Edwards is top fundraiser in WNY -- $181,000 (Dean $3,000)

[AP]

And, get this, Bush only got $34,000.

Sweet.

http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20030907/1013810.asp






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Front Page > City&Region > Western New York



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PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFULS
Edwards is top WNY fund-raiser
By JERRY ZREMSKI
News Washington Bureau
9/7/2003


WASHINGTON -- In Western New York, at least, the grass roots aren't very green for
Howard Dean.

But the personal injury lawyers are turning their pockets inside out for a little-known
senator who, like Dean, wants to be president.

Dean, the former Vermont governor who's now seen as a front-runner for the Democratic
presidential nomination, raised a mere $3,030 in the eight counties of Western New York
in the first half of the year, federal records show.

But Sen. John Edwards, a former trial lawyer from North Carolina, raised $181,335 from
his legal brethren in the Buffalo Niagara region. That's more than twice as much as the
eight other Democratic candidates and President George W. Bush raised, combined.

While those figures might indicate that Dean's Internet-based grass-roots effort has been
slow to catch on in Western New York, political pros caution against reading too much into
it.

After all, it's still early in a nomination race in which New York, and by extension Western
New York, are expected to play a central role. After a series of small states choose their
delegates, New York will have its primary March 2, the same day as California, Ohio and
Texas.

"March 2 will probably decide the winner," said Erie County Democratic Chairman Len
Lenihan, who has not yet endorsed a presidential candidate.

And Western New York could well decide who wins the New York primary.

At this point, though, two things are clear.

Western New Yorkers haven't yet rushed to write checks for Dean or Sen. John Kerry of
Massachusetts, who officially announced his candidacy Tuesday.

But Edwards' three visits to the area have paid off in big bucks.

[XanaDUer]

1. That is good news...

I think that Edwards would also make a great Pres, as would Kerry and DK.

[sandnsea]

2. Good for Edwards!

I really want him to start getting a national voice. He's a great representative for the Democratic Party. We have a wide variety of views and I'd like people to hear them all.

[w4rma]

3. It sounds like West NYers paid for a good portion of Edward's campaign bus

http://blogforamerica.com/archives/001053.html

[arcos]

4. nice picture!!

interesting contrast too...

[Sean Reynolds]

14. Nice bus for someone that grew up with a father that was a mill worker.

Kidding! :bounce:

[renie408]

15. But you see

He EARNED his. He didn't inherit it or get a head start from the fam. Speaking of the fam, you'd think that Howard's rich family would spring for a nicer bus for him, eh?? Just kidding.

[Nicholas_J]

5. Western New York

Is rather similar to the areas of North Carolina with various industries similar to the mills that Edwards mentions in his speeches.

Edwards could easlily pull a Clinton in the nomination. All political expert describe Edwards political positions as being closest to Clintons.

[dsc]

7. No it's not

Western New York, at least not the Buffalo are, doesn't have mills. I live less than 3 hours from there and have driven in that area, many, many times. It is very industrial, grows grapes (one of the best wine regions in the US), and relies on tourism. Rochester is a kodak town. But they don't have textile mills.

[AP]

9. WNY has highest level of union membership in country (25%)

Politics are dominated by Democrats, except for the gerrymandered districts for Republicans which encompass suburbs and farmland and avoid the cities. Bill Paxton and Jack Kemp held that district (in its various forms), and Jack Quinn holds it now.

Like any monopoly, the Democratic party suffers from a lack of competition, and that can be seen in the fact that, as the article notes, the party leaders are supporting the union candidate, even though he has almost 1/5 the financial support of the front runner.

WNY LOVES Bill Clinton, and I'm sure that's what they see in Edwards. The party leaders should get on board.

[sandnsea]

10. Industry

The same kinds of people work in industrial plants as work in textile mills. That's what the other poster was saying. That's why Edwards appeals to them, he speaks to their reality.

[DemBones DemBones]

12. WNY sounds much like NW Georgia,

where I live. Doesn't matter whether you work in the textile mills, chemical industry, or "light" manufacturing. Edwards and Kucinich have an understanding of people who work those jobs because they came from people like them rather than from people who ran Dean Witter.

[renie408]

13. Yep

That's why I think he would make the most profound contrast to the current administration in an election campaign.

[AP]

11. The wineries are in central NY...not so much in WNY

WNY is mostly factories and mills in decline, and a city increasingly dependant on the service economy, with health care, publishing, chemicals, banking being the biggish industries.

[renie408]

6. Go Johnny, Go!!

Edwards makes his campaign official in ten days. I am looking forward to seeing how things evolve from there.

*edit: I screwed up my dates. No sleep for four nights will do that.*

[TheYellowDog]

8. I live in Central New York,

in the suburbs of Syracuse, and John Edwards has been the only candidate to come here so far. He held a $1000/person fundraiser for trial lawyers though, so I couldn't go :(. Dean was supposed to come back in June, but he cancelled, and he should be coming around soon.