Edwards message: Louder this time (vows not to be overshadowed in Nevada)

[ursi]

Source: Las Vegas Sun

Fri, Jan 18, 2008 (2 a.m.)

John Edwards has been called the sleeper candidate, the stealth candidate -- he may even be the forgotten candidate.

Democratic presidential candidates Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama are the historic ones -- seeking to be the first woman or the first black man to become president. Plus, she’s got the pedigree, he’s got the charm and the media love a sensational story. Studies show they’re getting most of the attention.

“For a year now the national media has been telling the voters there are only two candidates,” Edwards said matter-of-factly Wednesday night at a union rally. “What I know is, when people hear both the passion with which I speak and the things I believe in, they move in my direction. So the challenge is to get heard. And I have to make certain that I get heard, and it’s remarkable how much of a fight that is.”

Not that Edwards hasn’t been working the state. He has dozens of paid staff and a solid corps of dedicated precinct captains. His people said he’s been here 17 times -- more than any other candidate -- and talked up the early endorsements from the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America and the United Steelworkers Union, which provided time to build the framework for a strong caucus finish. Volunteers -- many flown in after Edwards’ second-place finish in Iowa -- have been calling and visiting Nevada caucusgoers for weeks. Union members say they’re motivated and planning to turn out Saturday.

Read more: http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2008/jan/18/edwards-message-louder-time/

---

this amazing man flew up to Elko, Nevada around 8:30 pm last night to meet with voters.
snip...

“We’re not rich people,” said Eugene Costa, gesturing to the union hall. “We need someone to fight for us. All the other candidates help rich people.”

[rodeodance]

1. very good to see he is getting some name recognition in NV

[7horses]

2. Go, John go!!!

I just donated to John... don't forget to donate something today to help break the one-day record for donations to a candidate. We can do it!

[tblue37]

29. Is there a site showing how much is being donated? When one can see the

increase, it encourages donors--like with Dean's bat in 2004.

[ursi]

54. I don't know but I gave too!

[Yael]

3. Sweet!

Thanks!

[redqueen]

4. God Bless you, Eugene Costa!

:kick:

[montanaliberaldem]

5. Elko!? Have you ever been to Elko?

This is a small town pretty much in the middle of nowhere. I would be shocked if either of the other 2 candidates bother with the voters there. This speaks volumes to me about Edwards' commitment to represent the voters who need him the most.

[mconvente]

6. I've been to Elko - you're right, middle of nowhere

It is on I-80, so not that hard to get to, just takes a while. But yeah, just a small gambling town along I-80. After a minute, you're back in the middle of nowhere.

For John to go there (or his staff) shows dedication to all Nevadans!

[MaryRN]

38. I'm not surprised...

When he was in Iowa, a dear friend of mine put him on the phone with me here in CT at 20 min. till midnight on New Year's Eve right in the middle of his rally.

I'd also met him in New Haven two years ago...I had nothing to sign on me so he signed my camera case. The aura about this man is simply beyond words.

Edwards demonstrates over and over again his commitment to ALL people.

[ursi]

7. Actually, Edwards beat the Clintons and Obama there, they are there today

[cali]

44. I have fond memories of driving in a rented car in the middle of the night

to Elko with Hunter Thompson. I was all of 19. Wildest drive of my life. Hunter insisted at stopping at some all night truck stop dive and buying 5 billy clubs.

[ursi]

46. were you with him in the 60s or the 90s? he was in Elko during both time frames

I think the first visit was in 68! the last one was in the early 90s: "Fear and Loathing in Elko"

[cali]

49. neither. it was in the early seventies

He was writing for Rolling Stone and Jann Wenner held a conference of all his political writers out there under his then new political director, Richard Goodwin. I was working for Dick at the time.

[ursi]

58. dang! he liked Elko then!

[smokey nj]

8. K&R!!!

[mnhtnbb]

9. Take a look at Edwards new web video

showing just how badly MSM is ignoring Edwards.

http://www.johnedwards.com/whereisjohn/mail/

[nxylas]

13. Hmm...

According to Edwards, the media perception is that there are two Democratic candidates, but the "real reality" is that there are 3. Funny, I could have sworn there were actually five. It seems that he's less pissed about the media excluding candidates per se than about the fact that the exclusion extends to him.

[zalinda]

20. While I understand that you may be upset

that we don't continually go on about Kucinich or Gravel, the truth is neither are polling above 3%. Edwards is in a statistical heat in Nevada, but it isn't reported. And, he came in second in Iowa, which again wasn't reported. That is the difference.

zalinda

[nxylas]

30. But he didn't say "3 viable candidates" or "3 top-tier candidates"

He said "3 candidates". In other words, "it's OK to pretend those other guys don't exist, as long as you don't do it to me".

[MaryRN]

39. I'd hate to have to get 2 hrs broken sleep throughout a 24/7 cycle..

Wouldn't it be nice if we could snap our fingers and make our candidates be perfect 24/7?

When I look at the facts before me and believe to the best of my ability that I'm making an informed decision and my candidate commits some gaffes or stumbles or omits or makes a statement in error or overlooks or on and on and on and on, I'm willing to cut them a little slack.

[Kajsa]

10. Strong K&R.

Eugene Costa, Ursi-:yourock:

Thanks for posting this.

;-)

[ursi]

27. Thank you! And Go, Johnny, Go! Donate today!

[ChiciB1]

11. Just Watched Him On C-Span AND Donated Again!!!

Go, Johnny, GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

I am absolutely SICK of hearing about Clinton & Obama... Just so very SICK!!!!

[ursi]

12. that was great!

[ChiciB1]

35. Thanks... Don't Expect To Be Seeing Him Down Here In Florida...

but am doing what I can!!

[Andrea]

14. K & R

He's the only one on the side of the average person. I donated today. Please do the same.

[happygoluckytoyou]

15. 89131 VEGAS... that's my home... LOVE EDWARDS!!!!!

[ursi]

18. 89521 is me! Reno! (9-1-1)!

[BadgerKid]

16. Good for JE

I want to see what all the candidates are made of.

[Emillereid]

17. I saw John here in Los Angeles yesterday and I am convinced that of the top three he is the one who

most closely expresses the historic ideas and goals of the Democratic Party - pre-DLC cave in to the right. He would make a very strong candidate and he doesn't seem to carry any negative baggage. He might not a first this or a first that -- but he is the best candidate of the three.

[redqueen]

19. I agree of course. :)

Hope you'll consider donating to his campaign today. :hi:

https://www.johnedwards.com/action/contribute/form/

[UpInArms]

21. Go, Johnny, Go!

[ursi]

26. Love that photo! Go Johnny Go!

[hisownpetard]

31. What a cute picture. Just donated again!

[McCamy Taylor]

37. Great picture! No wonder the press won't give him publicity.

[midnight]

63. I love that picture. Take care John......

[AlbertCat]

22. Repug-lite

"Democratic presidential candidates Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama are the historic ones -- seeking to be the first woman or the first black man to become president. "

Y'know, I think it's just as dumb to vote for someone because they are black or female as it is to vote against someone for the same reason. Or to assume the white guy from the South will be "like all the others". That being said....

Hillary just comes with too much baggage for my taste. The perception of her being "status quo" has reasons to exist. And, just a reminder, she's not Bill.

And did I not hear Obama say Reagan was the answer to the Big Government Problem we had accumulated in the 60's and 70's.... as if those Big Government fears were actually true and not just the GOP talking points of the day? Before Reagan we were conserving energy and becoming self sufficient. Was this the Big Government problem Reagan saved us from? Driving 55? The 1st thing Reagan did was take down the solar panels off the roof of the White House. Has Obama forgotten Ronnie got elected by manipulating a hostage situation? Deficits anyone? Trickle down economy?

Obama thinks that was what was needed then? Talk about Repug-lite! Or was he pandering to swing Conservatives? At any rate that stupid revisionist history statement puts me off him big time.

Edwards may not be perfect, but he is by far the best choice.

[Dogfur]

23. Edwards doesn't have the TV thing going in Northern Nevada

while his competitors are absolutely non-stop ads. It's not fair, but it's going to cost him.

[Divine Discontent]

24. that sucks, but thanks for telling us what's going on in northern Nev.

try to reach who you can and encourage them to support with a donation to Edwards. Like if you have a bunch of email addresses for people in that area you can send an email from you or anonymously saying if you're a Democrat or Independent and believe in worker's rights getting heard then consider donating today to John Edwards, as his grassroots organization is trying to raise him $7 million today to get the word out on ending the Iraq Occupation in just months, protecting workers rights, stopping the Mexican trucks from crossing the border like they are doing now, and stopping tax loopholes for the wealthy and corporations.


store.johnedwards.com or johnedwards.com/donate


LET'S DO IT FOR JOHN!

[Divine Discontent]

25. there is ALWAYS the chance fresh eyes don't know this -

TODAY is the day to donate to the grassroots effort to raise $7 million for John Edwards' campaign!

PLEASE spread the word in blogs, video comments, on the phone, in person, email - that John beats all GOP contenders in one-on-one polls, and he is fighting for the restoring of the USA's focus on workers being the reason America became great - this means protection of jobs, better pay, corporate repsonsibility, environmental protection, and of course, focusing on protecting our borders and that starts by ending the Iraq Occupation!

store.johnedwards.com or johnedwards.com/donate

GO JOHN, GO!

[Pierogi_Pincher]

34. Just donated.

Important thing to get hold of---contribution amounts made will be MATCHED! Excellent deal!:hi:

P_P

[desertflamingo]

28. $$$$$$ for Johnny E

going to donate right now. i don't have a job at the moment (temporary), but y'know what? if anyone but je gets the presidency my economic future will be far worse than it is now. i'll give him a few bucks and i'll skip a few meals in the next week or two. my country needs my last remaining bucks more than i do right now. go johnny go!!!

EDWARDS '08

[ClericJohnPreston]

32. Donated twice and going back again

because the third time is the charm ;)

[desertflamingo]

33. yup yup...

donated and yes, will donate again when i can.

EDWARDS '08:woohoo:

[whatdoyouthink]

36. Good News

Going to write to Las Vegas sun - with a big THANK You

If john gets his message - across MSN / Etc

Sure could not hurt - more thats for sure

Plus Just Donated today myself - thanks for reminder everyone...

Go Johny

[MaryRN]

40. Scott Galindez from Truthout wrote an excellent piece on all of them but..

his last sentence was: "It all comes down to turnout. And, remember, you read it here: John Edwards might just steal this thing."

[midnight]

45. Music to my ears.

[Borchkins]

41. I gave and I'm at the office!

[MaryRN]

42. HUGE crowds turning out for Edwards in LA and MSM not reporting...

Kos has lots of info.

[midnight]

43. The challege is to get heard!!!!! How do we call America a

Free country when we are blacking out the message of one of our leading candidates.

[Stuart G]

52. On the NBC Nightly News tonight...

There was a nice piece on Edwards trying to get heard. I hope everyone saw it.

[Plucketeer]

47. Hey! this guy's the energizer bunny of our party!

Has less to work with and does more with it! GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Johnny GO! :kick:

[Inkyfuzzbottom]

48. This is the first time

I've ever contributed to a campaign. Go John, GO!

[ronbo60]

50. Neither are the "first" woman or black man

Have we lost our sense of history? These two have the greatest chance of being elected - as a woman or a black man. But let's not misstate history. Some are so deluded that they think Ronald Reagan was a great agent of change worthy of praise. Dunderhead!

[PATRICK]

56. The concept is troubling in the evidence

The women's base is mainly significant in securing the Dem nomination, yet that vote too is split with hard lines. The black vote is split more than I think it may have ever been before. In both cases the theme of historic first is ringing very shallow.

How about the telling boundary line, black women? A chunk goes to Hillary, despite Oprah. What is exactly the depth of commitment to historical change either way? Is this another blur in the 'going center', big tent route that has a bell curve of excitement that makes good press but no exceptional political power as it would in other nations running an ethnic or female candidate who usually offer substantive and clear political change away from the establishment?

Is it related also to the troubling reality that we are already defending gender and race and political gaffes, misquotes or whatever instead of the crying issues of substance for the two "contest" candidates? The philosophical niceties of explaining Obama as a self-described Reagan charm change candidate- and the type of cabinet (Bush/Cheney neocon)horrors that a loose CEO style delegated into the WH. Hillary's clever/stolid/maladroit? forays into public speaking and hardnose campaign maneuvers lent by GOP advisers. What about arguing about the exciting, honest,closer to the bottom classes candidate who is attacked for being tough on renegade corporate crime and the constitutional crises unfaced as yet for the sake of strategies most favorable to the media run super contest- in order to avoid the real concerns of the majority?

There were reasons why women and minority candidates were welcome additions to flesh out the field. There are reasons now why they have become all important and the battle cries missing. In 2004 but for dean the muting would have been stifling too and a rather polite defeat more certain. Now, deceived into thinking 2008 is a cakewalk, the idea of crisis and mainstream dem populism has been buried in a shallow grave until the zombies supposedly stumble forth in significant, fraud defeating waves in November.

This is as harshly negative as I dare let myself become, not because of pointed resentment at the fine candidates Clinton and Obama, but at what this race is turning into, pointed in the direction that is far too compatible with GOP needs for unfair play, with cruelly ironic, too easily exploited vulnerabilities on supposed strong points. If kerry's war record could be destroyed in matter of weeks the weaknesses in strong areas for Hillary and Obama are being quite normally and easily decimated in rather tamely presented primaries where the involvement and excitement of the voters for some hope has never been greater.

Richardson, Biden, DK, etc. do represent what the one remaining populist suffer clinging to a life raft of reality while image frays and stumbles in its own self-willed insignificance at the top. Until the change we hope for is a dimming hope the candidate will change in office or the belated despair that we wanted at last to change our manner of candidate.

I want a very exciting, hard working people candidate whose campaign defense will lie in battles for us, the truth, a progressive, honestly Dem platform that will make solid and clear the mutual reliance all voters share with the new president and the work that must be done. Not defense on style, interpretation of slips, and other things unrelated really to anything necessary to lead this nation at this time in a real thrust for real, specified change.

There is a very distinct prospect of having a media powered blender of THREE faux GOP parties running this fall is very real with the Dem base tagging along for a possible knockout punch or a the recipients of yet another sucker punch. The center left sane business GOP, the independent center right GOP and the Bush crony GOP. ironically unrepresented and left in the mass of voters in play: Reagan conservatives, Dem bases(workers, minorities) and progressives, traditional republican, perhaps the Religious Right, and as the blandness and deceit and disillusionment increases just about any citizen with a brain and an awareness and a social commitment. How did it come to this, we might ask before the first ballot is switched or the first actual voter suppressed.

[Stuart G]

51. K & R and Donation

I gave to Edwards because he is the only candidate with a single payer, all inclusive health plan. He has been proposing this for a long time. Last Sunday, I saw SICKO for the first time... The Edwards program is the only fair, inclusive plan for all. John has said he will fight the insurance companies, and pill companies to get this type of coverage, the kind in UK, Canada, and France..described in this film
..For those without decent or any health insurance, I gave a donation...........

[Nutmegger]

53. R&K [n\t]

[LynzM]

55. K&R&D

Kicked, rec'd and donated! Here's the reply for the donation!

Dear friend,

Thank you so much for your support.

I never accept any money from lobbyists or PACs, so our victory depends on people like you pitching in. And that's the way it should be.

Your contribution will enable us to reach out to voters in living rooms, town halls, and on the airwaves. You're helping us build support for transformational change in early primary states and across the country.

Everywhere I travel, Americans are ready to join you and me in the great work ahead. To bring our message of real change to voters, we need offices in cities, organizers on the ground, and outreach materials to send in the mail.

Yes, the work of a national campaign comes at a cost, but truly changing America offers a far greater reward.

Thank you again for making all of this possible.

Sincerely,
John Edwards

[Misskittycat]

57. Just made another contribution. Got my T-shirt and bumper sticker

yesterday. BTW, it's a really cool bumper sticker.

[stravu9]

59. GOT TO LOVE THE MAN!

THE ONLY CANDIDATE FOR ME.

[otherlander]

60. Good for him.

I'm kind of tired of having white men for president, and I've wished for a long time now that we could have a woman or a black person for president for a change, and now we have a woman AND a black guy running, but the white guy turns out to be more anti-status quo than both of them. So... John Edwards for president. ¬_¬
Bah.

I mean, in the general election, I'll vote for whichever democrat gets the nomination, but I wish I could have supported a non- caucasianmale in the primaries.

[fooj]

61. Our voice will be heard.

[grytpype]

62. I just donated $250 to John.