So much for Sen. John Edwards’ “Two Americas.” Over the weekend, Edwards, who’s “Two Americas” stump speech was said to have enticed the Kerry campaign to put the North Carolinian on the bottom of the ticket, apparently dumped the stumper and ripped off Democratic hottie Barack Obama’s convention speech.
At rally in Lawrence, Kansas, Edwards told the audience: “There is no red state, there is no blue state — there is only one United States of America and we’re going to serve this entire country.”
Edwards’ appearance in Lawrence resulted after the train he and Sen. John Kerry were on sped past a scheduled stop in the town a day earlier. The Kerry campaign was criticized mercilessly in the local press for passing up a throng of supporters waiting to greet the Democratic ticket at the train stop, so advance staffers organized a quickie pep rally.
So what happened to “Two Americas”?
“There is a segment of the campaign, and it’s growing by the day, that doesn’t think that speech is working very well,” says a Kerry adviser. “In fact, we’d like it ditched. The problem is Edwards loves it. Kerry loves it. And the media really buys into it and promotes it for us. We just don’t think the voters buy it.”
Edwards, according to the source, liked Obama’s speech and has been using the line in smaller venues, where he doesn’t believe the national press will pick up his appearances.
COOPER: That was Miguel Marquez reporting.
On the campaign trail with both candidates trying to sell their message, the number one rule of political speechmaking seems to be this — stick with what works. Remember Barack Obama’s speech at the Democratic convention? Well, if you don’t it seems you still may have a chance to hear at least parts of it again and again and again on the campaign trail. Sticking with what works, that’s tonight’s “Campaign Unplugged.”
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARACK OBAMA (D), ILLINOIS SENATE CANDIDATE: The pundits like to slice and dice our country into red states and blue states, red states for Republican, blue states for Democrats.
SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It’s not about red states and blue states. It’s about the red, white and blue. It’s about the United States of America. It’s about our country.
SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D), V.P. CANDIDATE: There is no red state, there is no blue state. There is only one United States of America.
TAD DEVINE, SR. ADVISER, KERRY-EDWARDS CAMPAIGN: There are not red states and blue states. There are the United States of America.
OBAMA: There is not a liberal America and a conservative America, there is the United States of America.
EDWARDS: And this is not a Democratic message or a Republican message, this is an American message.
KERRY: Some people as I said the other day may see America’s red states and blue states. I believe we need leadership that sees America as one country red, white and blue, period.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
