With talk about the poor, Edwards draws rich, white, suburban, moderate...

[AP]

...men.

Anyone have an explanation for that?

It's really amazing.

[King of New Orleans]

1. Well, Edwards is rich, white, suburban and moderate

and he's a man. So there you go.

[Nicholas_J]

6. Yes In Virginia and Tennessee

Kerry Drew the lowest percentage of White democratic voters. It was the heavy Democartic Black Vote in those states that is said to have carried Kerry heavily.

Analysis: Black Vote Key to Kerry's Charge
Posted Feb. 17, 2004
By Patrick Reddy
Published: Tuesday, March 2, 2004
Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) followed up his stunning victories in Iowa and New Hampshire with success in every region of the country in early February, making him the undisputed front-runner among Democrats seeking their party's nomination for president.

Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, the hot candidate of 2003, has fallen steadily in the polls since the capture of Saddam Hussein hurt his antiwar argument. He has yet to win a real primary. Dean's best hope for revival is an upset in the Wisconsin primary today, but polls show that is unlikely.

Retired Gen. Wesley Clark and Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) won crucial contests Feb. 3, doing what they needed to do on their home turf. Clark edged Edwards by a few thousand votes in Oklahoma, while Edwards solidly carried the state of his birth, South Carolina.

http://www.insightmag.com/news/2004/03/02/Politics/Analysis.Black.Vote.Key.To.Kerrys.Charge-609460.shtml

*************************************************************

Kerry fully pulled 2/3rds of the Black Vote in Virginia, and despite Edwards pleas to lower income voters, Kerry vastly exceeded pulling in thoese voters in the two latest southern states.

Wisconsin, with its smaller than average black, and poor vote was brought Edwards win in WIsconsin.

****************************************************

Kerry's rivals in distress after Virginia and Tennessee

Kerry's strong suit was among voters who thought it most important to have a candidate who could win in November – getting two-thirds of that group in Tennessee and three-fourths in Virginia, according to exit polls.

He also pulled two-thirds of the black vote in Virginia and about half that in Tennessee, leading the field in both states. He was not as strong among white voters, however, according to the surveys conducted for The Associated Press and the television networks.


Kerry performed best among those with less education, lower incomes and those who are Democrats. In Virginia, Republicans, as well as independents, could vote in the Democratic primary.


http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/politics/20040211-0800-democrats.html

[AP]

7. He started life in debt and had to make compromises due to not having

enough money, or guarantee of a return on his investment in his education.

[KittyWampus]

2. So Much For Edwards' Broad Appeal

[CalebHayes]

10. He does have broad appeal, look at the exit polling.

[AP]

11. Yeah. He has broad appeal, and he has an appeal that carves into

traditional Republican territory, both geographically and demographically.

He's really going to force Republicans to spend spend spend just to hold on to their base.

[amandabeech]

3. They'd like to have him and Elizabeth over for dinner? n/t

[DuctapeFatwa]

4. They know he can be trusted to preseve the status quo, not rock the boat

Affluent people like to hear rhetoric about the poor, it makes them feel better about themselves.

But if Edwards were promising a Right to Housing, a Living Wage, or "socialized medicine," that would wipe the smiles off those faces mighty quick.

[AP]

8. But he is promising to rock the boat. He's saying we have to change

America so that we don't have 40 million people living in poverty.

Kerry is the one whom people like if they feel America is on the right track and we just need to tweak a few things here and there.

[DuctapeFatwa]

16. Yes, but he does not favor single payor health care, Right to Housing, and

he thinks the minimum wage should be raised $1.50.

According to the government's figures, the average apartment is now almost 4 times the minimum wage.

Raising it a dollar fifty is a nice feel-good measure for people who don't have to worry if they will be able to pay the rent this month, but will do nothing for the people who do.

[spooky3]

5. noblesse oblige

Yes, there are people in this country, who, like John Edwards, believe that if they are comfortable, they should help those who are less fortunate. They are outnumbered by their Republican counterparts, but they are still out there and sincere.

[AP]

9. People percieve of him as a hick, not as a prince (see Kerry for noblesse

oblige).

[fromadam]

12. GW Bush is loved by many

Why?

Simply because when they see him talk, they fall for it, hook, line, and sinker. It's not simply because he's a republican. And it's not as if he's a good president, or for that matter, it's not as if he ever had the potential or resume to be a good president.

BTW, I'm not saying Edwards=Bush. I'm saying that his appeal seems to me to be based on the voters "take" on him, not on who he is at his core.

[AP]

13. GW Bush doesn't talk about the poor and about transferring power down

and out, rather than up and narrowly.

[GreenArrow]

15. Bush does too!

He knows how difficult it is to put food on your family.

[DjTj]

14. These people have more time on their hands...

...to watch Cable news and pay attention to the campaign.

Edwards sells better the more you hear him.

That is my best explanation for this.