John Edwards
Candidate for the 2008 Democratic presidential
nomination
by Liz Olson
Former senator John Edwards, lagging behind both Hillary
Clinton and Barack Obama in national polls and fundraising, is looking
to South Carolina to capitalize on his Southern roots to connect with voters
in his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination.
If Edwards can
gain support in the typically red-state South, it would go a long way toward
proving that he is the Democratic candidate with the best chance of
defeating a Republican in the general election.
Edwards was born in
Seneca, South Carolina, to working-class
parents. His father worked in a textile mill and his mother was a postal
worker. John worked with his father at the mill and was the first in his
family to attend college. He received his undergraduate degree from North
Carolina State University, and graduated from the University of North
Carolina with his J.D. in 1977.
Legal Career
Over the two
decades following his 1977 graduation, Edwards made a name for himself in North Carolina as a trial lawyer who
represented “the little guy” in lawsuits against large
companies, frequently winning huge cash awards for his
clients.
Personal Inspiration
Edwards married Elizabeth Anania
in 1977, and they have three living children. Their son Wade died in a car
accident in 1996 at age 16. A year after his son’s death, Edwards
decided to go into politics, and he successfully ran for a seat in the U.S.
Senate in 1998. During his Senate term, Edwards served on the Intelligence
and Judiciary committees. He cosponsored more than 200 bills, including the
Iraq War Resolution, which authorized the
use of military force in Iraq in 2002. Edwards later apologized for the
military authorization vote.
Tragedy presented itself to the Edwards
again in 2004, when Elizabeth Edwards was diagnosed with breast cancer
during her husband’s bid for the presidency. She learned in early 2007
that her cancer had returned and is treatable but not
curable.
Political Career
Edwards has little political
experience, having served only one term in the U.S. Senate. In 1998, in his
first run for political office, he defeated incumbent Republican Lauch
Faircloth to become North Carolina’s junior senator. With his
Southern roots, telegenic good looks, and energetic populist style, Edwards
was often compared at the time to Bill Clinton. People magazine named
him their choice of “sexiest politician alive” in November
2000.
2004 to 2008
Edwards ran for the Democratic presidential
nomination in 2004, despite being a relative unknown on the national level.
Throughout his consistently upbeat campaign, he frequently spoke of two
Americas—one for the privileged and one for those left behind by the
Bush administration. He surprised political pundits by making a strong run
before becoming Senator Kerry’s running mate in July 2004. Kerry hoped
that Edward’s youthful appeal and charisma would lift his lackluster
campaign. Edwards ran for vice-president rather than seek reelection to the
Senate.
In the 2008 race, Edwards still advocates bold changes for the
nation but now enjoys a larger support base from politicians, which includes
a long list of congressional and legislative leaders. Democratic leaders
from red states and battleground states across the nation are showing their
support of Edwards in a series of events in the “True Blue
Majority” campaign. They aim to convince voters that Edwards is the
best chance for Democrats to win the general election.
After his term
in the Senate, Edwards practiced law in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where
he lives, and served as director of the Center on Poverty, Work, and
Opportunity at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He also
toured the country in the summer and fall 2005, promoting causes such as
education, the elimination of poverty, and universal health care.
With
a short political resume, the handsome millionaire is relying on his
Southern roots, youth, charisma, and charm to win over the American
people.
Information Please® Database, © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
