We entered an empty Bektash Temple Hall this morning when we arrived for a John Edwards rally in the Concord auditorium. But when the Edwards family arrived shortly before 11 a.m., more than 400 people had crammed into a town-hall space designed to hold only half that. Volunteers lined the room's walls with gray folding chairs as the crowd waited patiently for the tardy candidate. The crowd was an even mixture of all ages and both genders, contrasting it with the young and mainly female crowd at the Obama rally, and the much older and predominantely male group at McCain's town-hall meeting.
The former North Carolina senator was introduced by his wife Elizabeth Edwards, and his three children Cate '04, Jack (above) and Emma Claire were on hand, as were the 2004 vice-presidential nominee's parents.
Each event we've attended in New Hampshire has been markedly different, and Edwards' was no exception. Obama had his 2,000 supporters crowded around a full stage. McCain stood on large black riser against one wall of VFW 5791. Edwards, in contrast, had nothing. Surrounded entirely by voters, Edwards stood on the floor for more than hour throughout his 30-minute speech and the Q&A session that followeed.
Edwards' remarks focused mainly on domestic policy, including his plan to bring about universal health care and his strong beliefs on ending what he called corporate America's grip on the people's government. Edwards also urged a quick end to the war in Iraq and stressed his experience in foreign policy to show his readiness to deal with issues like Iran, Pakistan, Russia and nuclear proliferation.
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