New Poll: Edwards Leads Top Republican Candidates

A brand new Rasmussen Poll is good news for John Edwards. The survey of 800 likely voters, conducted March 26-27, showed:

Survey of 800 Likely Voters
March 26-27, 2007

John Edwards (D) vs. John McCain (R)
John Edwards (D) 47%
John McCain (R) 38%

John Edwards (D) vs. Mitt Romney (R)
John Edwards (D) 55%
Mitt Romney (R) 29%

In addition, among those surveyed, Edwards enjoys high favorability. Rasmussen says:

Senator Edwards is now viewed favorably by 57% of voters, including 53% of men, 61% of women. Thirty-five percent (35%) have an unfavorable opinion.

That's also the best showing for Edwards so far. Like other top-tier Democratic candidates, the Senator's unfavorable rating had lately been almost as high as his favorable rating. In mid-March he averaged 47% favorable, 45% unfavorable in our surveys (with the same ten-point discrepancy between men and women).

Last week, Edwards also had a strong showing in a Georgia Insider Advantage Poll. He and Hillary Clinton were the top two choices of those surveyed, with Edwards only four points behind Clinton, and within the margin of error for the poll.

This is cross-posted at Georgia Women VOTE!

Not for the Faint of Heart

Check out the editorial, Edwards Justified in Staying in Race that appeared today in the AJC. Here's an excerpt:

In the Edwards family's case, CBS news anchor Katie Couric repeatedly questioned the couple in a recent interview about their joint decision to continue the campaign. (Couric, by the way, had made a similar decision in her own life, deciding to continue co-hosting the popular "Today" show in 1998 as her husband fought and eventually lost a battle with colon cancer.)
"Here you are, facing death. ...," Couric said at one point, trying to raise the issue one more time. But she was interrupted in midsentence by Elizabeth Edwards, who posed a question of her own.

"Aren't we all, though?" she asked.

No one could have said it better.

Guess Who's Coming to Macon?

Sen. John Edwards is scheduled to be in Macon for a fundraiser on April 14th. To the best of my knowledge, Sen. Edwards will become the first of the Democratic candidates for President to visit Middle Georgia. Details will follow shortly.

This is cross-posted at Georgia Women VOTE!

Edwards' Announcement

Georgia Leaders Endorse Edwards

Tune in to 60 Minutes tonight to see John and Elizabeth Edwards' first interview since announcing her diagnosis. They want you to know that the show may be delayed because of the UNC game, and that they will be watching, cheering on the Tar Heels, as always. Tune into CBS at (about) 7 PM.

Over the weekend, I saw a CNN story about Edwards challenging the other candidates on healthcare, and a story about Hillary Clinton having a fundraiser where she expected to snag a cool two million. That's quite a juxtaposition. Edwards is increasingly viewed as the candidate with a detailed, workable platform on issues that the average American cares about. No wonder Georgia leaders, like Gov. Roy Barnes and Shi Shailendra have already announced their support for Edwards.

This is cross posted at Georgia Women VOTE!

Send a Note to John and Elizabeth

There is no need to rehash here the news of the day. Many people have asked what they can do to help. First, let John and Elizabeth know that you are standing behind them with prayers and support. Click here, and you can send a note to John and Elizabeth.

Second, we can volunteer for the campaign. There are many opportunities-literally something for everyone. Check the Edwards Web site, and sign up today.

This is cross-posted at Georgia Women VOTE!

Please Let This Be Good News, Not Bad

CNN is reporting that Sen. John Edwards cut short a campaign trip to Iowa in order to accompany his wife, Elizabeth, to a doctor's visit. The visit followed a routine test preformed earlier. Elizabeth Edwards, a breast cancer survivor, has been in good health for some time. John and Elizabeth Edwards will hold a news conference Thursday to discuss her health. Our prayer tonight is that this is good news, not bad news.

Cross-posted at Georgia Women VOTE!

Why Target Edwards?

Republican mouthpieces like Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh have their marching orders , and they have their sites trained on John Edwards. Why? Because he is the candidate they do not want to face in 2008.

Edwards presents quite a dilemma for the Republicans. In his personal and his professional life, he has lived the 'family values' they only preach. No wonder they are targeting him.

Poverty is a National Security Issue

The New York Times has this to say about John Edwards' position on poverty:

More than any of the presidential candidates, John Edwards has come up with a specific and plausible plan that provides for health care coverage for all Americans. And he followed that up yesterday with an excellent speech on poverty at home and abroad, with some good and specific ideas.
For starters, he said he would appoint a cabinet secretary for global poverty efforts and hold a worldwide summit on improving sanitation and drinking water. At a time when global poverty is justifiably gaining increased visibility and resonance, these are excellent ideas. Edwards also urged a big U.S. push for primary education around the globe, and he's right that that should be an absolute priority.

Edwards if the First to Respond to DFA on Iraq

Edwards has made it his business to lead on important issues. Check out his response to DFA on Iraq:

Edwards in Atlanta Today

I understand that John Edwards is visiting Atlanta today for a lunch time fundraiser. Tom Baxter with the AJC points out that Atlanta is a hot stop for fundraising because of the concentration of people with high net worth.

Presidential candidates figure that they will need to raise a minimum of 150 million dollars for the primary, a stark reality that makes fundraising the centerpiece for a candidate who actually hopes to win in 2008. No one likes it- not the candidates, not the donors and certainly not the 'grassroots' supporters who often do not get time with candidates because they are not able to write the big checks.

This is especially true in Georgia. As we have become more and more 'red,' we have become more and more politically irrelevant for the Presidential candidates on both sides of the ticket. They tend to come here to pick up checks, not to pick up votes. Used to be that we were at least important as a primary state, but with other states like New York, California, South Carolina, Nevada and others rushing to the front of the line for primary dates, that race may also be over before the first vote in cast in Georgia. We are, unhappily, an export state.

That's the political reality, and we can either wallow in our frustration over that situation or we can get our hands around the idea that in many ways, the state line not a barrier to helping the candidate you favor win next year. Yes, even Georgians can have an impact on who becomes our next President.

Here are some things that we can do:

1) The Net knows no boundaries. Get involved in the Edwards' E-Team or Citizen Journalist program.

2) Volunteer with One Corp or Democrats Work. By becoming engaged in the community, you have the ability to break through stereotypes and influence public opinion about Democrats on the state and national level.

3) Phone lines and e-mail reach beyond state lines. Get ready to volunteer to make phone calls to voters in 'swing' states or in early primary states. Many campaigns engage in just this sort of strategy as election day draws near.

4) Give. Until we have comprehensive campaign finance reform and public funding of elections, don't kid yourself- the money matters. Whether you are a regular political giver or someone who has never written a candidate a check before, now is the time. Think of it this way. When you donate to a candidate, what you are paying for is voter communication. You are helping them to get their message out. If you believe in your candidate, and believe that if only others could hear what they are saying, they would believe in them, too, it's time to get out the ol' checkbook. Some people don't write a check because they feel that their gift will be small and therefore insignificant. That's not the case. Trust me, when you are in the heat of battle, every dime matters. Many candidates I know treasure those $10 and $20 contributions the most because they know that the person who writes that kind of check is likely to be a loyal voter.

Edwards Leads-Again

John Edwards is making leading on tough issues a habit. He was the first presidential candidate to call for universal health care and to put forward a comprehensive plan to make it a reality. He was the first to apologize for his vote to authorize the war in Iraq, and the first to say that we need to get out troops out of Iraq. Now, today, after months of political "if I had known then what I know now" double-speak, Hilliary Clinton is also calling for a March 2007 time line for withdrawal.And on Thursday, Edwards was the first candidate to pull out of the Nevada presidential debate because it was sponsored, in part, by Fox News. His principled stand on this and other issues could've come with a big price tag- he could've been the only candidate to miss the debate in this key early primary state of Nevada. But sometimes when you do the right thing, others ultimately follow, and on Friday, the Nevada Democratic Party pulled the plug on the debate, pointing to the participation by Fox. Edwards has the strength of character, the courage and the vision to lead on all of these issues. I want a leader to be President, not a politico who checks a poll and then decides what he believes.

Georgia Democrats Work/One Corps Event This Saturday

A friend of mine signs her emails "Be the change you want to see in the world." In Georgia, you have an opportunity to do just that this weekend by participating in a Democrats Work-One Corp event this Saturday, March 10th at Sweetwater Creek State Park. This is a great opportunity to join with other Democrats to make a positive difference in the community. If that's not enough incentive, I should tell you that there are free tee shirts involved. Learn more and RSVP here.

Thanks to Thomas Bates, executive director of Democrats Work, for this information.

One Corp is an initiative of the Edwards campaign. Learn about how the online community can help bring about real world action. Join today!

An Excuse to Cut Kids' Benefits

Georgia Republicans have played their hand and have made it clear that they welcome the PeachCare funding crisis as an "opportunity" to give the program a new "look." That "look" will include reduced access to healthcare services for many of Georgia's children. Make no mistake, this is an issue of priorities, not necessity. Will we be able to save PeachCare in Georgia? Probably not in its current form. One Republican blogger opined today that "At Least It Is Happening This Year." I suppose he is hoping that voters will forgive and forget. We can't afford that luxury- too much is at stake.

As John Edwards has said, it is time to advocate for access to healthcare for all Americans. His bold, well thought out plan sets the standard for other candidates. You can read it here.

Despicable

Despicable is the only word I can find that even approaches Ann Coulter's remarks about John Edwards. These remarks were made on Friday to a large audience of The American Conservative Union. Vice President Dick Cheney was in attendance and that bastion of moral authority, Mitt Romney introduced Ann. The clip is below, and I urge you to vote with your pocketbooks on this one. In Ann's "honor," I'm going to donate $100.00 today to Edwards for President. Won't you do the same? Just click here.

Georgia Makes Case for Public Funding of Elections

Senator Cecil Staton, who seldom comes up with an idea I don't oppose, has hit a new low, if that is possible, with SB179, a bill that would allow utility companies in Georgia to contribute directly to political candidates, with the exception of the PSC race. That's just what we need. (You do recall Pipe-gate, don't you? The proposal to have tax payers foot the bill for natural gas pipeline across the state to the tune of, what was it 30 million. Yep, we need legislators thinking about their campaign accounts when considering that kind of bill.)

This points out why when I heard John Edwards propose that elections should be publicly funded, it made so much sense. It does not de-democratize the system. What it would do is level the playing field so that those who have money and those who do not both have greater access to the political process.