Undaunted by Polls, Faithful Keep Edwards Banner Aloft
By ELISABETH ROSENTHAL
ORTSMOUTH, N.H., Dec. 23 — Their candidate's gray minivan had just departed. The "Edwards for President" yard signs that nobody wanted were restacked on the dirty linoleum floor of the former shoe repair shop turned campaign office.
An hour earlier, the small cluster of people in Portsmouth who feel passionately that Senator John Edwards should be the next president was euphoric. They listened to him speak at the packed Friendly Toast restaurant, applauding his positions on health care and jobs. Now, as they sat on the office's tattered puce couch and peeled campaign stickers off sweaters, their high was tinged with forlornness. Polls indicate that if the New Hampshire primary were held this month, Mr. Edwards would get at most 7 percent of the vote, putting him fourth.
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Mr. Shulman makes calls, hands out fliers and — though he hates it — canvasses door to door. He was recently buoyed when he knocked on a door and found an enthusiastic supporter. That is not the norm. Perhaps it is such moments of hope that have convinced Mr. Shulman that support in his hometown is growing for Mr. Edwards. He said that each time he had volunteered in the office recently, undecided voters had come in to find out more.
It is the kind of work that gives underdogs a chance.
"People like us, our job is to fight like hell for our candidates," said Mr. Dunn, the former banker. "Look, I will work for a year, and then people will go into a booth and make their decision in 30 seconds. My job is to make sure they know about Senator Edwards."
more ~
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/27/politics/27CAMP.html?pagewanted=print&position=__________________________________________________________________
good article about Edwards supporters and why they are willing to work for him. :)
edited to add link