Edwards Attacks Clinton for Leaving S.C.
EmailABC News’ Raelyn Johnson Reports: Campaigning in his birth state of South Carolina this afternoon, John Edwards leveled serious criticisms at Sen. Hillary Clinton — claiming he was more dedicated and electable than she is.
Claiming that he best understood voters’ lives in the Palmetto State, Edwards slammed Clinton for leaving South Carolina following Monday night’s Democratic debate.
"We need a president of the United States who actually understands your life," Edwards said. "It’s one thing to fly into South Carolina from some place else, give a speech, go to a debate and then fly back out," said Edwards speaking to voters in the town of Bennettsville. "It is a very different thing to have lived here to have grown up in this part of the country and to understand in a personal way what’s happening in your lives."
Clinton has left South Carolina in capable hands—her husband and former President Bill Clinton, who won the state ’92 and ’96.
Edwards continued, "Right after the debate she flew out and she’s been gone and she won’t be back until I don’t know — later in the week or until primary day. And the question is: if she’s not going to spend time here the week before the South Carolina primary, what do you think the chances are she’s coming back after the primary? And what are the chances she’s coming back when she’s president of the United States?"
Edwards has been campaigning in South Carolina since Saturday evening. He will be in the state through this weekend’s primary.
"You can’t just think you’re voting in this primary on Saturday and then it’s all over. We got a long way to go," said Edwards.
"It doesn’t do any good to nominate somebody who’s not going to win next November. We have to have a candidate who’s going to win next November."
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Eh, I’m about as down on Clinton as anyone, but I have to say I’m not impressed with this argument by Edwards. Every campaign makes its own tactical decisions about where to campaign and when. Besides, she left the other half of her candidacy behind in Carolina.
Posted by: Paul | January 23, 2008, 1:59 pm 1:59 pm
Meh. Obama flew out of NV even before voting started. He never went back to give a speach and in fact, never gave a speach to thank his supporters there. that is low class.
Bill is campaigning in SC for Hillary. She has every right to fly wherever she wants. In AZ 10,000 people turned up yesterday to see her in 24 hours notice. That is HUGE.
Posted by: Marie | January 23, 2008, 2:03 pm 2:03 pm
there you go. Clinton, who says she cares about blacks in south carolina, flys out to california to get an edge on obama, and leaves her husband to get the black vote in south carolina.
SEND HER A MESSAGE, WE ARE NOT AS STUPID AND YOU AND BILL THINK!!!!
VOTE OBAMA!!!
Posted by: pete | January 23, 2008, 2:13 pm 2:13 pm
Give it a break Edwards. Talk about the real issues and not where the other candidate goes. You can only be in one place a t a time and there are 22 states on Super Tuesday. What state will you be in.
Posted by: Mark | January 23, 2008, 2:19 pm 2:19 pm
can’t Edwards give up it’s obvious no one wants he,geez
Posted by: sean | January 23, 2008, 2:29 pm 2:29 pm
I think that Hillary is not there to downplay the State if, and when, she goes down to defeat. She is having it both ways with Bill there, it keeps Obama tied down but keeps the loss at arms length. I am sure they will be whispering to the media that this was only a black primary that she expected to lose.
Posted by: Keith | January 23, 2008, 2:36 pm 2:36 pm
“…NO ONE wants…Edwards???”
W R O N G ! I do – and a whole lot of other progressives! The media just do NOT want to give him some space.
I can’t agree with this tactic, but unless he can put together his OWN national broadcast company, he has to do extraordinary things to get any attention in our MSM!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Jackie | January 23, 2008, 2:45 pm 2:45 pm
there you go again, mark.
you doth protest too much! republicans fear edwards to the max. they KNOW he is tough to beat in NOVEMBER! listen up folks! go edwards!!!
Posted by: lori | January 23, 2008, 2:46 pm 2:46 pm
thank you —abc– for giving more coverage to edwards. you are becoming my favorite website for news
Posted by: lori | January 23, 2008, 2:49 pm 2:49 pm
I HOPE PEOPLE IN SOUTH CAROLINA REALLY THINK HARD ABOUT HILLARY BECAUSE SHES GOING TO GIVE THE DEMOCRATS ANOTHER LOSS THIS YEAR WHEN SHE TAKES ON JOHN MCCAIN HE IS GOING TO BEAT HER BAD .SHE DON’T THE EXPERICENCE THAT HE HAS I’M A REPUBLICAN TURNED DEMOCRAT BECAUSE BARACK OBAMA ME AND MY COLLEGE FRIENDS ARE SUPPORTING HIM WE WILL BE IN SOUTH CAROLINA SUPPORTING HIM FRIDAY. I HOPE HE WINS IF NOT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE JOHN MCCAIN PRESIDENT. I THINK SHE’S WINNING SO EASILY IS BECAUSE OF BILL CLINTON BUT I DON’T THINK HE KNOWS HE’S HURTING HER . IT’S HERS TO LOSE THATS ALL I HAVE TO SAY .IF BARACK OBAMA LOSES SOUTH CAROLINA THEN MOST LIKELY HILLARY WILL BE THE NOMINEE AND I WILL HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO SUPPORT MCCAIN. And mccain will win against hillary she has no military exp. She felled bills health plan for americans in the 90′s.
America is too divided right now blacks,whites women ,men ,rich,poor . The economy people are frustrated and hillary don’t present anything about change . She will fell like bush . Don’t vote for her.Trust me America
Posted by: JOSH | January 23, 2008, 3:15 pm 3:15 pm
Lori says..”republicans fear Edwards to the max”..,are you kidding? I’ve yet to hear a Repub mention his name, I doubt they even know he’s running.
Posted by: JR | January 23, 2008, 3:16 pm 3:16 pm
Hillary or Edwards 2008.
If it’s Barack, I’m voting Republican.
Posted by: PTC | January 23, 2008, 4:04 pm 4:04 pm
jr think again– from google–
Who is the Democratic candidate Republicans fear most? Options … The only real candidate for “change” is Edwards. Big business fears Edwards
– don’t be fooled, the repubs cause hype over hillary because they want her to be the candidate because they know they can win over her. they hope edwards does not get it because he is the only one that will have the guts to undo all of this big business tangled mess the repubs have been nurturing for big money
Posted by: lori | January 23, 2008, 4:13 pm 4:13 pm
Be prepared to say Madame President, Hillary has shown Obama is no where close to being presidiental material, Latinos will out vote blacks, adn surprize Hillary wins South Carolina
Posted by: Steve | January 23, 2008, 4:29 pm 4:29 pm
As a woman, I am not sure I want a woman as President of the United States, if she can’t stand on her own two feet. I was initially under the impression that HRC would be campaigning on the issues and on her own to really show that a woman is just as good as a man. THIS ONLY SHOWS THAT A WOMAN CAN’T BE COMPETENT W/O A MAN DOING HER BIDDING. I’M DISAPPOINTED IN HER TACTICS. SHE SHOULD RETIRE HER HUSBAND TO THE BACKGROUND AND FIGHT THE BIG BOYS TOE TO TOE, W/O INPUT FROM HER HUSBAND…
Posted by: antiprocrastination | January 23, 2008, 5:44 pm 5:44 pm
First of all Obama left Nevada and went home before the polls closed there and could not even bother to thank his supporters. Did Edwards comment on this? NO.
Second of all Hillary will be back in SC tomorrow but is spending time fundraising and picking up endorsements all over the country (same as others have done and are doing) as she is running a 50 state strategy campaign.
Posted by: Eric | January 23, 2008, 5:52 pm 5:52 pm
We can open all our eyes to the truth about Hillary and Bill Glinton. Just roll back history to 1996. Ron Paul saved all our buts, all voters and children alike.
Posted by: Lucien Beauley | January 23, 2008, 6:05 pm 6:05 pm
Posted by: PTC,
We feel the same regarding Hillary. Edwards we will take, but Hillary we refuse.
Posted by: Steve,
You better check and compare Lation vote rate against Hispanics. If she wins it will be on White votes, blacks that refuse to accept living in the future and then the illegals…..
But of course, come Nov. logical minded Dems. will join the Repubs. and defeat that witch. That is what you better get used too.
Posted by: Donald | January 23, 2008, 6:24 pm 6:24 pm
Why can’t people get their heads around the fact that HILLARY is running for President. Hillary happens to have a husband – Bill – who happens to be an ex-President. So Bill is doing what any ex-president would do.
If Michelle Obama was a former president, she’d be doing the same thing, and that would be acceptable.
Hillary might not end up being the winning candidate, but, she should not lose because her husband happends to be a former President who is being vocal- which is what any former president would be.
Posted by: joan | January 23, 2008, 6:48 pm 6:48 pm
I have never ever seen two in one. this was not done when Andera Ghandi, The iron woman Margaret Thatcher, Barbara Prammer of Austria, Ruth Dreifus of Switzerland. Except for Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, Sri Lanka whose husband was a president before her.
Posted by: topov | January 23, 2008, 6:58 pm 6:58 pm
topov forgot Michelle Bachelet from Chili, Kristner from Argentina and the lady from Liberia. But all of these women were elected by fighting for themselves without a support of their men. In the case of Hilary it is Bill who is the candidate really.
Posted by: BKM Camara | January 23, 2008, 9:18 pm 9:18 pm
topov forgot Michelle Bachelet from Chili, Kristner from Argentina and the lady from Liberia. But all of these women were elected by fighting for themselves without a support of their men. In the case of Hilary it is Bill who is the candidate really.
Posted by: BKM Camara | January 23, 2008, 9:18 pm 9:18 pm
If you think Bush II was bad wait until Clinton II. Isn’t it time for change. Anyone, but Hillary!
Posted by: KMR | January 23, 2008, 10:58 pm 10:58 pm
edwards is the way to go/ lets get away from bush/clinton dynasty thinking
we need a real chance to win in nov
edwards/obama– season obama for the next round
Posted by: lori | January 23, 2008, 11:35 pm 11:35 pm
to BKM Camara
I think they are not together any more since eight years ago. Perhaps they remarried before this elction.
Posted by: dennis | January 23, 2008, 11:37 pm 11:37 pm
Posted by: joan,
And why can’t Hillary get her head around the fact that if she wants to be seen as a strong and competent woman; especially a woman capable of taking on the Repubs. that she need to do her own fighting. In other words, she should dump Bill.
One minute she is strong and capable. The next she is some Shrinking Violet, breaking down over some SIMPLE question. Finding her voice? Please. She couldn’t stand the heat, that is what that was about…..And don’t think people haven’t noticed she is hiding behind Bill and letting him do all the dirty work – b/c it might hurt her image.
I’m sorry but that doesn’t work for me. Is get in this contest for yourself and prove yourself worthy or get out. We all knew Bill would eventually step in, but this SOON. And in the manner he has? I’m sorry but I have loss ALL respect for him and her.
As for helping her, that’s fine. But, former heads of states don’t run around screaming their heads off – while campaigning for someone. Did Bush 1 do that for Bush 2? That is just more evidence that she cannot stand on her own.
Posted by: Jacqi | January 24, 2008, 2:02 am 2:02 am