Yep. I think Edwards is going to win Iowa and then it's a whole new ballgame.

[cali]

I'm making my prediction now based on the enthusiasm and size of the crowds he's attracting, the press coverage he's getting and effective advertising. Like him or not, he's got a strong and consistent message, and he's well known in the state in a way no other candidate is. He's focused like a laser on Iowa, and I think it'll pay off.

And then? I think it inevitably shakes up the race. Can he win in NH? Probably not, but he doesn't need to. If he comes in 2nd or a strong third, he's still doing fine. South Carolina though, may be a big hurdle for him. Same for NV. But if he does better than expected in those two states, he'll have a lot of momentum, a ton of coverage by the MSM and more money going into Super Tuesday. I still think he's very much a longshot, but that's how I can see him winning.

[ronnykmarshall]

1. That was the top on a local radio show yesterday.

I think Edwards is going to shake things up.

I live in a split household. I'm for Hillary and my SO is on the fence. He's torn between Hillary, Edwards and Dennis.

[slick8790]

21. That's an interesting three he's stuck between.

Don't see those names together too often :)

[asdjrocky]

2. I've been working in Nv on and off for almost two months-

On Saturday we had 74 volunteers, a lot of Union people, and about a dozen that had come in from Ca, that canvased the Reno area. They had even more in the Vegas area. He has a strong volunteer organization in Nv, the the feed back has been great.

I think if he wins Iowa, does well enough in NH, and SC, then Nv is really, I mean really up for grabs.

[LakeSamish706]

3. I don't know about this line...

"Can he win in NH? Probably not, but he doesn't need to" Since NH is only 5 days after Iowa he very well could take that momentum in NH... I realize that he would need more than the predicted 10% he would gain from an Iowa win in order to have a chance in NH, but the odds are good.

[mike_c]

4. that will be a very interesting outcome....

I hope the media doesn't pull a Howard Dean attack job on him.

[cali]

6. He's not Dean.

and I doubt he'll leave the kind of opening Dean did. That said, you can never tell what the media will distort. At this point, I think they really want an exciting horse race.

[surfermaw]

32. You are right on Dean

I was watching when CNN put out that big lie, I saw him and thought he isn't giving up but rallying the troops....And the put out such a lie. I don't like watching Blitzer, I wish we had Rather back on CBS

[librechik]

5. From your lips to the Iowa caucuses ears

Go Edwards!!!

[flyarm]

7. he will win Iowa..and he will win NH..my prediction! eom

[cali]

8. That's hopeful, but unlikely.

He hasn't put in the kind of time or organization in NH that he has IA. He'll get momentum, but it's unlikely to enought to put him in first. A second place in NH or even a competitive third would be good for him.

[Captain Hilts]

9. But he's still not winning in his home state or in SC. nt

[cali]

11. but that could well change with a win in Iowa and a good showing in NH n/t

[Digit]

29. Lately, there is much more coverage of him on the local news here in NC

They tend to like their "favorite sons" down here, so who knows?

[BrklynLiberal]

10. from your keyboard to g-d's ears.....

[DURHAM D]

12. Seems to me that he will do well in Iowa simply

because the rural areas are over-weighted in the caucus system. He has been campaigning there for seven and a half years so he should take the less populated areas - he has been able to spend time there.

We will never know how many votes in caucus anyone really got.

However, I think the more that the remainder of the country comes to realize how odd the caucus system is in Iowa the more it will diminish any success he might have there.

I am certain that both Obama and Hillary already have their points written up and ready to go if Edwards wins Iowa - re: Why Iowa is not relevant to the big picture.

[Zueda]

13. I believe that should Edwards win Iowa...

Then Obama will then turn Clinton's 'personal destruction' tactics against her. Same goes for Edwards if Obama wins Iowa. They both are running anti-clinton platforms and I think they will know when the time is right to try and throw their supporters to the other and then latch onto Clinton and go into a death spiral. Then we will have us an Edwards/Obama or Obama/Edwards ticket.

[FrenchieCat]

14. I don't believe that we will have an Edwards/Obama ticket......

or the other way round.

I just don't see it.....most of it based on the experience issue, and the fact that Edwards has already been a Veep nominee.

Either will have to bring in perceived experience, and that is what they will each do.

[killbotfactory]

15. Nah, Obama's going to take it.

Obama has a long history of organizing voters. Edwards has Trippi.

[truedelphi]

16. What type of machinery is used in the actual Primary election?

I say this because back when it was Dean vs Kerry, Dean did great in New England areas where it was paper ballots, and couldn't beat Kerry if there were electronic voting machines involved.

Even if the demographics where the same.

[jgraz]

17. Hey cali, we finally agree on something

And I didn't even need to take another women's study course. :P

BTW, I took quite a few when I was in college. I found them about as relevant as any purely academic subject. But hey, I met my wife in the Women in Science Fiction seminar, so it wasn't a total loss.

[cali]

19. You're still wrong about the word "cackle".

but at least you got something out of taking a Women's Studies course. However, as I find many purely academic areas of study to be very relevant, we disagree there. And I gotta ask you something: Does Edwards Fortress work or investments trouble you at all?

[jgraz]

22. Edwards' investments trouble me a little, but not nearly enough to affect my vote

The real key with Edwards is what he brings to the debate. We desperately need an anti-corporate, populist message in this election, and I think it will resonate with a lot of voters. Call him a flip-flopper or a hypocrite if you must, but that doesn't change the fact that his current platform is absolutely spot on.

As long as he keeps saying the right things with passion, he's got my vote.

[superkia]

18. By the sounds of the MSM, he is their man of the hour in Iowa.

I think they need an Edwards victory in Iowa because a Obama victory could cause problems in Clintons world. After Iowa, I have the feeling the MSM will let Edwards stick around as long as Obama has some strength. All the coverage I have seen of late has been Clinton being nice to everyone and Edwards, Obama for some reason isn't important to the MSM in the election as of now. I know that Obama has been in the MSM for awhile now but for some reason????? They have sat him in the back seat leading closer to Iowa, strange huh!

[EVDebs]

28. Now he's The Sleeper

[EVDebs]

20. Even corporate sandbagging can't keep this guy down. What will they do ?

When Edwards takes Iowa the * hits the fan BIG TIME ! An 'in your face' progressive agenda sweeps in from the west !

[cali]

23. He hasn't been sandbagged- yet.

We'll see how he handles it if he does get both barrels from the MSM.

[EVDebs]

27. Whaddya mean, after weeks of just HRC vs. Obama yadda yadda yadda

The new Newsweek is a rare exception.

Read this, the MSM is doing damage control now cuz the tidal wave is coming,

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3858745



Edwards: All greased and ready to KICK ASS !

[DaLittle Kitty]

24. John Edwards Landslide... It's Gonna Happen...

The John Edwards Landslide By Michael Fox

OpEdNews

Original Content at http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_michael__071216...


Back in October, I wrote that it was critical that Democrats select a surefire winner in our Presidential primary. At that time I made the case fore John Edwards’ win-ability. My prognostication has now been made official in the form of this week’s CNN poll, which pitted Clinton, Obama, and Edwards individually and Head-to head with each major Republican contender.
Once again, in every one of those match-ups, Edwards wins by the largest margin against any of the Republicans. And what could be more valuable a statement in the 2008 general election than a landslide?

Remember, after the 2004 election, George Bush made his bloviating statement about his perceived “political capital” – which, of course he squandered on a 60-city tour to sell his dead-on-arrival Social Security privatization scheme. That, with a 2-point “win” But, given (as in CNN’s Edwards vs. Huckabee race) a 25-point true landslide, the political capital would be palpable and spendable. Edwards, winning with a foreseeable 65% of the vote, would be coming in with that sort of long-unseen approval rating that would enable him to embark on populist policies with the actual backing of the populace (unlike the elitist policies of Bush ineptly attempted to be served to his handpicked audiences – and even they didn’t bite!).

Much has been written about Edwards as the worst nightmare of the corporate crowd. Just this week, on Bill Moyers’ Journal, Dr. Ronald Walters (director of Jesse Jackson’s Presidential bids) pointed out that only Edwards, of the three leading contenders, is speaking of poverty and universal healthcare; this from a leading Black academic who clearly sees Obama as not having policies that serve the larger Black community, those in the middle and lower middle classes and the poor.

Only Edwards (again, of the three leading contenders) has eschewed PAC and corporate donations. Clinton, Obama and Edwards all have law degrees. Clinton used hers, aside from early-career service on the congressional committee investigating Richard Nixon, as a partner in a law firm representing corporate clients; Obama was an Associate Professor of Constitutional Law at Harvard (this is the resume item I like best about him, as I think he may best be equipped to assess the damage done by Bush and his Republican Congresses); but only Edwards used his to take on corporations which have fought regulation and responsibility to consumers. Only Edwards is proposing immediate universal healthcare... Additionally, he has made it clear that the mistakes he has made, legislatively, are mistakes from which he has learned, and he is opposed to “free” trade expansion.



Michael Fox is not connected to the Edwards campaign - or any other.



Authors Bio: Michael Fox is a writer based in Los Angeles.

[SlowDownFast]

25. K&R! Go Edwards! n/t

[calteacherguy]

26. I think he's got a real good shot. It's gonna be an Edwards/Obama race. nt

[laureloak]

30. So which side of the fence are you on anyway?

You started another thread claiming Edwards cannot win.

[David Zephyr]

31. At this very fluid moment, I agree. John's probably going to win Iowa.

He's doing all the right things and doing it with perfect timing while the other top two are still slinging mud at each other and really turning people off...just as they are about to vote.

One thing I've learned all these years, people don't make up their minds the last day of an election, but they do cement at just about 2-3 weeks prior to that point.

John's "rising" as his new slogan correctly says.

What happens in New Hampshire? I don't have a clue.

[goodgd_yall]

33. The timing does seem to bode well

If JE's jump in the polls happened a couple of weeks ago, I'd be less confident of his hanging on to that lead, but with just 2 weeks to go, it's looking pretty good for Edwards. Here's hoping he wins and that it's the start of an Edwards' upswing.

[More Than A Feeling]

34. Interesting. First FrenchieCat, now you... either you guys are trying to raise expectations

so it isn't as big surprise when he wins, or so its a bigger surprise when someone else does, or...

Edwards really has something going here.