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;Topic pages and databases
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* [http://herndon1.sdrdc.com/cgi-bin/can_detail/P40002347 FEC] presidential campaign finance reports
* [http://herndon1.sdrdc.com/cgi-bin/can_detail/P40002347 FEC] presidential campaign finance reports
* [http://spartaninternet.com/2008/bycandidate.asp?tab=3&id=10 Spartan Internet Political Performance Index rank for John Edwards by week ]
* [http://ontheissues.org/John_Edwards.htm On the Issues] issue positions
* [http://ontheissues.org/John_Edwards.htm On the Issues] issue positions
* [http://www.opensecrets.org/presidential/summary.asp?ID=N00002283 OpenSecrets.org] campaign contributions
* [http://www.opensecrets.org/presidential/summary.asp?ID=N00002283 OpenSecrets.org] campaign contributions

Revision as of 14:59, 4 September 2007

Template:Future election candidate

John Edwards campaigning in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Labor day in 2007.
File:JRE 08.gif
John Edwards 2008

John Edwards is the former United States Senator from North Carolina and was the Democratic nominee for Vice President in 2004. On December 27 2006, he announced his entry into the 2008 Presidential election in the city of New Orleans near sites devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

Campaign development

Edwards listening to a question in Hanover, New Hampshire on August 23, 2007.

On December 28 2006, John Edwards officially announced his candidacy for President in the 2008 election.[1] The day before, his campaign website accidentally released that Edwards would be entering the 2008 Presidential election when it went live for a short time one day prior to his planned announcement in Eastern New Orleans.[2] He also inadvertently released his campaign slogan early as well: "Tomorrow begins today."[3] This ended months of speculation about whether or not Edwards would make a second run for President.

David Bonior, a former House Democratic Whip from Michigan, is serving as Edwards' campaign manager. Bonior brings strong relationships with organized labor, as well as experience in grassroots campaigning.[4] Kate Michelman, a nationally prominent abortion rights activist and former leader of NARAL, has joined the campaign as a senior adviser, charged with outreach to women.[5] Joe Trippi, former Howard Dean Internet strategist, joined Edwards campaign as part of the media team and also senior adviser in April, 2007.[6]

Two newly-hired staff members responsible for the Edwards campaign blog came under fire from The Catholic League on February 6 regarding comments they had made in their personal blogs prior to joining the campaign which many Catholics considered bigoted.[7] Amanda Marcotte, one of the bloggers, had asked her readers rhetorically, "Q: What if Mary had taken Plan B after the Lord filled her with his hot, white, sticky Holy Spirit? A: You’d have to justify your misogyny with another ancient mythology."[8] Edwards refused to fire them, saying that while "intolerant language will not be permitted from anyone on my campaign...I also believe in giving everyone a fair shake".[9] The bloggers issued statements separating their personal blogs from the campaign,[10][11] but Amanda Marcotte resigned a few days later, saying that the League's harassment was interfering with her ability to do her job.[12]

During a speech at the American Conservative Union's Political Action Conference, Ann Coulter used the epithet "faggot" in what she claimed afterward was meant as a one-liner joke about presidential candidate Edwards, a remark for which she was criticized by pundits on the left and the right.[13] Edwards responded to Coulter's remark, saying: "I think it's important that we not reward hateful, selfish, childish behavior with attention..."[14]

Since his campaign kicked off in 2007, Edwards has faced questions about potential conflicts between his campaign against poverty and his personal wealth, particularly the price of his recently built home[15] and how much he paid for these haircuts.[16] Edwards has since reimbursed the campaign and explained that the cost was high because the stylist had to travel to where he was to give the cut.[17]

In May 2007, Edwards explained that his 2005 decision to work for the hedge fund Fortress Investment Group[18] was so that he might learn more about the way financial markets and poverty were linked, saying "It was primarily to learn, but making money was a good thing, too". Edwards initially declined to disclose exactly how much money he made, saying that all information would be released in his financial disclosure forms when candidates are required to do so.[19] Those forms, released a week later, showed that Edwards made $479,512 from his time at Fortress, making it his biggest single source of earned income in 2006.[20] In addition, John Edwards has raised at least $167,700 for his campaign from individuals associated with Fortress Investment Group.[21]

During a campaign speech to the Council on Foreign Relations in May 2007, Edwards called the War on Terrorism a slogan that was created for political reasons and that it wasn't a plan to make the United States safe. He went further to compare it to a bumper sticker and that it had damaged the US's alliances and standing in the world. In response to the Edwards's remarks, President Bush's homeland security adviser called them "irresponsible, ... offensive and outrageous".[22]

On September 1, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama joined Senator Edwards to stop campaigning in Michigan and Florida two states that have bucked their party's nomination schedule.[23]

Fund raising

In the first quarter of 2007, the Edwards campaign raised over $14 million, $1 million of which was reserved for the general election. Almost $3.3 million of the $14 million was raised from over 37,000 contributions made over the Internet.[24]

On June 21 2007, Edwards campaign adviser Joe Trippi sent out a fundraising e-mail stating that the campaign had a goal of raising $9 million in the second quarter and $40 million before the Iowa caucuses.[25] On June 25 2007, with the end of the second quarter of fundraising approaching and the campaign short of its goal, Trippi sent a strongly worded email to supporters, saying that "the whole Washington establishment wants our campaign to go away." Trippi wrote, "they don’t want the American people to hear the message, so they attack the messenger. They call him a hypocrite because he came from nothing, built a fortune while standing up for regular people during some of their toughest times, and—heaven forbid!—he has the nerve to remember where he came from and still care passionately about guaranteeing every family the opportunities he had to get ahead."[26]

On July 1, 2007, the Edwards campaign announced that they had met their goal just a few hours before the midnight deadline.[27] Edwards shrugged aside criticism that he had not raised nearly as much as his competitors by noting that Howard Dean, the leading fundraiser in 2004 did not get the nomination.[28]

Opinion polling

Main articles: General Election Polling and Democratic Primary Polling

According to some opinion polls, Edwards is in second place in New Hampshire,[29] first place in Iowa, [30] and standing third nationwide behind Senator Hillary Clinton from New York and Senator Barack Obama from Illinois.[31]

The early national polls showed Edwards placing third among the Democratic field, behind Senator Hillary Clinton and Senator Barack Obama.[32] Recent polling of the early primary states (see Opinion polling for the Democratic Party (United States) presidential primaries, 2008) shows Edwards leading in Iowa and in either 2nd or 3rd place in Nevada and New Hampshire.

Edwards v. Clinton v. Obama State-by-State Polling

Iowa


Chart summarizing poll data from Iowa for Edwards (red), Clinton (blue) and Obama (green) with linear trendlines. When polling started, Edwards had a 5 point lead on Clinton; now Clinton holds a slight lead over Edwards. Obama holds third place, has kept pace, is within about 6 points of Clinton, but is not gaining much ground.[33]

Michigan


Chart summarizing poll data from Michigan for Edwards (red), Clinton (blue) and Obama (green) with linear trendlines. From January 2007 to present, Clinton's support has been steady ranging from about 36% to about 39%; Obama's support has slightly decreased from about 27% to about 25%; and Edwards' support has increased from about 14% to about 17%.[34]

New Hampshire


Chart summarizing poll data from New Hampshire for Edwards (red), Clinton (blue) and Obama (green) with linear trendlines. When polling started in late 2006, Clinton had an 8–9 point lead over Obama and Edwards. Now, Clinton has expanded the lead to 12–13 points over Obama, and 22–23 points over Edwards.[35]

Nevada


Chart summarizing poll data from Nevada for Edwards (red), Clinton (blue) and Obama (green) with linear trendlines. Since polling started in late 2006, Clinton has held at least a twenty point lead over Edwards and Obama in Nevada.[36]

Florida


Chart summarizing poll data from Florida for Edwards (red), Clinton (blue) and Obama (green) with linear trendlines. From January 2007 to present, Clinton has held a lead over Obama of about 21 points and has expanded the lead from about 21 to 29 points over Edwards.[37]

South Carolina


Chart summarizing poll data from South Carolina for Edwards (red), Clinton (blue) and Obama (green) with linear trendlines. From December 2006 to present, Clinton's support has increased from about 27% to about 35%; Obama's support has increased from about 17% to about 32%; and Edwards' support has decreased from about 25% to about 13%.[38]

Support

Internet support

On April 19, 2007, Joe Trippi, a campaign manager for Howard Dean in 2004, announced that he had joined Senator Edwards's campaign as part of his media team and also as senior adviser.[39]

Endorsements

  • * On April 19, the Edwards campaign announced that AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islanders) leaders from across the country endorsed Senator Edwards's presidential bid.[41]
  • Dan Castro, Vice President of the Student Council of Queen of Peace High School, located in North Arlington, New Jersey, has publicly endorsed Edwards and is an active member of his campaign.

Members of Congress

Opposition

The Wall Street Journal has criticized his healthcare plan and estimates it will cost the taxpayers $120 billion a year[48] and pointed out how Edwards did not address the Tax Code with regards to S-Corporation loopholes that allow people to dodge medicare taxes; a loophole Edwards himself has used in the past.[49]

Commentator Bill O'Reilly has been a vocal critic of John Edwards since the beginning of the controversy regarding comments made by Amanda Marcotte and Melissa McEwan[50] O'Reilly feels that the radical left has intimidated Edwards and controls his agenda.[51] O'Reilly alleges that Edwards pulled out of the Fox News debates to curry favor with financier billionaire George Soros, whom O'Reilly feels is funding radical causes.[52] O'Reilly also interviewed some of Edwards' neighbors and alleged that none of them had anything good to say about the Senator.[53]

The News Corporation criticized Edwards' remarks about its subsidiary Fox News. They felt that Edwards' criticism is hypocritical as he received an advance from Harper Collins for his book. Harper Collins is also a subsidiary of News Corp.[54] Edwards claimed he donated the money to charity, however, O'Reilly's show alleges that Edwards did not provide proof of it when asked.[55]

The State, a newspaper based in South Carolina, ran an editorial calling John Edwards a "phony."[56]

See also

References

  1. ^ http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,11069-2521766,00.html
  2. ^ Nedra Pickler (2006-12-28). "John Edwards Joins Presidential Race". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2006-12-28. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ "Democrat John Edwards: I'm running for president". AP. 2006-12-28. Retrieved 2006-12-28. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ "Bonior Joins Edwards: Ex-congressman will lead his run for White House". Detroit Free Press. 2006-12-29. Retrieved 2007-01-06. {{cite news}}: Check |url= value (help); Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ "Abortion Rights Activist Backs Edwards". ABC. 2007-01-05. Retrieved 2007-01-06. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ http://www.dmwmedia.com/news/2007/04/20/former-dean-internet-strategist-joe-trippi-joining-john-edwards-campaign
  7. ^ http://www.catholicleague.org/07press_releases/quarter_1/070206_Edwards.htm Catholic League press release]
  8. ^ http://pandagon.net/2006/06/14/pandagon-goes-undercover-the-lazy-way-on-a-catholic-anti-contraception-seminar-pt-ii/
  9. ^ Edwards, John (2007-02-08). "Statement on Campaign Bloggers". Retrieved 2007-02-12. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  10. ^ Marcotte, Amanda (2007-02-08). "About My Personal Blog". Retrieved 2007-02-12. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. ^ Melissa McEwan (2007-02-08). "My Words". Retrieved 2007-02-12.
  12. ^ Amanda Marcotte (2007-02-12). "Announcement". Pandagon. Retrieved 2007-02-13.
  13. ^ "Controversial columnist draws fire for gay slur". Reuters. 2007-05-04. Retrieved 2007-03-22. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  14. ^ "John Edwards Breaks Silence on Coulter's 'Faggot' Barb". foxnews.com. 2007-03-05. Retrieved 2007-03-06. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  15. ^ "Edwards Home County's Largest". Carolina Journal. 2007-01-26. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  16. ^ "Edwards' haircuts cost a pretty penny". MSNBC. 2007-04-17. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  17. ^ "Edwards 'embarrassed' by haircut". Quad City Times. 2007-04-20.
  18. ^ Cite error: The named reference Fortress was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  19. ^ "Edwards Discusses Time at Hedge Fund". AP. 2007-05-08. Retrieved 2007-05-20.
  20. ^ "Candidates' assets, income on display". MSNBC. 2007-05-16m. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Check date values in: |date= (help); Text "http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18707894/" ignored (help)
  21. ^ "Fortress Contributions to Edwards". Washington Post. Retrieved 2007-05-24.
  22. ^ Michelle Nichols (2007-05-23). "Edwards slams war on terrorism as "bumper sticker"". Reuters. Retrieved 2007-06-14. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  23. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/02/us/politics/02dems.html
  24. ^ Robert Yoon and Sasha Johnson (2007-04-01). "Edwards campaign raises $14 million". CNN.com. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Text "http://www.cnn.com/POLITICS/blogs/politicalticker/2007/04/edwards-campaign-raises-14-million_01.html" ignored (help)
  25. ^ Mark Murray (2007-06-21). "Edwards' 2Q fundraising goal?". MSNBC.com. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Text "http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/06/21/232411.aspx" ignored (help)
  26. ^ Alexander Mooney (2007-06-25). "Edwards campaign claims Washington wants them to 'go away'". CNN. Retrieved 2007-06-25. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  27. ^ Raelyn Johnson (2007-07-01). "Edwards Pulls in $9 Million for Quarter". ABC. Retrieved 2007-07-09. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  28. ^ "Edwards cites Dean campaign as example". AP. 2007-07-08. Retrieved 2007-07-09. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  29. ^ [1]
  30. ^ [2]
  31. ^ http://pollingreport.com/wh08dem.htm
  32. ^ "Clinton, Obama in Virtual Tie Among Democrats". Rasmussen FReports. 2007-01-17. Retrieved 2007-06-01.
  33. ^ Opinion_polling_for_the_Democratic_Party_(United_States)_presidential_primaries,_2008#Iowa
  34. ^ Opinion_polling_for_the_Democratic_Party_(United_States)_presidential_primaries,_2008#Michigan
  35. ^ Opinion_polling_for_the_Democratic_Party_(United_States)_presidential_primaries,_2008#New_Hampshire
  36. ^ Opinion_polling_for_the_Democratic_Party_(United_States)_presidential_primaries,_2008#Nevada
  37. ^ Opinion_polling_for_the_Democratic_Party_(United_States)_presidential_primaries,_2008#Florida
  38. ^ Opinion_polling_for_the_Democratic_Party_(United_States)_presidential_primaries,_2008#South_Carolina
  39. ^ http://www.dmwmedia.com/news/2007/04/20/former-dean-internet-strategist-joe-trippi-joining-john-edwards-campaign
  40. ^ http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070424/REPOSITORY/704240372/1043/NEWS01
  41. ^ http://www.nichibeitimes.com/articles/news.php?subaction=showfull&id=1177617099&archive=&start_from=&ucat=1
  42. ^ http://johnedwards.com/news/headlines/20070425-maine/index.html
  43. ^ http://johnedwards.com/news/headlines/200700418-ga-leaders/index.html
  44. ^ http://johnedwards.com/news/press-releases/20070228-codey/index.html
  45. ^ http://johnedwards.com/news/headlines/20070504-civil-rights-activists/
  46. ^ "Candidate wife appears at fundraiser". Oklahoman. 6/21/2007. Retrieved 2007-06-21. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  47. ^ http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0907/5606.html
  48. ^ "Wrong Turn". The Wall Street Journal. 2007-08-01. Retrieved 2007-08-08. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  49. ^ "Liberal Loopholes". The Wall Street Journal. 2004-07-13. Retrieved 2007-08-08. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  50. ^ "John Edwards and His Anti-Christian Employees". Fox News Channel. 2007-02-14. Retrieved 2007-08-08. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  51. ^ "Helping the Enemy". Fox News Channel. 2007-04-03. Retrieved 2007-08-08. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  52. ^ "Far Left Influence: 'Hurricane Soros' Is Getting Stronger". Fox News Channel. 2007-05-08. Retrieved 2007-08-08. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  53. ^ "John Edwards and Rosie O'Donnell". Fox News Channel. 2007-05-30. Retrieved 2007-08-08. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  54. ^ "Murdoch's News Corp. says former Sen. John Edwards benefited from book deal with the media company". International Herald and Tribune. 2007-08-03. Retrieved 2007-08-08. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  55. ^ "Hypocrite? John Edwards vs. News Corporation". Fox News Channel. 2007-08-06. Retrieved 2007-08-08. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  56. ^ "Why I see John Edwards as a big phony". The State. 2007-08-07. Retrieved 2007-08-08. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
Topic pages and databases
Media coverage
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