Rather: Watch Edwards

Rather: Watch Edwards

Jan. 23, 2004



Kerry's Got The Mo'


Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., laughs during a town hall meeting in Portsmouth, N.H. Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2004. (Photo: AP)



Kerry is hot, but Edwards may be on fire.
Dan Rather
CBS News Anchor


The latest from CBS News reporters and analysts on the 2004 campaign:

Edwards the One to Watch?
By Dan Rather

What Ails Joe & The Gen.?
By Jarrett Murphy

Kerry's Military Advantage
By David Paul Kuhn

Defending Dean's Scream
By Dick Meyer

Dems Beat Up On Bush
By David Paul Kuhn

Clark: Paper Or Plastic?
By Jarrett Murphy

Anatomy Of A Caucus
By David Paul Kuhn

The Road From Iowa
By Dick Meyer

Why Kerry Won In Iowa
By Monika McDermott

Carter-Kennedy Redux
By Dotty Lynch

Wes Clark: Friend Of Bill
By Bonney Kapp


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More campaign news:

Washington Wrap

Daily Campaign Schedules

Primary And Caucus Calendar

CBS News Polls

Campaign 2004 Interactive

Campaign Roadblog

Video: 'The Kids On The Bus'







(CBS) CBS News Anchor Dan Rather took a break from anchoring the Evening News to do a little political punditry. And he sees a rise in N.C. Sen. John Edwards' political fortunes.
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The press herd has thundered toward Kerry. With good reason: New England regional favorite Senator John Kerry, from neighboring Massachusetts, roared into New Hampshire fueled by his hard-won, upset first-place showing in Iowa. The herd loves a frontrunner so, true to form, hoof beats abound around Kerry now.

By any objective analysis, Kerry is the candidate of the moment. He deserves to be. He earned it. But if you’re looking for the candidate of the next moment, you might want to keep your eyes on Senator John Edwards.

Edwards’ showing in Iowa was at least as impressive as Kerry’s; perhaps more so, when one considers that Edwards had less money, less organization, and came from further back in the polls.

Now, reports from various experienced political observers in widely separate sections of New Hampshire report that Edwards’s popularity seems to be growing. This has not, at least not yet, been reflected by any big jump in the polls. Stay tuned and watch closely, though, because an Edwards surge may soon materialize.

Retired General Wesley Clark was perceived as flat in the polls before the candidates’ joint appearance — called a “debate” — Thursday night. Given what is widely considered to have been Clark’s lackluster appearance in that event, his poll numbers could very well flatten out even more or suffer an outright drop.

Some independent observers think that whatever Clark might lose, Edwards could very well gain. And then there are the high number of “undecideds” still remaining in New Hampshire (17 percent as of Friday, comparable to numbers at a similar time before Iowa) — an ample reservoir of voters for a possible Edwards surge.

Certain features of Edwards’s campaign — his “likability” rating in polls, his emphasis on words such as “optimism,” “hope,” and “the future,” and his refusal to attack his fellow Democrats — are reminiscent of Ronald Reagan’s winning strategy.

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http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/01/23/politics/ma...

he is on fire, packed at least 1,100 people into the school gym, they even had an overflow room and people turned away at the door.

A Kerry/Edwards ticket would be first class!

Yes I saw the meet up..when one place filled, John spoke to hem, while Elizabeth went to another location in the building and spoke to the one who couldn't get in to hear John, then John went over to the second group.

Some one here giving a poll number of 9% and falling, can't believe that after all the people who spilled over from this one meeting. I believe he will be second or a close second and who knows, he may be pushing for first as he was in Iowa.