ABC This Week with George Stephanopoulos Transcript

HEADLINE: SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS CAMPAIGN TRAIL

BODY:
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, ABC NEWS

(Off Camera) We were back on the presidential campaign trail again this week, this time in New Hampshire with Democratic candidate Senator John Edwards of North Carolina. After a successful career as a trial attorney that made him millions, Edwards first burst onto the national political scene only five years ago. In 1998 he won his Senate seat on his first try. In 2000 he made Al Gore's short list for vice president. And in 2002, the inside buzz said this first term Senator could be the Democrats' next best home to win the White House. But after a strong fund raising start this spring, the Edwards campaign has stagnated. In Iowa he's far behind the leaders and in New Hampshire he's in even worse shape. At home in North Carolina, Democrats are uneasy with Edwards refusal to rule out running for reelection to the Senate next year if his presidential run doesn't pan out. It's time to make up your mind, they say, and as you'll see that pressure is starting to show up in New Hampshire. This is the Edwards family on summer vacation. Kate is 21, Jack is three, and Claire is five. And they've all joined their dad as he rides his Real Solutions express through Iowa and New Hampshire. The candidate's wife Elizabeth is logging every mile, too. When I joined the bus on Wednesday afternoon in Concord, I began by asking them how the campaign became a family affair.

SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS, DEMOCRAT, NORTH CAROLINA

Well, it's, you know, 26 years of marriage, two or three years of relationship before that, because we met in law school. Elizabeth and I have done everything together. And it would be impossible not to do this together. And on top of the fact that she's my conscience, she's the person I trust the most in my life and she loves the public policy stuff. I mean, the fact that she's interested in it, in the substance of this stuff really matters.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

(Off Camera) Even part of the strategy meetings, the policy meetings?

ELIZABETH EDWARDS, CANDIDATE'S WIFE

No, I've been part of some things but I have a job, I'm a mom. So when I'm able to do that stuff, I like to participate, when John's not able to be there for one reason or another. I know where he stands on a lot of things, so I'm able to be there and reflect that, which is great. I think he feels confident when I'm there instead of him that I'll be able to say what he thinks. He knows that I have no agenda another than the things that he believes in.

SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS

It kind of helps that we believe in the same thing.

ELIZABETH EDWARDS

It does. It does. Well we have slight differences, and I almost always concede when yours is different than mine.

SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS

No, no, I don't believe that.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

(Off Camera) I can't help but notice the comparison. It's in so many different ways to the Clintons, 12 years ago. Hillary and Bill Clinton, partnership since law school. You all met in law school. The campaign has a book very similar to putting people first, putting the pamphlet out. How consciously have you tried to draw from the Clinton experience in this campaign?

SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS

Not. I haven't, no. I have an enormous ...

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

(Off Camera) You've talked to him a lot?

SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS

Oh, of course, and I have enormous respect and affection for both the Clintons. And I think they're very good people who did a lot of good for this country. I can't help but have a lot of admiration and faith.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

(Off Camera) You don't think you can repeat history in that way?

SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS

I don't think we're the same. I mean, I think we have similarities but we have lots of differences. I'm very much I think a Washington outsider. Somebody who doesn't spend my whole life in politics.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

(Off Camera) I want to take a step back and look at the overall campaign. We last talked back in January and I looked back at the polls this week, and basically national polls, New Hampshire polls, Iowa polls, nothing's moved since January.

SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS

Right.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

(Off Camera) One, does it frustrate you. And, two, how do you explain it?

SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS

I think it's completely expected. Because I spend most of the first part of the year focused on two things. One was developing all my substance policy ideas so I felt I was on firm footing for my vision and the details for that vision. Second we made sure we had the money, the resources to run a national campaign. We accomplished both those things. Now we get to do what I love. This is what I love.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

(Off Camera) But it's still not showing up -in the polls. Either here or in Iowa. And it's going to have to start to move.

SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS

Of course. But you would expect it to. I mean, we've all been doing this now for somewhere between four and six weeks. I mean, we just really started campaigning hard, and intensely on the ground. And the most obvious thing to me is that this campaign and this nomination is completely wide open.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

(Off Camera) What is it you need, then, to do specifically here in New Hampshire?

SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS

A hundred plus town hall meetings. Connect with voters. May have a clear message which I believe I have and I've had from the very beginning, and make sure that the voters see me personally.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

(Voice Over) Town meeting number 21 is in Manchester that evening.

SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS

What a terrific turnout. I'm really pleased that you all took the time to be here tonight.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

(Voice Over) Edwards may resist the comparison to Clinton, here he displays a similar style. He feels everyone's pain.

RESIDENT, FEMALE

I just got a letter a few days ago telling me they're going to cut my check from $552 to $65 a month. I cannot live on that.

SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS

Of course you can't, bless your heart.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

(Voice Over) He follows through on every question.

SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS

Before you leave here tonight I've got folks over there, and we'll get your name and address and let me see if I can't do something to help you.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

(Voice Over) He's got a program for every problem.

SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS

Here's what I would do as president, for our public schools.

SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS

Here's what I want to do about health care in America.

SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS

Here's what I believe about Social Security.

SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS

I'm also proposing that we actually give a credit, a tax credit to families so that they can make a down payment on a home they otherwise wouldn't be able to make a down payment on a home.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

(Voice Over) Only one subject is off limits.

RESIDENT, MALE

How has the death of your son altered or reinforced your political views?

SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS

For those of you who don't know, my son Wade, who's my oldest child, died in an automobile accident seven years ago. I appreciate you asking, it's a perfectly fair and reasonable question, I would respectfully decline to answer. I think that's personal to me and personal to my family.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

(Voice Over) Edwards is rarely at a loss for words, and when it comes to President Bush, he's relentless.

SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS

What George Bush honors and respects is one thing, wealth. Think about this, George Bush, corporate responsibility. And what about educational opportunities? No child left behind? What do you all think of no child left behind? What is this president going to do about it? Nothing, it's nothing but a political slogan for him.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

(Voice Over) The crowd loved it. When they finally went home, I asked the candidate about all that Bush-bashing.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

(Off Camera) Sounds kind of personal to you.

SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS

Well, this election is personal to me. Because I do not believe that George Bush understands or connects in any way with the kind of problems the people that I grew up with have, and I think he treats a lot of these issues like political issues.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

(Off Camera) But you know, a lot of American people don't believe it. His job approval rating is pretty high, people trust him, all the polls show that people trust him, they believe he's gonna do the right thing in a crisis. What are they missing?

SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS

They haven't heard the case, it is very important for them to hear the case, to hear not just what he's doing wrong, but also, what, in my case, what I would do for the country, to move the country forward.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

(Off Camera) Do you worry the all though when you say things like he's dangerous. In the past you've called him a phony, that it might turn off the independents and Republicans because you're going to need independents and Republicans if you're going to be president.

SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS

What I'm going to talk about is what George Bush has done for working class people in America. Middle class people. What effect he's had on their lives. His great weakness is he does pretend to be on the side of working class rural families.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

(Off Camera) Pretend?

SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS

He's not. Just look at what he does. He has not improved their lives, and that case has to be made.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

(Voice Over) The next morning in Rochester, Edwards has his work cut out for him. And over breakfast at Benedicts he gets some help.

RESIDENT

Social security and health care. John Edwards 2004.com.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

(Off Camera) The campaign's message of the day is homeland security. Edwards meets with firefighters and police here in Rochester this morning and again in Salem this afternoon.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

(Voice Over) There's another town meeting in Durham at lunchtime.

SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS

There are no rules you can ask anything you want.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

(Voice Over) The candidate confronts the risks of a town meeting strategy. Just before Edwards finishes speaking, a man walks in off the street. It turns out he's from North Carolina, too. And he's worried that Edwards' presidential ambitions could cost the Democrats his Senate seat.

RESIDENT

There is a very strong Republican candidate now in North Carolina. And you can't dilly around running against ...

SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS

I'm running for president. That's all I'm doing.

RESIDENT

You're not gonna run for the Senate?

SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS

I have not made any decision about that. Let me finish, let me finish, what I am doing is 100 percent running for president. That is what I'm spending all my time doing. All of my fund raising has been in my race for the presidency. All of my time and energy. I am 110 percent psychologically committed to running for president. Everything I'm doing, and I'm not doing anything to run for the Senate seat. And I will over the next few months, might do something about the Senate seat and do something about the other candidates who want to run for the Senate seat. I hear what you're saying and I understand that.

RESIDENT

Except your putting the seat in jeopardy.

SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS

I disagree with you about that. I respect what you're saying, but I disagree with you. I know North Carolina very well. Yes, ma'am.

SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS

(Voice Over) After that exchange, Mrs. Edwards weighs in, too.

RESIDENT

Of course. My question is at what point is he going to understand - where he stands in the polls, and he has to make a decision at some point. The longer he waits to make a decision, the longer it will take. The more in jeopardy he becomes.

ELIZABETH EDWARDS

He never misled anybody about when he was going to sign, he's told them all along.

RESIDENT

In February? In February?

ELIZABETH EDWARDS

Uh-huh. He's gonna decide sometime this fall.

PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH, UNITED STATES

(Voice Over) Not surprisingly, this encounter becomes the news of the day. A touch of intrigue is added when Mr. Estherling reveals that he's contributed money to Howard Dean's campaign.

RESIDENT

I happen to be here totally by accident wandering through visiting some people. I didn't come through from somebody else's campaign.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

(Voice Over) Edwards appears to take the campaign's ups and downs in stride. He makes time for an ice cream break with Emma, Claire and Jack. And after his daily run, we're back on the bus for a final talk before two more town meetings that night.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

(Off Camera) So I have to ask you what are the odds of the North Carolina voters showing up at Durham.

SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS

Coincidentally. Almost nonexistent, I think.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

(Off Camera) You don't think it's coincidence?

SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS

Doesn't feel like it, no.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

(Off Camera) He said he'll vote for you for Senator.

SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS

Yeah, yeah. Well, I'm running for president.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

(Off Camera) But at this point, you have said the next two or three months are critical. Is there any chance at all you won't be a candidate in the New Hampshire primary?

SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS

None.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

(Off Camera) Zero?

SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS

Absolutely zero.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

(Off Camera) If you're a betting person, you bet you probably weren't running for the Senate?

SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS

I'd rather not bet on that right now. The thing I would bet on and you're 100 percent sure of getting your money back, is betting on me running for president. All the way through.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

(Off Camera) No question.

SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS

No chance of losing a dime.

PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH

(Voice Over) And what if Edwards hits the jackpot?

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

(Off Camera) Best case, what would want people to say about an Edwards presidency?

SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS

That he gave more opportunity to more Americans than anybody who's ever been president of the United States.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

(Off Camera) And if this doesn't work out, you go back to the courtroom?

SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS

Oh, it's going to work out. I refuse to accept that it won't work out.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

(Off Camera) Not even gonna think about it?

SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS

Not for a second.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

(Off Camera) Senator, thank you.

SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS

Glad to be with you, George.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS

(Off Camera) After our trip I spoke with several Edwards advisers, to a person, they predicted Edwards would drop out of Senate race probably by the time he formally announces the launch of his presidential campaign on September 16th.

Copyright 2003 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. ABC News Transcripts