HOLLYWOOD, Fla., July 18 - John Edwards approached the end of his first week of solo campaigning as John Kerry's running mate by hammering economic themes during three stops in Florida and emphasizing the state's importance to the Democratic campaign.
To an enthusiastic crowd of worshipers at St. Mark's A.M.E. Church in Orlando, Mr. Edwards mentioned news reports Sunday that wages for American workers had not kept pace with inflation.
"I don't think that comes as news to the people here," he said, to a burst of amens from the congregation.
"We have got to do more to help families who are struggling to make ends meet," Mr. Edwards said. "For too many families, it takes every dime they make just to pay their bills, and if something goes wrong - a child gets sick, if somebody gets laid off, if they have financial problems - they go right off a cliff. And people say this is the best economy in our lifetime? We can do better than this, and we will."
Mr. Edwards, the presumptive vice-presidential nominee, repeatedly mentioned the close 2000 contest in Florida, and the controversial recount that resulted in a narrow victory for George W. Bush.
"We will make sure your votes get counted this time," Mr. Edwards told the St. Mark's congregation.
In an interview with local reporters after the church service, Mr. Edwards reiterated the need to ensure that black voters, in particular, were confident in the integrity of this year's election.
"What most African-American voters want - not just in Florida, but everywhere - is to know that they are going to get a chance to register, they're not going to be intimidated, they will get a chance to vote and their vote will be counted," a pool report quoted him as saying.
"They don't want to be disenfranchised," Mr. Edwards said. "A lot of sweat, blood and tears have gone into getting African-Americans the right to vote and we have to make sure, all of us."
Mr. Kerry and Mr. Edwards toured several critical states in the days after the vice-presidential selection was announced, but in the last week Mr. Edwards has campaigned on his own - visiting Iowa, Illinois, Louisiana, Texas and California before Sunday's swing through Florida.
He spoke to a few hundred Orange County, Fla., political leaders Sunday afternoon at one of the huge hotels that line Interstate 4 south of Orlando, near Walt Disney World and the area's other theme parks.
Senator Bill Nelson, Democrat of Florida, introduced Mr. Edwards, saying that the I-4 corridor was "ground zero" in the Democrats' efforts to win the state in November.
"As we get ready, take nothing for granted," Mr. Edwards told the audience.
Mr. Edwards spoke later in another giant hotel ballroom, here on the Atlantic coast between Miami and Fort Lauderdale, and again emphasized economic issues in between bursts of praise for Mr. Kerry.
"What America needs is a commander in chief who will lead the world, not bully it," Mr. Edwards said.
Mr. Edwards has been the target of campaign jabs from both President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney in recent days, but he refrained on Sunday from firing back - or even mentioning the vice president.
Instead, Mr. Edwards, of North Carolina, stuck doggedly to the message he had delivered all week, praising Mr. Kerry and promising that theirs would be a "campaign of hope" based on "real values" that eschews the "old and tired politics of hate" exemplified by Republican television advertisements.
It was reminiscent of the upbeat theme Mr. Edwards struck in the final days leading to the Iowa caucuses in January, which distinguished him from the harsh attacks by some of the other Democratic candidates and was credited with propelling his campaign to a surprisingly strong second-place finish.
He flew back Sunday night to North Carolina, where another fund-raiser was scheduled for Monday. Since heading out on his own, Mr. Edwards has attended five fund-raisers that brought an estimated $3.2 million into the campaign, a party spokesman said.
After that, he will take time off the trail in Washington - working on his acceptance speech - before heading out again on Thursday.
The Democratic convention opens on July 26 in Boston. Mr. Edwards is scheduled to give his acceptance speech on July 28.
RICK LYMAN
NY Times
To an enthusiastic crowd of worshipers at St. Mark's A.M.E. Church in Orlando, Mr. Edwards mentioned news reports Sunday that wages for American workers had not kept pace with inflation.
"I don't think that comes as news to the people here," he said, to a burst of amens from the congregation.
"We have got to do more to help families who are struggling to make ends meet," Mr. Edwards said. "For too many families, it takes every dime they make just to pay their bills, and if something goes wrong - a child gets sick, if somebody gets laid off, if they have financial problems - they go right off a cliff. And people say this is the best economy in our lifetime? We can do better than this, and we will."
Mr. Edwards, the presumptive vice-presidential nominee, repeatedly mentioned the close 2000 contest in Florida, and the controversial recount that resulted in a narrow victory for George W. Bush.
"We will make sure your votes get counted this time," Mr. Edwards told the St. Mark's congregation.
In an interview with local reporters after the church service, Mr. Edwards reiterated the need to ensure that black voters, in particular, were confident in the integrity of this year's election.
"What most African-American voters want - not just in Florida, but everywhere - is to know that they are going to get a chance to register, they're not going to be intimidated, they will get a chance to vote and their vote will be counted," a pool report quoted him as saying.
"They don't want to be disenfranchised," Mr. Edwards said. "A lot of sweat, blood and tears have gone into getting African-Americans the right to vote and we have to make sure, all of us."
Mr. Kerry and Mr. Edwards toured several critical states in the days after the vice-presidential selection was announced, but in the last week Mr. Edwards has campaigned on his own - visiting Iowa, Illinois, Louisiana, Texas and California before Sunday's swing through Florida.
He spoke to a few hundred Orange County, Fla., political leaders Sunday afternoon at one of the huge hotels that line Interstate 4 south of Orlando, near Walt Disney World and the area's other theme parks.
Senator Bill Nelson, Democrat of Florida, introduced Mr. Edwards, saying that the I-4 corridor was "ground zero" in the Democrats' efforts to win the state in November.
"As we get ready, take nothing for granted," Mr. Edwards told the audience.
Mr. Edwards spoke later in another giant hotel ballroom, here on the Atlantic coast between Miami and Fort Lauderdale, and again emphasized economic issues in between bursts of praise for Mr. Kerry.
"What America needs is a commander in chief who will lead the world, not bully it," Mr. Edwards said.
Mr. Edwards has been the target of campaign jabs from both President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney in recent days, but he refrained on Sunday from firing back - or even mentioning the vice president.
Instead, Mr. Edwards, of North Carolina, stuck doggedly to the message he had delivered all week, praising Mr. Kerry and promising that theirs would be a "campaign of hope" based on "real values" that eschews the "old and tired politics of hate" exemplified by Republican television advertisements.
It was reminiscent of the upbeat theme Mr. Edwards struck in the final days leading to the Iowa caucuses in January, which distinguished him from the harsh attacks by some of the other Democratic candidates and was credited with propelling his campaign to a surprisingly strong second-place finish.
He flew back Sunday night to North Carolina, where another fund-raiser was scheduled for Monday. Since heading out on his own, Mr. Edwards has attended five fund-raisers that brought an estimated $3.2 million into the campaign, a party spokesman said.
After that, he will take time off the trail in Washington - working on his acceptance speech - before heading out again on Thursday.
The Democratic convention opens on July 26 in Boston. Mr. Edwards is scheduled to give his acceptance speech on July 28.
RICK LYMAN
NY Times
