Welcome Everyone to the Edwards Evening News: Saturday Edition. Here are the stories for tonight:
- Innovative strategies for fundraising and connecting with voters by Edwards, Obama and Romney. Democrats are in tune with the people.
- Edwards Does Best of all Democrats against Republicans in General Election Match-ups in the new Rasmussen Reports.
- Matt Bai has a feature article on John Edwards in NYT magazine - The Poverty Platform.
- Jerid of Buckeye State Blog in Ohio write about a day on the campaign trail with John. Fabulous video clip.
- Campaign events this weekend and more.
1. Innovative Strategies for Fundraising:
Jerad Roebuck at MyDD in his diary Romney: Too Rich For My Blood talks about the creative fundraising being done this cycle. Obama gives anybody who donates any amount a chance to have a dinner with him and 3 other winners. Romney asks for $100 for a chance to watch a baseball game with his son in a vip box. Republicans think that asking for $100 has a grassroots appeal which shows their lack of understanding of regular folk. And of course, the Edwards campaign started things with an offer for a family recipe for pecan pie for a donation of $6.10(day of John's birthday) or 19.53 (year of John's birth or $54 (John's age). Everybody gets the recipe and can enjoy a family tradition.
The goal was to have 10,000 contributions by John's Birthday tomorrow. This afternoon the goal was reached and exceeded. It is not too late, you can help the compaign go waaaay over the top at Contributions for John's Birthday.
2. New Rasmussen Reports. Edwards Does Best in General Election Match-ups
Giuliani 47% Clinton 44%
McCain 48% Clinton 42%
Clinton 47% Romney 44%
Clinton 47% Thompson 44%
Edwards 47% Giuliani 45%
Edwards 48% McCain 41%
Edwards 55% Romney 29%
Edwards 53% Thompson 32%
Giuliani 51% Obama 39%
Obama 46% McCain 42%
Obama 49% Romney 37%
Obama 47% Thompson 44%
On the Democratic side of the aisle, far and away the best general election performance was earned by Edwards. He topped the four Republicans by an average of 51% to 37%. Edwards also outperforms the other Democrats against each Republican challenger.
This shows how Edwards is the most competitive against Republicans.
3. Matt Bai's feature article on John Edwards in NYT magazine - The Poverty Platform.
This is a detailed look at the Edwards poverty platform and being on the campaign trail with this agenda. I found the tone of the article slightly depressing. It was interesting with some very good insights, however I felt that Matt Bai just didn't understand what John Edwards is about.
Big Tent Democrat at Talk Left had insightful comments which resonated with me There is No Joy in Mudville: Bai on Edwards
Matt Bai can't seem to get his head around what Al Gore has been talking about and what John Edwards is saying
~snip~
The cynical Beltway mentality Bai seems to exhibit is symptomatic of all of the Washington Elite. Don't get me wrong. Bai has written an informed piece and it will take a careful reading to absorb some of the arguments ... he makes. But what comes through to me is a writer so utterly detached and separated from what America outside the Beltway is feeling that his article falls quite flat to me.
4. Jerid from the Ohio Buckeye State Blog spends a day in NH with John.
Jerid posted this diary Edwards Loves His Meat and His Townhalls about Edwards on the campaign trail in New Hampshire. It is a delightful enthusiastic piece on seeing how well John does on the campaign trail and how much he enjoys it. It was a refreshing contrast to Bai's piece. I especially enjoyed the video clip when John was asked about electibility. He had this comment to make on how Democrats win general elections or lose them.
Edwards responded with force, declaring that "we're in a time in America's history where small changes will not solve our problems, and that big strong, bold changes are going to be necessary." Furthering that up, "Our party has always been at its best when we were forward leaning, bold, and leading...When we're timid and careful and cautious - we lose."
Watch this short video clip for that sense of Edwards determination to win and do the right thing.
5. On the Campaign trail with Event Coming Up - Events Calender
Tomorrow of course is the Big Birthday Bash in Chapel Hill 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm featuring special Guest Coach Dean Smith with Live music by Big Fat Gap. I would love to go!!!!
There will be two more fundraising events for regular folk - Small Change for Big Change – in Miami FL on Monday, June 11 at 8 pm Key Biscayne, FL 33149 and in Austin TX on Tuesday, June 12 at 12 noon - 1:00 pm. Get your tickets online.
And finally please note these diaries today that provide more news about the Edwards campaign.
John Edwards: "Sounds like Karl Rove is writing Rudy Giuliani's script these days." by TomP
Rasmussen: Giuliani leads Obama by Double Digits, Edwards tops in GE by Ocean Stater
Blogging From DemocracyFest: Impeachment, Edwards, Hodes, Shea-Porter and more by odum