Edwards seeks elusive spark amid criticism
PORTSMOUTH, N.H. -- John Edwards's Southern twang impresses Bob Landman, as does his boyish charm, moderate views, populist bent, and humble beginnings. A year ago, these attributes enthralled insider Democrats, too.
But despite all this, Landman, 60, a Vietnam veteran from Northampton attending a recent Edwards campaign stop, walked away unsure. "Vote for Edwards? I'm not quite there." Why not? "His inexperience."
After a promising start a year ago, Edwards's campaign for president has spent months treading water. The candidate has made no high-profile gaffes. He has maintained a cool, sunny manner in televised debates. And he has stumped tirelessly, visiting all of Iowa's counties and holding close to 100 New Hampshire town hall meetings, running ads on television and radio in the Hawkeye State, and building a get-out-the-vote organization. In some recent polls, he has closed to within a few points of Senator John F. Kerry of Massachusetts in the battle for third place.
He received the endorsement yesterday from The Des Moines Register. He was praised last week for his positive approach -- but not endorsed -- by Senator Tom Harkin, the Iowa Democrat who has declared he is backing Howard Dean.
Edwards has not fared as well in New Hampshire, despite diligent campaigning there, but he continues to hold out hope that a Feb. 3 primary victory in South Carolina will transform him into the Southern alternative to Dean.
Still, polls in South Carolina indicated Edwards was slightly trailing the former Vermont governor, as well as retired Army General Wesley K. Clark. One poll indicated he was behind the Rev. Al Sharpton, who is popular among Southern blacks.
Edwards recently retooled his campaign, promising to bridge the "Two Americas" of haves and have-nots and pledging to stay above negative campaigning.
Interviews with Democratic voters and political specialists, however, suggest his problems run much deeper than campaign themes.
His appearance and relative inexperience have led many Democrats, like Landman, to discount his candidacy. His lack of military and foreign policy experience has caused some to doubt whether he can beat President Bush, as the wars on terrorism and against insurgents in Iraq continue.
With the Democratic candidates fighting to become the standout alternative to Dean, Edwards has been unable to distinguish himself. Part of his current push includes repeated reminders that he is 50 years old -- to rebut concerns among some Democrats that he lacks the gravitas and wisdom to run the nation.
"He's certainly older than I thought," said Landman.
In New Hampshire, Edwards has never topped the single digits in polls. A poll this month of likely Democratic voters by the American Research Group indicated Edwards had 3 percent support.
Edwards's hopes, however, rest on South Carolina. In September, he led an American Research Group poll with 16 percent, with Clark in second place at 7 percent. But last month, a poll by the independent survey group indicated Dean was first with 16 percent and Clark and Sharpton had 12 percent. Edwards was at 11 percent.
"If Dean, a liberal, can score a victory in South Carolina, that doesn't bode well for Edwards," said Stephen Wainscott, a political scientist at Clemson University.
A fractured black vote complicates matters, with Sharpton running strong and Representative Richard A. Gephardt of Missouri -- the latter having the support of prominent black Representative James E. Clyburn of South Carolina -- expected to do well.
"Many votes for Gephardt are votes drained away from Edwards," said Wainscott.
Edwards officially relaunched his campaign two weeks ago in a Nashua speech amid drizzle and chill, portraying himself as the optimistic alternative to the bickering Democratic pack.
It started with a pointed reminder from state senator and Edwards supporter Joseph A. Foster, who shouted, "Folks, John Edwards is 50." Then a grinning, galvanized Edwards took the stage before about 200 people, many of them reporters or part of his campaign.
"When politicians are yelling at each other about what someone said yesterday or seven years ago, that means they aren't listening to you," he said. "They aren't talking about the issues that matter to you.
"I am so ready for this fight," he said.
But afterward, Edwards's campaign volunteers puzzled over his lack of sizzle, his virtual disappearance into the field.
"We're all trying to figure that out," said Linda Carter, a retired teacher from North Carolina spending January in New Hampshire for her candidate. "Maybe it's because he had no name recognition when he started.
"One's thing's for sure," she said, "he's got to close the sale now."
Another volunteer, Lonnie DeHart, 25, of Laconia, misty-eyed after Edwards's speech, cited the brutal campaign math involved in a nine-person field: "I mean there's nine candidates, and that's splitting all of us Democrats up."
Many Democrats, however, said they simply did not know enough about Edwards or were concerned about his lack of experience.
Adam Pignatelli, 26, an international law student from Nashua who listened to Edwards, came away unimpressed, saying he will probably vote for Kerry.
"Kerry has such a breadth of knowledge on foreign policy," he said.
There are some indications that voters, once leaning toward Edwards, now see Clark, who hails from Arkansas, as a more viable Southern alternative.
"I'm torn between Edwards and Clark," said Julie Kaplan, 32, of New York City, who attended a recent Edwards event in Portsmouth. She dislikes Dean, and recently decided Clark is the likely "anti-Dean" candidate.
"Clark impresses me with his intellect. Plus, he's a huge military guy. That's a potent combination," she said. "My position on Edwards would change if he went up in polls."
Edwards recently held a meeting at the Portsmouth home of Elissa Stone, 49.
"The Southern thing was really imporant to me. Northern Democrats are too liberal to win in the South," said the environmental consultant, explaining her decision to back Edwards.
But going door to door in Portsmouth for him, she is increasingly hearing a refrain that may spell trouble for Edwards: "Everyone tells me they want whoever will win."
Raja Mishra can be reached at rmishra@globe.com.
