC!

Hadn't seen you around in a while - Hope all is good! I'm thinking double digit win in Iowa, and then off to NH where the ball will continue to roll in his favor.

And you are so right - Go, Johnny, GO!

[saltpoint]

37. waiting for hope, I sure like your arithmetic on those victory percentages!

I'm in!

From two close Democratic friends in NH, it appears there is visibly building support in some of the local county organizations there for Edwards. They both say they are feeling the shift and both of them are very perceptive folks. One was a Bradley voter in 2000, the other a Gore voter. They don't miss much in local NH politics.

[waiting for hope]

39. I think a lot of Bradley and Gore supporters

are in Edwards camp - Bradley likes Edwards and I just wish Gore would endorse....ah, a New Years Wish!

[saltpoint]

42. If John Edwards can win the nomination, I think Bill Bradley would be a

terrific veep choice on a ticket.

I have a feeling it would be a very popular duo.

A Gore endorsement? That would be a great development.

[waiting for hope]

35. Delete - Dupe

[cynthia]

24. strengthening the middle class is really what lifts all boats

I was out canvassing for a local pol for the state leg and met many folks I would call middle class who were so concerned about "no new taxes". Yet what I have seen over my lifetime is that when people were being taken care of, when their needs were being met, everyone pitched in more, and were more generous. There seemed to be a prevailing belief that "we all do better when we all do better"

Iowa must be an exciting place to be this week.

[chimpymustgo]

29. And John IS the energizer bunny! Fighting with a smile.

His time is NOW.

[Infinite Hope]

30. Absolutely Brilliant! Midwest middle and working class citizens relate to hardworking

people. This will resonate extremely well in my neighboring state, Iowa.

[onehandle]

33. 36 Hours will lead to eight years in the White House. nt

[waiting for hope]

36. Edwards is the Energizer Bunny!

Sorry, Catch, couldn't help it!

K&R!

[Catchawave]

38. LOL...I think it's Elizabeth too !

She mentioned on Cspan today she's really looking forward to doing the 36 hours!

asdjrocky just checked in at the JE forum from Iowa, he's going to be at one of the 36-hour events! He's taking questions on a thread over there :hi:

[waiting for hope]

40. I just asked one....

go look - I think you may like it! :hi: