Here's Some Tips For Edwards If He Wants To Win New York

[THUNDER HANDS]

To win the March 2 primary in the state of New York, a candidate is going to have to win two of the three major geographic areas of the Empire State.

Those would be New York City, Long Island and Central & Northern NY.

If the race comes down to Kerry and Edwards, and Edwards has indicated he's going to skip California and make a play for New York, then the North Carolina senator has to adopt this strategy to win...

1. Focus on Upstate New York, where jobs are scarse and people are really hurting. Edwards' populist tones will play well up there, especially in the rural areas of the state. If he puts a minimal effort in up there, he'll win that area handily.

2. Try to split the city vote between him and Kerry. Wall Street isn't going to fall in love with Edwards, but some of the surrounding boroughs like Queens and Staten Island and possibly Brooklyn could peel off for him.

3. Invade Long Island. This is where Edwards will have to do well if he's to win this state. It's my home turf, so I know what he's going to have to do - preach health care, prescription drugs and tone down his populist anti-trade talk. The closer you get to the city, the less effective populism is.

Personally, I don't think Edwards can win New York, but I think he can finish closer than people think if he actually tries to win here. If California would go 60-40 for Kerry, then I think New York would go 55-45.

But Edwards might not pay much attention to my state, what with a multitude of other states all having primaries the same day. That would be a big mistake. He can pick up more delegates finishing a strong second in NY than he could finishing first in a lot of other smaller states.

Come on up to New York John, we'll definately give you a good look.