Georgia a key battleground - Kerry won't yield state to Edwards

[bigtree]

-Atlanta, Ledger-Inquirer-
http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/mld/ledgerenquirer/news/8011126.htm

"If the mother of the crying baby had asked, John Edwards would have changed her little one's diaper."

"Don't leave," Edwards implored, not missing a beat in his campaign speech. "He's not bothering me."

Little bothered Edwards on his stop at Clark Atlanta University Thursday. The North Carolina senator has had red clay on his shoes before and the folks he was greeting talked like him. With a John Mellencamp song playing in the background, he bounded into a meeting room at a library paid for by Coca-Cola cash with confidence that hardly fits a second place candidate.

But sweet tea or Southern cooking didn't attract Edwards to Atlanta last week. Nor will such vittles bring him to Columbus Monday evening. It's jobs, rather a loss of jobs, that makes Edwards believe he can capture delegates in Georgia and several of the 10 states that hold Presidential Preference Primaries on March 2.

Sen. John Kerry, D-Massachusetts, remains the front-runner having won 16 of 18 state primaries or caucuses to date. Kerry has recorded 618 delegates to Edwards' 192 -- six less than former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean who dropped out last week after a disappointing performance in Wisconsin.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

1. The only poll is a week old, unfortunately...

I wonder if Edwards got any bounce from his loss in Wisconsin.

[bigtree]

3. I went through about 20 papers

This is a different world in Georgia. Former Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes, his state chairman, a fellow lawyer is out front for Edwards there. Lots of 'home town' sentiment in the press for the southern candidate.

Al Sharpton is in town. Kerry and his wife are fighting hard there. Making some good impressions.

BL: Edwards:charisma Kerry:electable

I also wonder what the actual breakdown is there.

[bluestateguy]

2. Edwards might win Georgia

But if that's all he wins, so what? He still won't have won outside the South and it will have been a day late and a dollar short. I would say that he has to win at least 3 contests on march 2nd to go on. If he can make it to march 9 he would have TX, FL, LA and MS, but I expect his campaign will be out of gas by then. Still, I think it's good for us to keep the race going for another week or two.

[emulatorloo]

4. Q: Is Edwards campaigning everywhere, or just cherry-picking?

I haven't paid enough attention to know. . .mostly been watching his strange implications that JK won't "debate him," in spite of the fact that there are scheduled debates. . .