Hoe Lee Cow

I just watched Obama's speech in what appeared to be a packed arena in Wisconsin, and then I watched McCain's speech in what appeared to be a hotel ballroom. As someone else said, if you have a choice, don't ever follow Barack Obama. It was like a rock concert vs. CSPAN. Obama even sent a tingle up Chris Matthew's leg, or so he said.

Most thought Obama would win tonight's contests, but I don't think anyone predicted the margin of these victories and the degree to which Obama would cut into Clintons base. He won Latino voters. He won rich, poor and middle class. He won men. He won women. He won young and old, black and white. Wow. Just wow.

I got an email from Clinton's Georgia staff today, and it said this about Sen. Obama: "Senator Obama? No he can't." The problem for Sen. Clinton is that Obama has never argued that "he" can. He has repeatedly made the case that "we" can, and it the power of "we" that has inspired. It is his ability to convince people that, together, we can do this that fuels his momenteum.

You have to love a primary night that has analysists saying things like, "Republican turnout is way down again." And, "Obama could make states like Virgina competitive in November."

Virginia has voted Republican since Kennedy.

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Sweet News for Georgia Democrats

Is it possible that yesterday in Georgia, the "reddest of red" states, more people voted in the Democratic Primary than in the Republican contest? It looks like that's exactly what happened. Yesterday, in Georgia, according to the Secretary of State, with 94% of precincts reporting, 1,020,455 people voted in the the Democratic contest and 946,207 people voted in the the Republican primary. Unless there's a big block of uncounted votes out there, Georgia is looking more "purple" than usual.

Have a million+ people ever voted in a Democratic primary in Georgia? (Really, I am seriously asking that question. Has this ever happened before, in a primary, even when Democrats were in power?) And, don't start saying that we turned out more voters in the 2004 primary, too. This time, there was a hotly contested race on the Republican side. If I were a Republican "operative," I would be really, really worried about implications for the general, especially for state and local offices.

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Edwards in Middle Georgia: The Scoop

As I posted last night, Sen. John Edwards will be in Dublin on Sunday. At one o'clock, Sen. Edwards will speak at the downtown Farmer's Market in Dublin. He will be joined by his many Middle Georgia supporters, including the Democratic leaders of the Georgia House and Senate, Rep. Dubose Porter of Dublin and Sen. Robert Brown of Macon. The event is open to the public.

We are very excited that Sen. Edwards is returning to Middle Georgia, but no one should be surprised. Since the very beginning of this campaign, both he and Elizabeth have prioritized rural America, both in terms of policy and presence. Until very recently, with the exception of Sen. Edwards, if any of the Presidential candidates has been asked to draw a map of Georgia, there was a better than even chance that I-20 would've been the southern-most boundary. That's never been the perspective of the Edwards' campaign. Over the course of the last year, the Edwards' have visited Macon several times. They have been to our homes and our universities. Together, he and Elizabeth have spent more time outside metro-Atlanta than all of the other candidates combined, and to date, he is the only Democratic candidate to visit outside metro-Atlanta. (I understand that Obama will be here for the first time on Sunday, but the event is closed to the public: press and parishioners only.)

By the way, Georgians claim John Edwards as a favorite son. Edwards was raised in small towns in South Carolina, Georgia and North Carolina. As a child, Edwards lived in Thompson, Georgia. He "gets" the needs of rural America because he lived it. This is where his heart is. He is one of us, sharing both our experiences and our values. We're glad he's coming home to us on Sunday.

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Breaking: Edwards Headed for Georgia, Updated

Updated: Note Date and Time Change

Great news! On the heels of Georgia for Edwards' very successful canvassing trip to South Carolina this weekend, I just just learned that Sen. John Edwards will be in Atlanta this Saturday, January 19th, at 2:30 pm, for a campaign event, location TBA. On CNN yesterday, I heard Edwards say that he was planning events in February 5th states. This must be a part of that effort.

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Joe Trippi, John Edwards and the Politics of "We"

In December of 2006, Joe Trippi wrote an insightful piece on MyDD about the difference between the transformational politics of "we" versus the transactional politics of "me." Here's a portion:

All modern campaigns and transactional campaigns are built around a candidate who proclaims to the nation "Look at me -- aren't I amazing?". The Dean campaign (and any transformational campaign successful or not) was built around a candidate who proclaimed "Look at you -- aren't you amazing?"This strikes me as essential. More than ideology, or any other factor -- true transformational leadership can only come from a candidate who fundamentally gets that it isn't about him/her -- its about us. So in terms of 2008 is Hillary capable or realizing that she is not the center of the universe -- that the political world and even her own campaign does not revolve around her? Obama? Edwards? Who? Anyone?

Trippi was dead on the money in this analysis, and in the early stages of the his campaign, it was clear that John Edwards "got it." Last April, just days before Trippi joined the Edwards campaign,, I heard it in Edwards' powerful speech in Macon. Edwards spoke eloquently about how no one can do it alone, about how change does not happen in the Oval office so much as it happens in living rooms like the one we were standing in. "Together we can change this country" was his challenge to us, and at that point if John Edwards had asked me to pick up a shovel or pen a check, it would've been my pleasure to do either. The powerful "we"was evident in the structure of the campaign, particularly in the strong embrace of Web 2.0 and the One Corps program. I have no doubt that Edwards still "gets it," but sometime during the summer, even though he has continued to say "it's not about us [referring to the candidates] the message got muddy and Edwards-and all the other candidates both Democrats and Republicans-ceded the "we" message to Obama.

It is beyond ironic that Joe Trippi, who clearly understands the power of "we," allowed his candidate to move to "I will fight for you."

When the analysis of this primary season is done, I suspect that this change will stand out as one of the critical turning points. Ultimately, the candidate who wins the Presidency, will convince the American people that "we" are in this together, and that "we" need a leader who will help "us" fight to take our country back. John Edwards can take back the "we" message-it is authentically a part of who he is, but he needs to do it right now.

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Time: What Edwards Has Going for Him in Iowa

In Time, Mark Halperin offers a compelling list of seventeen things John Edwards has going for him in Iowa (and he doesn't even mention the Georgia delegation that will be heading out there to do whatever we can to help Edwards win-not just the Iowa caucus, but ultimately the White House-that would be 18). As Halperin correctly notes, increasingly the numbers tell us that Edwards is the best general election bet for democrats. Here's the whole list, Halperin dubs "The Millworker's Dozen."

1. The endorsement of the First Lady of Iowa.
2. The support (some secret) of people close to Governor Culver.
3. Big Labor help being quietly marshaled by one of Iowa’s top Democratic operatives and by Edwards’ 2004 campaign manager.
4. A consistently confident, upbeat demeanor.
5. A re-tooled stump speech that has audiences rising up, and that is filled with
specifics of his agenda.
6. Caucus rules that work to the advantage of those with strong support in rural and blue collar areas.
7. Dedicated supporters who will likely turn out even if the weather is cold and
inclement.
8. National trial lawyers who are going to do something (read: “everything”) to get their guy elected.
9. A popular, visible spouse.
10. More than enough money to be competitive.
11. Fearlessness.
12. A stronger work ethic than anyone in the race.
13. Perfect pitch in handling Clinton-Obama conflict.
14. A strong Des Moines Register debate perf.
15. New polling showing him as a strong general election candidate and some new boffo national media clips.
16. High favorables and strong second choice support.
17. Trained precinct captains in almost every precinct – a true, old-fashioned organization.

Imagine that. A truly grassroots campaign fueled by a simple, populist message that is resonating with voters and packing his events: "I will fight for you."

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Iowa's First Lady Will Endorse...

Today at a rally in Des Moines, Iowa's First Lady, Mari Culver, who had originally planned to stay quite in the presidential race, will endorse John Edwards and begin joining him for events throughout Iowa-a state where the Culver family has deep roots. The is great news for Edwards. In 2004, Culver's predecessor, Christie Vilsack, endorsed John Kerry just weeks before he won the Iowa caucuses.

In making her endorsement, Culver has this to say about Edwards:

"I think John is a winner. He's electable," she said. "He's been tested.
He's been on the national ticket before. The national polls show him beating all
Republicans in the general elections. He inspires me. I think he inspires other
Iowans, and I think he can really rally Americans in the fall."

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Will CNN Have the Guts to Ask This One?

Robert Parham, executive director of The Baptist Center for Ethics has submitted this question for the Republican YouTube Debate tonight. I hope they have the guts to ask the candidates this one!

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Elizabeth Edwards is Coming to Macon

Next week, on the day after the presidential primary debate in Nevada, Elizabeth Edwards will be in Macon for a fundraiser. Her timing could not be better.

John Edwards has had a great two weeks. On the heels of a stellar debate performance last week, he went up on air in Iowa and today received a key Iowa endorsement from Iowans for Sensible Priorities, a 10,000 member group. Saying that their choice to endorse Edwards over Obama came down to a choice for "courage over caution", group members are expected to caucus in mass for their endorsed candidate, John Edwards. It's important to note that while Clinton filled out the paperwork for the endorsement, the group's choice was between Obama and Edwards.

The invitation to the Macon reception for Elizabeth Edwards is below. If you would like to come, and I hope you will, you can make reservations on line on this secure site. Remember, because Sen. Edwards is accepting federal matching funds, your contribution of $250.00 will actually result in $500.00 to the campaign.

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Where Do Presidential Candidates Stand on Poverty?

If you live in Georgia, where 91 of our 159 counties are in "a state of persistent poverty", then you care about where the presidential candidates (of both parties) stand on this key issue. The Annie Casey Foundation has an interactive web page up that allows you to compare and contrast the candidates positions on this key issue. It's pretty neat, so give it a whirl.

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Driver's Licenses for Illegal Space Aliens?

After watching last night's debate, and hearing Kucinich claim to have seen a UFO, Richardson suggest (afterward) that perhaps the government is not coming clean on UFO's and Clinton say that she did and she did not think that illegal immigrants should get driver's licenses, I wonder whether the question for the next debate will be whether illegal space aliens should get driver's licenses for their UFO's? Perhaps we can use them as a defense against Iranian nukes?

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Oh, my God! I Agree With Albert Mohler

What a nightmare this election must be for "evangelical voters." More than once, I have written here about some ridiculous thing Dr. Albert Mohler, President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, has said. Today, I find myself sort of agreeing with at least one of his statements:

If a candidate cannot keep and honor marital vows, why should voters believe that he or she would show greater fealty to an oath of office?

Perhaps Dr. Mohler will join me in supporting John Edwards, fellow Christian who has been married, happily, to the same women for 30 years.

In Mohler's further assessment of the field, he expresses what must be keeping the religious right up at night:

Will the 2008 presidential race change this landscape? The three leading Democratic contenders are all married to their first spouses (though the Clinton marriage must be considered a thing unto itself -- in any event the public is hardly unaware of the complications.)

On the Republican side, the picture is very different. John McCain has been married twice, as has Fred Thompson. Both divorced their first wives and married younger women. In McCain's case, the divorce and remarriage took place many years ago. Thompson's is more recent. Meanwhile, Rudolph Giuliani is on his third marriage and the circumstances of his second divorce are certain to raise particular concerns, as is the fact that he lived for at least some time with a gay couple while between marriages. Did he think New York was in France?

Add to this the fact that Mr. Giuliani's adult son is, or at least has been, ardently opposed to his candidacy and it becomes clear that Americans are waking up to a new political culture. Among the three leading Republican candidates, only Mitt Romney presents a picture of marital fidelity, with his wife and five adult sons all eagerly supportive of his candidacy. Evangelical voters, who in recent cycles have seen the Republican Party as the party of family values, are left wondering what happened to the family values of its leading candidates and why the only leading candidate that represents the right family and marriage profile is a Mormon.

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Take the "Select-a-Candidate" Quiz

So, which Presidential candidate most closely reflects your on views? Take the quiz. You may be surprised by the answer!

Also, here, from The Heat is On, you will find a chart comparing the positions of the candidates (dem and repub) on the environment.

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Guest Post: Prominent Feminist Leader Endorses John Edwards

Melita Easters, a nationally known leader in the women's movement and in democratic circles, has announced her endorsement of Sen. John Edwards for President. Easters has devoted much time and energy to helping pro-choice democratic women get elected in Georgia and nationally. For President, her choice is John Edwards. Today, we are proud to feature a guest post from Melita Easters:

I am happy to support John Edwards because we share a similar heritage – he is the son of a mill worker and I am the daughter of a school teacher and a USDA worker who was street smart but reported to men with college degrees. We share the small town values of our childhood and the experience of leaving those small towns for life in more metropolitan areas. His daughter Kate and my two daughters are about the same age. John and Elizabeth Edwards are articulate advocates for the vision we share of what the America we pass off to our grand children to come can and should be.

It is hard for someone who grew up in a “Yellow Dog Democrat” household like me to see what has happened to Georgia under Republican control: a blatant disregard for children’s health care, ethical responsibility, open government and our precious natural and environmental resources. For Democrats to undo the damage of a Republican Governor and a House, Senate and PSC controlled by more Republicans, the down ballot races are critically important in 2008. The Democratic presidential candidate must be someone who appeals to all parts of Georgia – rural, urban and suburban.

John Edwards is that candidate. He understands the problems of rural towns who have lost industry to overseas competition. He understands the need for all children to have access to health care and a college education. He and Elizabeth are the epitome of integrity and ethics, true family values and a passion to make the world a better place so that others may have the opportunity to achieve as they have. It is important to have Edwards at the top of the ticket so that the candidates for state house or senate seats and local races have a candidate who will generate excitement and voter turnout. John and Elizabeth have already demonstrated a commitment to campaign in Georgia.

It is time for a presidential candidate who will not “write off” Georgia and the rest of the south coming in only to fundraise and then spend those dollars in other states. John is that candidate and his commitment to not just his own race, but to rebuilding the Democratic party in the south from the grassroots up is important to me and the women I and others are talking to about taking on and challenging Republican incumbents in 2008.

Melita Easters
Long-time activist in women’s and Democratic party circles

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Iowa SEIU Set to Endorse Edwards

Today, John Edwards was endorsed by the environmental group, Friends of Earth, and multiple sources are reporting that, tomorrow, the Iowa chapter of SEIU, along with other state affiliates, will endorse him. This is great news for the Edwards' campaign, providing important "boots on the ground" and other resources in key early states.

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New Poll: Edwards Handily Leads Giuliani, Thompson

Today, a new Rasmussen poll again confirms that John Edwards is the most electable of all the Democratic candidates, besting Giuliani by nine points, Thompson by ten points and attracting 50% support in their latest national telephone survey. Edwards has consistently out-preformed other Democrats in general elections match-ups. We have a unique opportunity-perhaps a once in a generation opportunity-to nominate the candidate who is both the most progressive and the most likely to win. You can help do just that by making a contribution today. Your contributions, up to $250.00 will be matched by federal election funds, so there's no better time to give.

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Stop the Madness: Act Now

Do you believe that presidential elections should be publicly financed? John Edwards does, and yesterday he took the courageous step of opting to accept federal matching funds for this election, and he's the only leading candidate to do this, and tonight, I'm asking you to show your support for that decision by making a contribution to his campaign.



That means, if you contribute to John Edwards for President today, up to $250.00 of that contribution will be matched, so $10 becomes $20 and $250 becomes $500. So, how about it? While Hillary Clinton continues to rake in the money from Washington lobbyists, the only money that's good in the Edwards campaign is yours and mine. Your small change can make a big difference, and you can contribute on this secure web page.

So many of my progressive friends have told me that they support public financing of elections. Well, now is the time to step up the the plate and show that you will support the candidate who agrees with you. If you contribute before midnight on Sunday, it will be counted in what is sure to be a strong third quarter fundraising total for Sen. Edwards.

I have found it interesting in that today, on some "progressive" blogs, the Edwards team has been assailed for this decision. Not a terribly progressive attitude if you ask me. After all, Edwards is opting into a system that was established in the wake of Watergate to help stem the tide of corruption in elections and return control of the process to citizens like you and me. It's time to stop the madness and support the candidate who is, once again, leading-in the only way that really matters. It's one thing to talk about big, bold change and quite another to actually embrace big, bold change-right now, this year, in this election. Isn't that the kind of leadership you are looking for in a president?

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Elizabeth Edwards: We Can't Wait

I am dedicating this video to Congressman Jim Marshall. Our kids can't wait, Jim.
By the way, it is worth noting that John Edwards has stayed competative in Iowa despite the fact that he is not up on television yet. Clinton, Obama, Biden and, to some extent, Richardson have all been up on air. When he goes up, watch what happens.

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For Those of You Who Want to Win....

I encourage you to read the article "Regaining the Rural Vote" in the National Review about what it's going to take to win, not just the Presidency, but seats in Congress in rural America.

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New Poll: Edwards Strongest Dem in Key States

How well I remember election day 2004. In the afternoon, we were elated as exit polls leaked indicating Kerry was well ahead in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Even Florida was within reach, or so we thought. I worked all day as a poll watcher in Bibb, and after the polls closed, Daryl and I headed toward Atlanta to watch the returns come in on the big screens with other dems. As the evening progressed, the early predictions fell apart, Ohio was colored red, we had lost another national election, and the three years that have followed have been worse than I imagined-and I knew it would be bad.

It was awful, and in November of 2008 I don't want a sequel. That's a key reason why John Edwards gets my support for President. While his policy proposals have been early and detailed, the truth is that all the leading Democrats are fairly close on policy. But, Edwards can win and has coattails in rural areas that help other Democrats-like Warner, Marshall and Barrow-win, too. For instance, a new SurveyUSA poll indicates that Edwards is the Democrat who is strongest in the critical swing state of Ohio. In 2004, a blue Ohio would've put John Kerry in the White House. Add states like Virginia to the blue team, and we just might acheive an electoral margin that would get everyone to bed-or to the party-by midnight.

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