Campaign  Georgia
A  Political  Journal

John  Edwards  Comes  to  Georgia’s  Capitol

The John Edwards for President campaign came to the state capitol a week before the Tuesday, March 2, Presidential Preference Primary.   For  almost an hour, people congregated along the bannisters of the third floor, looking down at the second story stairs as tables of Edwards election stuff was laid out , people congregated as close to the stairs and podium as the velvet ropes would allow, and local and traveling media stood with mikes and their cameras.

While we waited, I chatted with a member of the network media who had been with the Edwards campaign through  several primaries.  When I told him I was experienced in politics and  Edwards was the first candidate in a long time who really believed in something, he agreed.  “This guy is for real.” He said.

Suddenly,  happy  music—kinda rock, kinda hip-hop-- started from speakers in the second story crowd.  The tall doors of the House Appropriations hearing room opened on the third floor, and important House democrats and Roy Barnes came out.  They stopped at the head of the stairs, and down the stairs came the Democrat who could beat George Bush in November.

The others followed.  The music faded.  House Speaker Terry Coleman introduced John Edwards as a Southerner and “a great candidate for President of the United States”.

Edwards gave a short speech, resonant with his themes of hope and lifting up the people of america, especially the middle and lesser classes who  make up the vast majority of the country.  Like Ross Perot, he called for an end to the trade deals which have exported jobs and the prosperity of thousands of neighborhoods and communities out of the country, and promised to end taxpayer subsidies to companies who go offshore.  The audience repeatedly  clapped and cheered, me included.

Then there was a brief news conference, some handshaking by John Edwards, and the campaign was on the road to elsewhere. 

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