Edwards Blames the Media for Burying His Message
In a final plea to voters before the Nevada caucuses, democratic contender John Edwards criticized the media for its coverage of his campaign.
"I think that the mainstream media has been telling America for over a year now that they only have two choices in this race," said Edwards during a rally in Las Vegas on Friday afternoon.
"This is the problem with the media telling people what they’re supposed to do and who they’re supposed to consider."
The former North Carolina senator complained his presidential bid hasn’t garnered the spotlight that his Democratic rivals Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., have received.
Clinton and Obama have raised more money than Edwards and have consistently remained ahead of him in state and national polls. Having finished second in Iowa and third in New Hampshire, and trailing in the polls in both Nevada and South Carolina, Edwards downplayed the importance of winning a state primary or caucus, but admitted he needs to do well to remain competitive.
"Sooner or later I have to get more delegates," Edwards admitted. "I honestly think it’s dependent on when I get heard in a relatively fair way. Because if I get heard, it will work. I absolutely believe, based on all the data, that people will be for me if they hear from me in a way that’s even remotely even with the other two candidates."
Edwards has been campaigning in Nevada for the past three days, speaking largely to labor crowds. While he’ll be campaigning in South Carolina on the day of the Nevada caucuses, he urged voters gathered today to caucus for Saturday.
"I want to say to every union member, including the union members who work in the casinos and the hotels and the restaurants, that I am the candidate who’s actually been in the back of these hotels and restaurants all over this country helping organize workers into unions," he said.
"Whatever your political leadership is trying to tell you to do, I ask every one of those union members to see who’s the person who’ll actually stand up for them, and caucus for them."
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Well, we all know who owns the biggest media companies; they are owned by big corporations, the same corporations that along with their lobbyists, Wall Street and the big wealthy individuals that have been running this country politics and economy for long time. Those people have been republicans all the way; but this time they are gambling and splitting their money and support between Hillary and Obama. They decided who is going to be our next President, he or she will be the person that offer to them the same old business and let them continue making huge profits at the expense of the vast majority of the American people. How can you understand the huge amount of money they are contributing to the Obama and Hillary campaigns? The same corporation with their power that blackout from the media access and airwaves any candidate that fight their greed. Those are the same corporation that written off big loses in the loan mortgages crisis while their CEOs leave with 80, 100 and 150 millions dollars severance packages!
Those are the same people that will do anything to stop Edwards or whoever try to oppose their power.
Posted by: Jim | January 18, 2008, 5:11 pm 5:11 pm
well said, jim. thanks so much for speaking up for us edwards supporters!
Posted by: lori | January 18, 2008, 7:18 pm 7:18 pm
I would love to see a woman as president, but Hillary is just another mouth piece for Bill to be back in the WH. She is not my idea of a “well qualified woman. Then, there is her habitual use of pork to benefit her personal interests. In any state of the union, misappropriation of funds is a crime. Not in Washington. It is pork.
Reporters ponder why the citizens of the US do not make platform an important issue. I ask, “Why wound anyone worry about issues, when you cannot believe a word that is uttered? Lack of trust worthiness, dedication to pork and self interests is primary. We cannot worry about issues, just which person is less likely to steal away our lands and freedoms. My son lives in the “Romney manditory insurance state”. The bill gives full power to the Insurance Companies to decide that his family of four policy must cost him $1000 per month because “THEY” decide he can afford it.
There is no choice? Where is the logic?
How can anyone afford that assessment on top of house payments, mtg taxes, fuel costs. I think Edwards made a great point in the NV debates when he asked Hillary and Obama what they thought the Insurance companies expected for thier contributions. It shows in Massachusetts and it will be everyones problem is they do not realize what power our representatives are granting to the Insurance companies.
Here in WV they assess road tolls to upkeep the highway. But misappropriation of those funds made it priority for the Dems to increase fuel taxes for road repair the first week they were in power. Why don’t they demand repayment of misappropriated funds?
We all know the answer. The only issue on our minds is how do we survive, despite the corruption in our capitals? It seems to me that someone would realize we have just about reached our saturation point for corruption. We are a sinking ship and we are soon going down if someone does not step up to the plate and “DEMAND” accountablility.
When Democrates can look into the camera with a straight face and say, the Billions of dollars in pork attached to a bill is nothing, then complain Social Security is failing, we need a reality check.
And while I am at it! Why does no one ask the Clintons about their Camen Is accounts or their investments in the Domican Republic?
Posted by: cjvwise1 | January 18, 2008, 8:40 pm 8:40 pm
I like John E. and will support anyone but Hillary. However, how many times can the press report on angry ramblings of “corporate america” He should have gone back to his 2004 theme of Two America’s. That massge flowed better and had a better following.
People now are turned off to his “corporate american” and “special interest” rants. Sure, he is correct but the avg. man or woman can hardly relate to anything that does not touch them directly.
Posted by: Chris | January 18, 2008, 8:50 pm 8:50 pm
We live in a pretend democracy when the second place candidate in Iowa still doesn’t get a share of the coverage. Yes, Obama and Clinton are favored to win because they represent less of a threat to corporate profits. Will the American people actually read the websites of all the candidates to see where they stand on the issues before they vote? I hope so. I did and it was very easy to choose John Edwards. His ideas make sense economically and not just short-term but to improve the economy for the long haul.
Posted by: Lydia | January 18, 2008, 11:58 pm 11:58 pm
Don’t be silly, there is no cabal. The media companies are just in it for the bucks like every other thing even remotely connected to the republicans. Therefor they focus on the most sensational story i.e. “A BLACK OR WOMAN PRESIDENT OMG!” because that’s going to draw the most viewers. And since all television is as unoriginal as it is capable of being every outlet reports the same things.
Posted by: Gordon | January 19, 2008, 8:01 am 8:01 am
It’s not a conspiracy, no, but if I were a conspiracy theorist I would be tempted. Even the article above is slanted
“Clinton and Obama have raised more money than Edwards and have consistently remained ahead of him in state and national polls. Having finished second in Iowa and third in New Hampshire, and trailing in the polls in both Nevada and South Carolina, Edwards downplayed the importance of winning a state primary or caucus, but admitted he needs to do well to remain competitive.”
Try this: In spite of beating Clinton (who is bankrolled by the oil and gas industries and big pharma) in Iowa, and coming in second to Obama (bankrolled by the nuclear power industry among others and according to Michael Moore with more money support from the health care industry and big pharma than even Clinton) John Edwards according to Pew received only one-fifth the media coverage in the week before New Hampshire. In spite of the news black out, tens of millions of voters across the country still are solid in their support for the insurgent candidate. The media defends this failure in their coverage by saying that the other two raised more money and that one is Black and the other a woman and the wife of a former President.
Changes the discourse, doesn’t it?
Posted by: Jackie | January 19, 2008, 9:53 am 9:53 am
Y’know, Ron Paul’s folks make the exact same complaint.
Posted by: The Bard | January 19, 2008, 1:24 pm 1:24 pm