Vote '08

Back When We Mattered

The answer to our trivia question posed here: John Edwards & Mike Huckabee were the two candidates who stopped in Chattanooga, during primary season. Edwards was here on a Monday; by that Friday, he had dropped out of the race. Huckabee, as you know, stayed in for much longer.

Read our posts on Edwards’ visit here & here. Read our post on Huckabee’s visit here.

Where are they now? One candidate is disgraced after admitting to an affair, & his political career is likely over. The other hosts a talk show & is a viable presidential candidate for 2012. Do I really need to tell you who is who?

This Blog’s 1st Post…

..was about Fred Thompson’s decision to drop out of the race. Read it here.

We’re not going to name names - we’d be bound by journalistic ethics to list all local contributors, which we don’t have time for - but the names are available in the public record, & this site has them.

Total contributions to John Edwards’ presidential campaign in 2008 from Chattanooga residents in 2007/2008: $8221

Here are the 11 donors who gave over $200:

Photographer, Olan Mills - $4600

Trial Lawyer - $1000

Self-employed Development Consultant - $500

Retired Male - $305

Chickamauga Lock Operator - $300

Retired Female - $300

Unemployed Male - $250

Agrifos Fertilizer Inc. VP - $250

IT Guy at Unum Group - $250

Retired Female - $230

Retired Male - $216

This purpose of this post is not to ridicule the donors; regardless of your party, these folks deserve your sympathy. They believed in a man who turned out to have feet of clay.

By the way, 1175 voters in Hamilton County chose Edwards in the February presidential primary. 

From ABC News:

Sen. Hillary Clinton would be the Democratic presidential nominee if John Edwards had been caught in his lie about an extramarital affair and forced out of the race last year, insists a top Clinton campaign aide, making a charge that could exacerbate previously existing tensions between the camps of Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama.

“I believe we would have won Iowa, and Clinton today would therefore have been the nominee,” former Clinton Communications Director Howard Wolfson told ABCNews.com.

Clinton finished third in the Iowa caucuses barely behind Edwards in second place and Obama in first. The momentum of the insurgent Obama camaign beating two better-known candidates — not to mention an African-American winning in sucn an overwhelmingly white state — changed the dynamics of the race forever.

Obama won 37.6 per cent of the vote. Edwards won 29.7 per cent and Clinton won 29.5 per cent, according to results posted by the Iowa Democratic Party.

“Our voters and Edwards’ voters were the same people,” Wolfson said the Clinton polls showed. “They were older, pro-union. Not all, but maybe two-thirds of them would have been for us and we would have barely beaten Obama.”

…

Wolfson said the Clinton campaign was aware of the issue, but did not try to fan the flames.

“Any of the campaigns that would have tried to push that would have been burned by it,” said Wolfson.

 …

Wolfson’s contention is not shared by the Obama campaign, whose officials never bought the argument that Clinton was the second choice of Edwards voters. Immediately after Edwards dropped out of the race at the end of January, Obama won eleven straight contests in a row.

Edwards ruined it for Clinton? I don’t buy it. What do you think?

p.s. Tune in to NewsChannel 9 at 6 tonight - we are attempting a story on local folks who donated money to the Chattanooga campaign.

From ABC:

“John Edwards repeatedly lied during his Presidential campaign about an extramarital affair with a novice filmmaker, the former Senator admitted to ABC News today.

In an interview for broadcast tonight on Nightline, Edwards told ABC News correspondent Bob Woodruff he did have an affair with 44-year old Rielle Hunter, but said that he did not love her.

Edwards also denied he was the father of Hunter’s baby girl, Frances Quinn, although the one-time Democratic Presidential candidate said he has not taken a paternity test.

Edwards said he knew he was not the father based on timing of the baby’s birth on February 27, 2008. He said his affair ended too soon for him to have been the father.

A former campaign aide, Andrew Young, has said he was the father of the child.”

Guess we know who’s not on the VP short list anymore..

& just imagine how the race would have changed if this came out while Edwards was the Presidential nominee. The race would be completely over.

What do you think?

UPDATE: Here’s the Nightline interview:

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Chattanooga Edwards fans, consider yourselves lucky.

From the AP: DENVER - The Associated Press has learned that Democrat John Edwards is leaving the presidential race. Two advisers say Edwards has notified a close circle of senior advisers that he plans to make the announcement today in New Orleans. Edwards ran a campaign that steered his rivals toward progressive ideals — even as he dealt with family hardship, & his wife’s cancer diagnosis.

This is a surprise. Edwards was widely expected to stay in the race at least until Super Tuesday. His delegates could have made a huge difference at a brokered convention.

ABC News has more here. The “money quotes” are at the end:

Edwards has not publicly said who he will throw his support behind, though he has had private conversations with both Clinton and Obama in recent days.

In a recent interview with ABC News’ David Muir, Edwards adamantly shot down any desire to again be a vice presidential candidate.

Here’s Barack Obama’s statement on Edwards:

“John Edwards has spent a lifetime fighting to give voice to the voiceless and hope to the struggling, even when it wasn’t popular to do or covered in the news. At a time when our politics is too focused on who’s up and who’s down, he made a nation focus again on who matters: the New Orleans child without a home, the West Virginia miner without a job, the families who live in that other America that is not seen or heard or talked about by our leaders in Washington. John and Elizabeth Edwards have always believed deeply that we can change this — that two Americans can become one, and that our country can rally around this common purpose. So while his campaign may end today, the cause of their lives endures for all of us who still believe that we can achieve that dream of one America.”

& this is an AP story on Clinton’s reaction:

DENVER (AP) - Hillary Rodham Clinton says John Edwards called her to let her know he was bowing out of the race for the White House.

Edwards’ decision to drop out could be a boost to the New York senator. A recent Associated Press-Yahoo poll suggests four out of 10 Edwards supporters will switch over to the Clinton camp, compared to a quarter who say they prefer Barack Obama.

Both Clinton and Obama would welcome Edwards’ backing and the support of the 56 delegates he has collected. But, Edwards has no immediate plans to endorse either of them.

Obama heaped praise on Edwards, saying he has “spent a lifetime fighting to give voice to the voiceless and hope to the struggling, even when it wasn’t popular to do.” Aides say Obama asked for Edwards’ endorsement last night.

So what does this mean going forward? One thing’s for sure: Thursday night’s California debate just got a heckuva lot more interesting.

Here’s the latest on Rudy Giuliani, expected to bow out today:

Two New York lawmakers say Rudy Giuliani has told them he will drop out of the presidential race and endorse Senator John McCain.
The two New York state Republicans say they got calls from Giuliani about his plans. Congressman Peter King, a Giuliani adviser, says he expects Giuliani will be “fairly active for McCain.” Giuliani, who once led the GOP pack, bet and lost on Florida. After heavy campaigning in the state, the former New York mayor placed a distant third in yesterday’s primary.
He’s heading to California, where Republican presidential candidates are scheduled to debate at the Reagan presidential library in Simi Valley. Party officials say that’s where he’ll announce his backing for his longtime friend.
McCain, who is himself heading to the Golden State, spoke glowingly of Giuliani yesterday, thanking him for being an “inspiration” to the Arizona senator and to millions of Americans.

What do Edwards & Giuliani’s departures mean for either party? Will Rudy’s support help McCain? Whom will Edwards endorse? Post a comment with your thoughts!

John Edwards has come & gone!
Here’s a link of how the crowd was warmed up before he got there.

Here’s video of Edwards arriving at the IBEW.

Here’s the 1st part of his speech.

Here’s the 2nd part of his speech.

Here’s the 3rd part of his speech.

& here’s his departure.

Kudos to NewsChannel 9 backpack journalist & web master Richard Simms, who shot the footage and uploaded it to NewsChannel 9’s main website from the event.

Tonight on NewsChannel 9 at 5:30, NewsChannel9’s Kim Fields reports extensively on Edwards’ visit. You’ll also hear Ted Kennedy endorse Obama, get a rundown of where things stand in Florida, and hear how many people in Hamilton County have already voted early! I hope you’ll tune in!

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OTHER AFTERNOON CAMPAIGN NEWS:

The group Tennessee Right to Life endorses Mike Huckabee for President: “Our members recognize Mike Huckabee as ‘one of us’ and that enthusiasm is driven by his demonstrated record of leadership and sacrifice toward the shared cause of protecting life.”

Author Toni Morrison, who famously first called Bill Clinton “the first black president,” has endorsed Barack Obama. For those keeping score, the Kennedys (Caroline & Ted), Oprah, and now Morrison are in the Obama camp. Quite a lot of buzz in the newsroom this morning about the eloquence of Caroline’s New York Times endorsement. But the Wall Street Journal breaks down poll numbers in the bigger super Tuesday states that show Hillary Clinton still has the advantage.
Tune in to Vote08 tomorrow for a preview of the Florida primary!

The Tennessee Valley gets its first up-close glimpse of the 2008 Presidential campaign today. John Edwards appears at the IBEW Local 175 at 3922 Volunteer Drive at 11:15 a.m.

Directions: Take the Bonny Oaks exit off of 153 & head towards downtown Chattanooga (west). Take your 1st left onto Industry Drive & then another left onto Volunteer Drive.

Recapping what I said this weekend: There are two ways for candidates to make an impact on a local market like Chattanooga: a) buy ads in local media, and b) visit. Edwards’ 3rd place standing means he doesn’t have as much cash as his rivals, so he’s opting for b).

He’s scheduled for an event in Nashville at 1:30 CST, which is 2:30 EST. Assuming he’s on schedule (as one never should) that means we’re looking at an hour & 15 minutes of Edwards face time. That’s maximum, but I would guess the time you’ll be able to see him is close to half that.

Should you go if you can? Absolutely. This goes for everyone of any political stripe. These events happen with the rarity of solar eclipses, and regardless of how you feel about the man it’s still a fun event to witness. Depend on NewsChannel 9 and NewsChannel9.com (not to mention Vote08) to keep you up to date on what’s happening.

Edwards made a stop yesterday in Dublin, Georgia. If you live in north Georgia and are a fan, this Chattanooga visit is likely your only chance to see him.

Crunching Edwards’ 2004 TN Primary Numbers

A recent poll shows Edwards is doing better in east Tennessee than the rest of the state. So how did he do in the last primary season? USElectionAtlas.org crunches the 2004 numbers for Hamilton County. They show Edwards came in third behind John Kerry & Wesley Clark in Hamilton County, with 19% of the vote.

By contrast Edwards did far better in Bradley County in 2004, coming in 2nd to Kerry with 26%. That number conforms with other Tennessee counties in the NewsChannel9 viewing area, and mirrors his ultimate 2004 Volunteer State primary outcome.

So there’s a good chance Edwards’ campaign took those lower-than-the-rest-of-the-neighborhood 2004 Hamilton County numbers into account when deciding to visit Chattanooga today.

A higher amount of support for Edwards is reflected in the latest NewsChannel9.com web poll of the Democratic field, which closed earlier today. Here are the results:

Which Democratic presidential candidate will get your vote in the upcoming February 5th primaries?
Hillary Clinton 34%
Barack Obama 15%
John Edwards 20%
I’m Still Undecided 4%
None of Them 27%
Total Votes: 453

Edwards comes in second, reflecting real, scientific poll numbers. Also interesting: this poll only had 2/3rds as much participation than in the Republican web poll we did last week.

Check back with Vote08 throughout the day for updates on Edwards’ visit!

The Chattanoogan.com reports John Edwards is less than 48 hours away from a visit to the Scenic City:

“Edwards has scheduled an event for Monday at 11:15 a.m. at IBEW Local 175 at 3922 Volunteer Drive. The event is free and open to the public. He is due to drive straight to Nashville for an event at the Steelworkers headquarters at 1:30 p.m. CST.

hmm.

So, 11:15 a.m., & he has to be in Nashville at 1:30 CST, which is 2:30 EST. Assuming he’s on schedule (as one never should) that means we’re looking at an hour & 15 minutes of Edwards face time. That’s maximum, but I would guess the time you’ll be able to see him is close to half that. So blink & you’ll miss it.

Recall I wrote that Edwards had expressed an interest in buying tv ad time this week to NewsChannel 9’s National Sales Director, but has not spent a penny yet. His visit will save his campaign the money as local news outlets will give him the exposure he’s looking for for free. & not that there’s anything wrong with that, it’s a way to keep the belt tight.

..which is a similar need for Mike Huckabee’s penny-pinching campaign right now. Which means — hang on to your Huckabee Hats - the bass player for the rock group Capitol Offense himself could very well “splash down” somewhere in the Tennessee Valley sometime prior to Primary Day, February 5th.

& speaking of local Huckabee fans, Hamilton County Commissioner Bill Hullander is officially on the record. Hullander spoke with a crowd of about 40 at the Country Place Restaurant on Shallowford Road Saturday morning. Mark West of Ooltewah helped lead the effort. He tells Vote08 several other local officials were in attendance but weren’t ready to go as far as Hullander on the record. West also says several in the audience asked for comparisons of Huckabee & Fred Thompson.

Yesterday’s WSMV-TV statewide poll shows Huckabee & Edwards both have higher poll numbers in east Tennessee compared to the rest of the state. This may be more than a presidential politics nut like me could hope for, but there may even be a chance we’d see 2 visits from either or both candidates.

Hillary Clinton’s Tennessee team have released her schedule, but she’s keeping to Nashville & Memphis, likely trying to take some votes away from Barack Obama.

Depend on Vote08 to have more on the Edwards visit Monday, and on NewsChannel 9 & NewsChannel 9.com to be all over his 75-minute whirlwind visit.

So will you try to get over to see Edwards? Any parents planning on taking their kids? How certain are you that you’ll vote or not vote for him? Write a comment!