Edwards memo suggests NH voters are undecided, looking for electability

A new internal memo for the John Edwards campaign suggests the New Hampshire landscape should be viewed two ways:

1. The electorate has not mind up their minds.
2. They will be making up their minds based on electability.

The memo, written by Global Strategy Group and released to the Globe from the Edwards campaign suggests that the New Hampshire voters are receptive to an anti-Republican message given that they handed Republicans their worst defeat in state history in last year's mid-term elections. This anti-Republican sentiment means these voters want someone electable. And state by state Rasmussen poling shows that Edwards is the most electable candidate.

Other campaigns would argue that the Democratic base is less focused on electability because they won last fall and now want a candidate more aligned with their beliefs.

The memo also argues that New Hampshire will matter in deciding who the presidential nominee will be and that the most critical moment in the New Hampshire campaign is the week before the primary (and after the Iowa Caucus).

Of the lessons learned from the 2004 campaign "is the importance of running a community-based, as opposed to a top-down, New Hampshire campaign." That is why they will care more about community leaders over big name endorsements.