i heard the voters of n carolina would not be re-electing edwards

[westsidexview]

so accepting the presidential nomination was his only political move. i don't know if this is true. and please to all the mentally dull. i am not a freeper.

[aquart]

1. Get this from Brooks on PBS?

And he would know this......HOW?

[childslibrarian]

2. That is the Repub line

I would discount it.

[NC_Nurse]

3. I heard that it would be close

I think he would have won if he had run, but he didn't. He has bigger fish to fry!

[Generator]

4. I heard the voters of America will not be re-electing *

My hearing is better than some.

[Droopy]

5. How can you say what those voters will be doing?

Was a psychic involved as your source? And why wouldn't they want to re-elect Edwards?

[GreenArrow]

17. "why wouldn't they want to re-elect Edwards?"

Maybe because a majority of them felt like he wasn't doing a good job as their Senator? Maybe they thought he was unresponsive? Maybe they thought he talked out of both sides of his mouth?

[Droopy]

21. Again, it's all speculation

You can't tell what other people are thinking. The closest thing we have to any knowledge that Edwards would be re-elected or not are polls and they are favorable towards Edwards.

[GreenArrow]

22. "Again, it's all speculation"

Well, isn't that about 90 percent of what we do in this place?

So, we won't know what would have happened with Edwards; it won't stop people from speculating about it. All I did was list reasons why people may not have wanted him back, reasons that I have seen reported on this board.

I'd much rather he'd of stayed in the Senate, myself.

[Warpy]

6. I've read quite a few slams on this board

from folks who said they were in NC, and that Edwards had forgotten all about them once he'd knocked the red mud off his shoes and headed for DC. Dunno how much is true, but he wouldn't be the first pol to do that, or the first to be accused of it whether he'd done it or not.

What I do know is that he talks real purty, and Kerry needs that on the campaign trail.

[MissB]

7. It's rather insulting to call fellow democrats "mentally dull"

That's my opinion, anyway. Rudeness gets you nowhere.

[comsymp]

23. Agreed- it's also rude to

Start a potential flamebait thread and not occasionally stop back by to follow up.

[tjdee]

He won it. Unlike Clinton...Gore...any other Democrat...

Honestly.
The man was a total neophyte, no experience whatsoever.
And he STILL managed to whip ass.

Though, I will say that his seat is the 'magic' seat: Since 1976 (I think) it has never stayed in one party for more than one term. It switches every time. So there is reason to believe he wouldn't have retained the seat based on that alone--but we'll never know.

[GainesT1958]

8. Not true...

Most polls done at the time of his announcement showed him ahead of his potential Repub challenger, Congressman Richard Burr--who's now running against Erskine Bowles--by 10-11 points.

That's basically a lot of "primary opponent chatter" and Repub "oppo" disinformation.

B-)

[AP]

10. Last RN&O polls had JRE up by a lot. 48:35, IIRC, and his approvals

were super high too (over 90%, 95% among Dems).

He would have won by a mile if he had run.

[Catch22Dem]

16. How is Bowles polling these days? n/t

[Lex]

33. Last poll showed him 10 points ahead of the (R)

and pulling away.

The (R) Senate candidate wasn't finding any traction outside his home area of the state (Greensboro/High Point/Winston).

With Edwards of the Prez ticket, Bowles will get the seat.

[comsymp]

9. Could've been a flawed source

Where/from whom did you hear it? That would help~

[2Design]

11. go back to sleep please

[CatWoman]

12. well, I heard that the earth was flat

and if you sailed too far, you'd fall off the edge.

[Champion Jack]

14. No shit? fall right off the edge?

[tjdee]

20. BWAHAHAHAHA!

Aww yeah.

[trumad]

50. I once heard that OJ was innocent, can remember where?

I think it was Bob Hope who told me...

[iamjoy]

13. Who Knows

I think polls did indicate if Edwards were running for re-election he wouldn't have won, but it is better not to put too much stock in polls.

North Carolina is a very Republican state, and I think his getting on Al Gore's short list in 2000 & starting to run for Pres in 2003 turned a lot of people off, they saw him as a political opportunist and not looking out for North Carolina.

I don't think that's true.

[GreenArrow]

19. "they saw him as a political opportunist"

I think that is true.

[stavka]

28. ...they didn't see him as that when the elected him?

I don't buy that....

[GreenArrow]

44. I would assume

they came to that conclusion after the fact, much like much of the country is doing with lil' Bush.

[Lex]

32. I think that is false

and is just Limbaugh-esque talking points.

[GreenArrow]

43. well, I don't listen to Limbaugh

and I thought that about Edwards long before he announced his candidacy. I still think it's true, regardless of what that lying swine Limbaugh thinks.

[Lex]

45. Do you know why Edwards even decided to get into politics?

I was just wondering if you knew what propelled him into politics.

My impression is that it wasn't just being a "political opportunist."

[GreenArrow]

47. I think he has said something about

making a good career for himself by helping individuals in his law practice, so why not take the next step and help many by entering politics. Just paraphrasing here. I believe the death of his son may have been the impetus.

But, I don't believe him. His law career was about making a name and reputation for himself, his political career the same. The bottom line is what's good for John Edwards. He has no profound vision to offer, only facile optimism, the gift of gab, and his vaunted good looks, which he has used to great manipulative effect. Just my opinion. I've been following politics for 25 years--not as long as some on this board, but long enough to know when to trust my gut. I completely distrust him, and think he is a phoney, which is only exceptional in a profession largely comprised of phonies, to the degree in which he projects his phoniness. Again, just my opinion. Let him prove me wrong.

[Lex]

48. Well, thanks for your opinion.

But Edwards has never said he went into politics to make "a good career for himself by helping individuals in his law practice."

I don't think Edwards will ever be able to prove you wrong because you are starting out with bad information to begin with.

[GreenArrow]

49. I said I was paraphrasing

something I heard on NPR the other day, information which I think is pretty good. He had been asked by some NC political heavyweight and friend (who the NPR story was quoting) why he wanted to go into politics, and according to the "heavyweight" Edwards reply was basically as I stated it. He helped individuals in his law practice, and thought that politics would give him the chance to help great numbers of people.

Somehow you've twisted the timetable; he was successful first in his law practice, then thought he could do more to help people in the political sphere, not vice versa as you have misquoted me; he already was succesful professionally before he went into politics.

I don't think Edwards will prove me wrong either, but not because I have bad information.

[Hubert Flottz]

15. LINKS!

VERE ARE YOUR LINKS?

[nofurylike]

18. insulting people who might dare question you sure proves it, eh? n/t

[kentuck]

24. Hit and run ??

No. NC could not re-elect Edwards because he was not running for re-election. If he did, I would htink his chances would have been a lot better after his great showing in the presidential primary??

[West Coast Democrat]

25. Edwards wasn't running for re-election....

the concensus has been for quite some time that Edwards expected to run for either President or VP.

Whether or not he would be re-elected if he had run.....weel, if he campaigned in N. Carolina as effectively as he has for President in the past year, I'm sure he would be re-elected.

[liberalnurse]

26. It is un-necessary speculation at this point.

Edwards is definitely an assets for Kerry......Thats the focus now....I'll be seeing them at a rally tomorrow in Dayton, Ohio!:bounce:

[dad]

27. -

Edwards would have lost had he run again. I have said many times - I think Edwards neglected us (North Carolinians) from the minute he took office. His eyes were always on a bigger prize. So now he has the opportunity to go for it, and good for him. Perhaps he's better suited to being VP than Senator. He appears to be more popular nationally than locally. He certainly didn't do us any favors by voting for the war and the Patriot Act.
This is coming from someone who was a big supporter during his run (for Faircloth's seat). I know that "he neglected NC" is the Republican spin, but it is also true. He never responded to any e-mails from me. I've said this before on DU: even Jesse Helms would send out a form letter or something. You have to respond when your home state people try to contact you.

[Lex]

29. 93% of NC Dems supported Edwards' bid for President.

He had a LOT of support here in NC.

Erskine Bowles has not got great name recognition but he is beating the (R) running for Edwards' old seat by 10 percentage points right now. The (R) running is even less well known than Erskine.

Putting those two known factors together, I'd say Edwards would've handily won his Senate seat back.

And I got an email back from him each time I emailed his office. Yes, it may've been a form letter, but I did get a response.

JMHO.

[formernaderite]

36. Didn't he run in 2002 and lose? He does have some name recognition..

...or was it 2000? Heck, N Carolina is still a strange state to me. My wife's family comes from the coastal South eastern part of the state, and her whole family are republicans....except they've always registered as democrats. Her brother who runs a small business, told me the politics are such that everyone still registers as democrats, particularly business owners. The repubs run for Sheriff, judge etc as democrats and everyone knows this.

[Lex]

37. Edwards ran for Senate in 1998 and won.

Erskine Bowles (D) ran for Jesse Helms' Senate seat in 2002, and lost to Elizabeth Dole (R), in a very tight race.

Erskine Bowles (D) is now running for Edwards' expired Senate seat, and Erskine will probably win that, the way things are shaping up. (Erskine ahead by 10 points and the (R) opponent not getting traction.)

Bowles has lots of name recognition in the state from when he ran against Elizabeth Dole two years ago. His (R) challenger has got bupkis for name recognition.

[mac56]

30. Posters who cut and run

are cowards.

[Lex]

31. But you'd apparently have to be "mentally dull" to think

he was a freeper.

: snark :

[mac56]

34. Yeah! That's right!

Something wrong with us, not him.

[RetroLounge]

35. "to all the mentally dull. i am not a freeper."

well, as long as you say so, I'm convinced...

Your cogent replies to all the other posts here proves it...

RL

[oasis]

38. North Carolina voters want a real president. Bowles will take over for

Sen. Edwards.

And for the dull minded, I'm not a freep either.

[Liberal_Dog]

39. It Would Have Been Close

I think Edwards would have pulled it out, but it would have been very close.

Edward's Senate seat has flip-flopped since at least '74. Neither the Democrats nor the Republicans have been able to hold the seat for two consecutive terms.

If that trends holds up, then the seat would be expected to go Repug this fall. If Erskine Bowles can hold the seat, it will be a real feather in the cap for the Democrats.

[Lex]

46. If Bowles is polling 10 points ahead of the vitually unknown (R)

who is running, then Edwards would've most likely won handily.

[Stephanie]

40. why call me "mentally dull" before we've met?

seems rather rude

[Redleg]

41. Are you sure about that, Flamebait?

And speaking of "mentally dull," I noticed the poster didn't stick around to respond to any of our replies.

[bhunt70]

42. he didn't really call anyone mentally dull...

seems like a conditional statement to me "If you think I'm a freeper then you are mentally dull"

I don't agree with his modus operandi but I think his original question is a valid one for people who are not informed of NC politics, albeit slightly tarnished by his tact, or his posting and leaving.