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Politics : John EDWARDS for President -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: JakeStraw who wrote (882)	2/27/2004 10:37:02 PM
From: Ann Corrigan	Respond to of 1381

Edwards still upbeat: Edwards Woos California Voters By Deborah Charles, 2/26/2004 SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Vowing to change the country if elected president, Democratic hopeful John Edwards on Thursday wooed voters in California as he geared up for a debate he hopes will help keep him in the running on Super Tuesday. Though he lags far behind front-runner John Kerry in the polls in California -- the top prize in next week's Super Tuesday round of electoral contests in 10 states -- Edwards urged Democrats to vote for him and for change. "I want to change this country," Edwards told a cheering crowd packed into a community center on the second of a three-day swing through California. "I need you. I cannot change this country alone, but you and I can do it together." Energized by a close second-place finish in Wisconsin last week, Edwards hopes his populist message will resound with voters, particularly those hit hard by job losses and the economy. They hope the former trial lawyer's strong debating skills and ability to connect with people will help propel him to strong finishes in at least a few states. Despite trailing Kerry 3-to-1 in California polls, Edwards' campaign chairman in the state, Herb Wesson, expressed confidence. "We are in this to win," he said on Wednesday. Asked about his debate strategy, Edwards told reporters he planned to highlight the differences between him and Kerry. "I'm sure he'll do the same with me," he said. "I think it's an opportunity for both of us to do that." Edwards benefited in early contests from staying above the fray and not criticizing his Democratic opponents. He said he had no plans to change that strategy, but would point out his differences with Kerry "in a way that is consistent" with how he has run the campaign so far. Kerry has won 18 of the first 20 contests in the Democratic race to find a challenger to President Bush and hopes to knock Edwards out of the race on Tuesday. Edwards has vowed to fight on and has focused on his plans for job creation and vowing to heal divisions of wealth and race. Asked if he would drop out if he does not have a good showing on Thursday, he repeated that he is in the race for the "long haul." Instead of aiming at his Democratic rivals, Edwards has directed his criticism at Bush for creating "two Americas" and vowed to erase the differences created by wealth if he is elected president. "This president, he understands completely how to create wealth for those who already have it," Edwards said to cheers. "The question is what are we going to do to create wealth for all those families who desperately need it?" "I want to change this country so never again in America does anyone ever utter the phrase 'working poor'," he said, returning to his plan, announced on Wednesday, to lift 10 million people out of poverty. © Copyright 2004 Reuters.