NC Insiders: Edwards has little clout in NC

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Sunday May 04, 2008 · 12:30 AM PDT

2008/05/04 · 00:30

Remember Kos' telling us that former Senators/Governors/Congresscritters/etc. have no clout with the voters of their home states because they have no political machine, whereas mayors generally have the most clout of all?

Here's more corroboration for his theory: According to North Carolina's political pundits, John Edwards' endorsement wouldn't mean diddly to most North Carolinians, because he doesn't have a machine.

More after the jump.

From the Politico by way of Huff Post piece:

The former senator and 2004 Democratic vice presidential nominee, they say, was like a political comet. He seemingly appeared out of nowhere, inspired awe with the intensity of his talent, blazed through a single term in the Senate, then disappeared from the radar almost entirely.

"The guy is truly an exceptional story, but for someone who is so well-known nationally, he has very little standing in the party in this state," says John Davis, president of the North Carolina Forum for Research and Economic Education (NCFREE), a business-backed organization that conducts political research. "You simply do not hear his name associated with the work in the vineyards and making a difference in terms of fundraisers or endorsements."

The problem? He apparently never forged strong relationships with the state party insiders. This was blamed on his choosing to run for president so soon after being elected to the Senate, but both Obama and Clinton managed to forge connections to the party leaders in their states despite working on their presidential campaign. As much as I like John Edwards, I can see how being aloof from the people running the state branch of your party would be detrimental to your influence.

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