John Edwards Presidential Campaign Strategy

A nice guy who stands little chance of becoming president of the United States is John Edwards, former senator of North Carolina. Edwards failed in his bid to become president during his 2004 campaign, and things are not looking good for him in his current run.

On the positive side, the Edwards campaign has raised a fair amount of money during the first quarter of the year. The fourteen million dollars in campaign contributions is considerable by itself but it puts him well behind Barak Obama and Hilary Clinton in a comparison. Hilary Clinton's first quarter contributions are in the range of 26 million dollars and Obama is not far behind.

The problem, for Edwards, is to adopt a strategy to distinguish himself from other Democratic candidates. John Edwards has done that by a strong shift in this position on the Iraq war. From being a staunch supporter of the war, Edwards has now positioned himself as one of its most ardent opponents.

To strengthen his anti-war credentials, John Edwards has hired Joe Trippi. Political followers know Joe Trippi as Howard Dean's former campaign and public relations manager. Edwards' website stresses his anti-war position. He targets the anti-war crowd with emails to solicit donations.

John Edwards problems within his own state has left him open to critics who say he abandoned the state when the polls showed he couldn't be re-elected to the Senate. He courts Labor and appears at many union gatherings in the hope of getting an endorsement from the major labor organizations. The labor organizations are not inclined to show their support so early in the campaigns.

North Carolina has been a "red state" traditionally, and Edwards' chances of support there and across the nation depend on his being perceived as a populist rather than a left-leaning liberal. But it is clear that Edwards had moved far from his former constituency of centrist and conservative voters.

In 1998 senate campaign in NC, he was in a red state. He ran as moderate and had a moderately conservative constituency. Giving up his senate seat in North Carolina to run for president has angered many Democrats. Edwards may have felt that was necessary to gain support at the national level for a second presidential run.

The challenges, for Edwards, are daunting. Polls shows that most of Howard Dean's former supporters went to Clinton and Obama. Nor is Edwards the fresh face he was in 2004, handsome though it is. Some pundits note that "handsome" has not been as positive in some quarters as it has been in others. Critics point to a media splash about a $400 haircut Edwards got on a campaign trip, something that removes him from the "poor people" he wants to support him. Perhaps a larger mistake than getting a $400 haircuts was charging it to his campaign rather than paying it out of pocket. Whatever the reason, Edwards undeniably pleasant visage and well-groomed thatch has played into the hands of those who have characterized him as the "Breck Boy".

Another political gaffe grew out of Edwards' reliance on modern technology and the internet. Some overzealous bloggers he'd hired to manage his site made over-the-top comments which embarrassed Edwards and led to their being fired.

Edwards' recently built 29,000 square foot house in Chapel Hill, North Carolina also has political tongues wagging. It's got lots of creature comforts including an NBA style gymnasium. Over the top, say some. At the same time, Edwards' TV commercials show his humble origins in his little house in a southern mill town.

Can a presidential candidate be wealthy and champion of the poor? It wouldn't be the first time. Yet Edwards "Two Americas' campaign in 2004 seems contradictory.

Throughout his life, Edwards had made a habit of being there for his family. He has budgeted his time between a thriving law practice and a stint as soccer coach. His devotion to his family presents a special challenge since it was determined that Elizabeth Edwards' breast cancer has metastasized.

If the political pundits are correct, John Edwards has a more attractive profile as a person than as a candidate. It's more likely that America would be more inclined to elect John Edwards Father of the Year than President of the United States.