Are disaffected Conservatives starting to like Edwards?

[FlyingSquirrel]

Exhibit 1: A GOP voter comes out of the woodwork on DU (then just as quickly back into hiding)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=4187137&mesg_id=4187798

Exhibit 2: Today's top Greatest thread talks about his "Fundie boss" whose Republican friend is also planning to vote for Edwards

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4204238

Exhibit 3: John Edwards is "All over the media" on Friday?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4200428

Pardon my cynicism, but I think it would take more than pressure from us lefties to get the media to decide to cover Edwards. Are some Conservatives also calling/emailing the media? Are some in high places reading the tea leaves and realizing that it might be time for a REAL change? That this voodoo economy has pretty much run its course and it's going to take a FUNDAMENTAL new direction to rebuild it once it crashes?

Or am I just being too hopeful?

Bring me down to earth please before my hopes go too high. The higher they go, the more it hurts when they get dashed.

[Prefer]

1. No - they already did

My disaffected Republican co-worker told me he crossed party lines and voted for Edwards in the last election primary.

[tritsofme]

2. He's certainly not attracting very many Democrats

Your evidence looks anecdotal and not particularly relevant to me.

[fasttense]

7. And you sir do not know what you speak of. n/t

[tritsofme]

8. Which part?

The part about him not attracting very much support among Democrats this cycle?

Or the part about some non-existent Republican surge in support for Edwards?

[FlyingSquirrel]

11. It's clearly anecdotal. However....

As you know, it's difficult to prove a negative, so you may be going a bit too far calling it a "non-existent Republican surge".

Would be nice if some kind of survey or poll could be done.

Oh, wait... I think some HAVE been done. They're the ones that all show Edwards beating the Republican nominee by greater margins than either Clinton or Obama.

[tritsofme]

12. Edwards' performance in polls against Republicans makes perfect sense.

Since his campaign has failed to catch fire, his campaign has not received the same scrutiny from that media that the Obama and Clinton campaigns have.

This means that in many polls Edwards serves as the "generic Democrat" which receives a greater measure of support than when you put an actual face to a candidate.

Were he to be thrusted into the limelight, his numbers would come right back down to earth.

[FlyingSquirrel]

17. I can, unfortunately, not find fault with your above logic.

But it opens up another can of worms, if true. It means all three of the top Democrats would have serious difficulties defeating the Republican nominee.

Has this country learned nothing?

[DJ13]

3. I personally find more and more conservatives are so pissed off at the GOP's candidate choices

that they really want a chance to vote for Obama in November.

Few conservatives want someone they consider a reactionary populist like Edwards, as his platform is a polar opposite to the conservative mindset.

However, I know of no conservatives who want anything to do with Hillary, and they would be inclined to hold their noses and support whoever the GOP nominates if she's their only alternative.

[Adelante]

4. He did best with the conservative vote in the Iowa caucus nt

[fasttense]

5. I think it's the wretched economy.

It his heading downhill very rapidly and the only person who has a vision of how a non-rabid capitalism, "non-free trade" economy looks like is Edwards.

I think even the filthy, idle rich have come to the conclusion that current free trade, supply side, economics has just eaten itself. Edwards is mesmerizing to them because he seems to have such a strong vision of a better economy, a better way to live.

[Occam Bandage]

6. Judging by the polling, no. His support has always been largely conservative,

and it hasn't risen significantly lately.

[Yael]

9. The middle class is waking up

they are starting to realize that they have been voting against their economic interests, and the headlines about this CEO jumping with his multi-million dollar platinum parachute, and that oil company raking in $x billion in profit while they are paying $3.00+ for gas isn't sitting well.

I think people of all stripes are paying attention in a way they haven't in elections past.

Record voter turnout backs me on this.

[RaleighNCDUer]

10. It's a complicated picture, but let's break it down.

Conservatives (despite whatever they say) do not vote with their heads. They vote republican because they are scared of Democratic socialism - voting on fear, against their own economic interests. They vote on 'values', as if thinking they cannot control themselves so they want someone to tell them what to do or not do. They are afraid of women. They are afraid of blacks.

So, if they DO decide to jump are they going to jump to the camps that are most in line with their economic policies (Clinton, Obama), or their values (Obama, Edwards) or who scares them least (Edwards).

I say Edwards. They don't, for the most part, really understand economic policy - self evident, or they would never buy into Reaganism - so they won't vote for someone who is most 'pro-business' or vote against someone who is 'anti-business' (though they may tell themselves that's what they are doing - many of them think Hillary is next thing to a commie). But they can SEE that Hillary is a female, and that Obama is black (and probably a Muslim), and acting on their own fears look to Edwards. And they will get the candidate who actually is best for them despite themselves.

That's not the way I want to get their votes, but I think that's how it will shake out, for the most part.

[tnlefty]

13. I'm sure that you're going to get some interesting responses.

My husband and I are having a lot of men (union) who voted for Bush** at least once inquiring about Edwards. They don't want to vote repub and are pissed that Bush** and his pubbies managed to trash the bill making it easier to organize. These are people who stopped voting for dems because of a certain trade agreement passed a few years ago, and there is absolutely no way they would consider Hillary.

They, like so many others, are feeling an economic pinch and are truly wanting to vote dem, and they're hearing Edwards talking about the middle class, the negative impacts of NAFTA, and his strong support for labor.

We've been telling them to get their asses to the polls to vote in this primary if they want to have a chance to vote for him in Nov.

Edwards will be in town Mon. then in Nashville later in the day and having a candidate here will mean a lot to some people even if they can't attend the event.

Remaining cautiously optimistic here :hi:

[stravu9]

14. Guns, God and Gays are not putting food on the table!

Time for Edwards!

[SammyWinstonJack]

15. ...

:thumbsup:

[stravu9]

16. thanks!

:patriot:

[SammyWinstonJack]

18. You're entirely welcome!

:-)