Why are John Edwards poll numbers sinking faster than the Titanic?

Question

Could it have anything to do with his statement that the war on terror in just a "bumper sticker", or "political slogan"? The polls I've seen show him dropping a lot in the last month.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/06/03/edwards-%E2%80%9Cwar-on-terror-is-a-bumper-sticker%E2%80%9D/

Answer 1

Yes, the bumper sticker comment is probably the #1 reason amongst many. He has been mentioned much in the news because of it, by many people, but never in support of such a comment. It is bad press that says to people...."I won't do anything at all about terrorists, or protecting you...I think its all insignificant and lies".

Hillary did better at that second debate as well....it looks, from the polls, that there has been a direct shift of votes from Edwards to Hillary. The bumper sticker thing had much to do with his loss in the last debate.

He is trying to make himself appealing to the far left, but dramatically hurting himself in the process.

Answer 2

I suspect a lot of it has to do with his lifestyle, enjoying the perks of all the money he has made (a very large and lavish estate, $400 dollar haircuts, etc.). The fact that he does all this while campaigning against poverty seems contradictory to some people.

I don't see how that proves his policies wouldn't help the poor, but appearances count for a lot.

There is also the problem (I think) that having him on the ticket did not result in the Democrats carrying his home state in the last election. I could be wrong, but I think I heard that.

Another reason for his numbers dropping could simply be that other candidates are gaining support from those who have decided that some other candidate has a better chance of winning. Some candidates were unknown to people who were supporting Edwards until the debates; and now that former Edwards supporters have learned more about the other candidates, they might have decided they were better (without thinking anything negative about Edwards).

Bottom line: Your guess is probably better than mine.

http://www.yaktivist.com
Polite Discussion, Respectful Disagreements regarding nonlethal alternatives to Abortion, Death Penalty, Lethal Weapons.

Answer 3

His numbers are not necessarily sinking--he is at about the same place as he was a few weeks ago. In fact, when they say somebody's numbers are going up or down, that's a misnomer, unless your poll asks the very same people both times. When you sample different groups of people, your'e going to get different numbers.

John Edwards is a class act--I've spoken to him several times on conference calls where he had to answer questions from voters on the spot--he was intelligent, candid, honest, and had real compassion for the common person, just as he did as a trial attorney. My friend used to work with his law firm and said he had a passion for the underdog and would take cases no one else would (remember, in these civil cases, the attorney makes nothing unless his client prevails).

I think what's happening now is all name recognition--Hillary is the best known, so she's polling the best. Once people realize that she is part of the Washington scene and is taking big contributions from Corporate America (as is Obama), they will turn away from her. Edwards is the fresh voice here--he has the most detailed policies on everything from getting out of Iraq to health care, global warming, strengthening the middle class, and ending poverty. Edwards actually has more supporters than Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama, but they are grassroots supporters, common people like you and me, who are giving $20, $50, etc.--not big corporate bucks. The corporations know that once he's in the White House, he will fight for us "little guys."

And...by the way...Edwards never said there was no "war on terror." He said that Bush's "war on terror was a bumper sticker, not a plan..." and that is the truth. Bush's failed policies have actually made this country more dangerous (our own State Dept. just came out with a report saying terrorist attacks were up 29% last year). Edwards is the only leading candidate to call Bush on his failed policy on terrorism.

The more people know him, the more they like Edwards. The reason that Fox News is so critical of him (and not Hillary or Obama) is because Edwards is the biggest threat to the Republican Party. Go Edwards!

Answer 4

Well that's not the only thing that is causing his campaign to sink. Shortly after he made that statement Mr. Edwards went to rally with Danny Glover denouncing the war, etc.

Danny Glover is now known to be a great friend of Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez, and he gone over to Venezuela and has made several anti-American comments. For Edwards to rub shoulders with Glover shows most Americans just how out of touch he is.

Not only is he against the war, but he thinks the war of terror doesn't exists. And even worse, he's basically on the edge of declaring his country to be the terrorist nation. I think this the final nail in his coffin. I already he was unfit to lead this nation before all this.

Answer 5

convinced. those endorsements carry numerous weight on the democratic area. The media is having a frenzy over the potential of a first lady or first black candidate. they have executed with the objective to the point that Edwards has been skipped over in some media insurance. i have self belief as we get in route of the election and persons see that unions like the United metallic workers have recommended John Edwards, the electorate will commence searching at him extra. This endorsement will lead workers which aren't from now on in unions to a minimum of evaluate Edwards because he stands for not ordinary paintings help.

Answer 6

Nah. I think its a combination of things. That "bumper sticker" comment might be part of it, but I dont think so. I think its more his desperate-seeming attempts to break ahead of Obama and Clinton and his seeming lack of anything useful or interesting to say. He attacked Clinton and Obama for...of all things...not showing leadership and saying how they were going to vote in the Senate before they voted. They voted the right way, he said that, but said they shouldve said how they would vote beforehand. Which was, of course just a totally silly attack, and Obama shot him down right away saying he was about 4 1/2 years late on leadership with the war in Iraq.

Basically hes been visibly struggling to stay in the top-tier and not slip down further, and thats not helping his image.

But you know, its still early in the game, could be part of a tactic. Depends on how good his campaign strategists and such are. If theyre anything like Karl Rove, they have every move planned out. But I suspect the most Rove-esque campaign is Clinton's. The strategies of her campaign are pretty easy to spot. She seems to be a little heavy-handed with some of them, like putting all the blame on Bush for example. If you ask her, her party's failure to fulfill its campaign promise is all Bush's fault, the war is Bush's war and hes the one to blame for pretty much everything. I can see where theyre going with that strategy, but like I said, shes a bit heavy-handed and she comes off looking childish.

But anyways, we'll see what happens. Its too early and too small an event to make a mountain out of. Edwards could very well come up with something and regain his lost points. We'll see.

Answer 7

Then you should look at some better polls. Edwards is roughly where he's been all along, third behind Hillary and Obama. By contrast, Adolph Giuliani has lost about half his support since people started asking him questions about his hypocrisy on 9/11, his fearmongering, and his explicit, almost lustful, support of Bush.

Answer 8

The more people see of Edwards, the less they like him.

He is nothing more than a rich man who is ashamed of his wealth so he aligns himself with the far left. I find him to be quite possibly the biggest fake in modern American history.

Answer 9

No political type is "everyman" but Edwards is pretty far from it-so why would the majority want him in charge. This is early in the game, but I doubt he will last.

Answer 10

Because he has aligned himself with the lunatic fringe of the left wing. Now these people make a lot of noise but most Americans don't want anything to do with them.