HOMETOWN YAWNS AS EDWARDS RUNS

Newsmax ^ | 7/9/04

[areafiftyone]

John Edwards wasn't running for a sophomore term in the U.S. Senate because polls showed he would probably lose. His home turf reveals why he is the political and intellectual equivalent of the smiley-face button. How embarrassing: Moore County is pro-Bush territory and voted against Edwards in 1998.

The Los Angeles Times paid a visit and reported today, "There were no banners, no balloons, no Kerry-Edwards lawn signs."

"He lives in Raleigh. He doesn't live here," deliveryman Terry Parrott told the pro-Democrat newspaper. "Seems like, in the last couple of years, the only time he's been here was when the news comes to town."

The Times reported from the candidate's hometown: "Edwards' party is not the only quality that unnerves people in Robbins; many here find the practice of law immoral."

John L. Frye Sr., a former mayor of Robbins and father of one of Edwards' closest friends, would not help pay to send his son to law school. His reason: "the law profession is not an honest profession."

Of course, the good folks of Moore County don't have the sort of insane hatred for Edwards that the left has for President Bush. "Middle-aged women gush like schoolgirls over how cute he was when they passed him in the halls of North Moore High School," the Times noted.

[AQGeiger]

"He lives in Raleigh. He doesn't live here," deliveryman Terry Parrott told the pro-Democrat newspaper. "Seems like, in the last couple of years, the only time he's been here was when the news comes to town."

Now which of the two Americas does John Edwards say he belongs to?

It's very telling that the people he grew up with, who are honest, truly hard-working people, support the President.

[Republic Rocker]

This guy wasn't even going to win re-election!!!!!!

All together now.....BWAHAHAHAHAHAA!

[4everontheRight]

That is pretty well known here in the Carolinas. Edwards is an ambulance chaser and greatly mistrusted and disliked by most people here. If you can't carry your own home town or even you own home state, that says a lot about you. People there know you better then anyone!

[JohnnyZ]

Of course, the good folks of Moore County

The good folks of Moore County are the same good folks that gave NC it's biggest RINO, co-Speaker of the NC House Richard Morgan.

[pepperhead]

LOL Kerry picked this guy to help him win in the south and he can't even win his own state like Gore.

[Constitution Day]

Living in a non-Yankee-infested rural area as I do (smile), my electrical power comes from a rural electric co-op.

The North Carolina Touchstone Energy cooperatives publish a monthly magazine, Carolina Country.

Well, in the July issue there was an interview with Morgan & Black.
Morgan's comments annoyed the crap out of me, especially when he took a swipe at 'the complainers who couldn't get their way'.
I'm typing that from memory - read 2 days ago - but that's basically what he said.

I looked on their site for the interview, but I didn't see it.

[pepperhead]

Edwards is an ambulance chaser and greatly mistrusted and disliked by most people here.

How did he get elected in the first place?

[Howlin]

Don't miss this one!

[4everontheRight]

He defeated Lauch Faircloth, who had only been in office since 1993. Edwards only won by 5%. Faircloth was beaten by the environmental groups who wanted him out because he had a bad voting record on clean water and hog waste...oh, yeah, I kid you not, hog waste. Faircloth owned a hog farm.
Anyway, that was a death nail for Faircloth. Edwards had a strong lobby behind him.

[pepperhead]

He defeated Lauch Faircloth........

Thanks for the info. I remember Faircloth he seemed like a real fighter in the Senate. Didn't seem like a RINO to me.

[4everontheRight]

Oh, I don't know if he was a Rino. The envirnomental issue was about all they had and they played it up to the last breath! I think it is easier to beat an incumbent if they have been in a short term. Plus, I doubt Faircloth had the money backing him like Edwards did. I mean, who has more money then the Trial Lawyers Lobby, except maybe the NEA.

[chiefqc]

kerry is an empty suit, but eddie has no suit.

[N. Theknow]

How did he get elected in the first place?

Wasn't Bob Dole at the head of the ticket?

Pubbies stayed home and Dims voted?

[Aetius]

Edwards ran in 1998, so no, it was not the year Bob Dole ran for President and carried NC.

As to why Edwards won; well there were several reason, some of which have been pointed out already, but other reasons include:

1. History -- Correct me if I'm wrong, but no incumbent has held that seat in decades. I think the streak goes back to the 70s. I can't really explain it, I mean the legendary Helms won 5 consecutive terms including against the heavyweight competition in the form of the popular 4 term governor Jim Hunt (though it had only been 2 terms at the time; in NC one is limited to two consecutive terms).

2. As far as I can remember, Faircloth was a very solid conservative Senator, but he ran an inept campaign. Some of his tv ads were just juvenile. One I remember had a picture of Edwards with his nose growing Pinnochio style as his false statements were recounted. Sure it was funny to an extent to a conservative like me, but it didn't play very well with the 'undecideds' that wound up breaking heavily for Edwards. It just seemed as though there was no juice in the Faircloth campaign.

3. Though its sad to say, the youth/looks factor may have played a part as Edwards simply came across as a youthful and energetic opponent to the much older Faircloth.

4. Edwards didn't exactly go around telling the state that he would amass one of the most left-wing voting records in the Senate. He played up his 'small-town' NC roots theme, but he failed to mention how he would support a social/cultural agenda that is anathema to most North Carolinians, especially the small town sort. In other words, he was like Clinton in his deceptive presentation of himself as a moderate.