ABC "Good Morning America"-Transcript
Interview
ABC "Good Morning America"-Transcript
MS. SHIPMAN: Joining us today, one of the Democratic presidential candidates trying to unseat Hillary Clinton as the frontrunner, and I think a candidate who would argue she is beatable. Senator Edwards, thank you for being with us today.
MR. EDWARDS: Thanks, Claire. Good to be with you, Claire.
MS. SHIPMAN: Great. There is some good news for you today. The endorsement of two unions, United Mine Workers and United Steelworkers. But although your platform should draw most unions to you, you're having trouble with a couple of them. The Service Employees is holding out, United Transportation has endorsed Hillary Clinton, saying, she's the clear winner. Are you having an issue with what we saw in Kate Snow's report, that Hillary Clinton is simply viewed as unbeatable?
MR. EDWARDS: No, I think exactly the opposite. With the steelworkers, the carpenters and the mineworkers, which have come on board in endorsing me, in supporting me over the last few days, we're approaching two million working families and union members, which is way above what anybody else has, including Senator Clinton, and I think what this means is there's a real shift in the race as of today. I think we'll continue to see over the course of the next month other unions making their decisions, but the reason they support me is because I want to see the system in Washington that doesn't work, change.
And second, because this is the cause of my life, fighting for fairness, economic fairness for working people. This is what I'm about.
MS. SHIPMAN: Well, you're talking about a shift in the race. We've also seen a shift, perhaps in your strategy lately, a new tone in your campaign speeches attacking Hillary Clinton. Let's play one line from one of your latest stump speeches if we could.
MR. EDWARDS: (From videotape.) The American people deserve to know that their presidency is not for sale, the Lincoln Bedroom is not for rent.
MS. SHIPMAN: Now, your campaign has denied that that is a direct reference to Hillary Clinton. Really?
MR. EDWARDS: What it's a reference to is a problem that's existed in Washington for decades. The Republican and Democratic administrations, I'd be the first to say that. And the problem is that most Americans don't feel like they're represented there. I mean, for example, most Americans believe we need universal healthcare. And they know the reason we don't have it is because of drug companies, insurance companies and their lobbyists in Washington.
Listen, I respect Senator Clinton, but she and I have a big disagreement about this. She defends the system in Washington. I think it needs to change. And I think if we don't change it we can't have universal healthcare, we can't get America off its addiction to oil. We can't deal with the big issues that face the country.
MS. SHIPMAN: Now, do you think your campaign will benefit at this point from reminding voters about what they didn't like about the Clintons? I was struck by another line you've been using lately: the trouble with nostalgia is that you tend to remember what you like and forget what you didn't.
And it seems clear that you're trying to remind voters what they didn't like about the Clintons.
MR. EDWARDS: No, what I'm trying to do is make sure that people understand they have a real choice here. Senator Clinton defends Washington lobbyists and the system that exists in Washington, and thinks she can work within that system. If that were true, we would already have universal healthcare. If that were true, America would be attacking global warming in a serious way. I don't believe it's true. I think we need a president of the United States who's willing to go after that system and change it, and bring about these big substantive changes that the country needs.
We just have a disagreement, and the American people and the voters in the Democratic primary are going to have a choice. And I think what we've seen from almost two million labor union members is they've chosen me. Because they believe not only we need to change Washington, but in the general election, in these battleground states which these unions represent, Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, the places the Democrats have to do well, that I'm the strongest general election candidate.
MS. SHIPMAN: Well, the national poll numbers might not reflect that at this point. Let's look at some of the polls. Nationally, a recent poll has Hillary Clinton with an overwhelmingly 48 percent compared to Barack Obama at 21 percent and then you at 13 percent. I think it might be fair to call your strategy at this point Iowa, Iowa, Iowa. Look at the Iowa polling. You are ahead at 29 percent, Hillary Clinton at 24 percent, Barack Obama at 22 percent. Do you have to win Iowa to have a shot here?
MR. EDWARDS: What I have to do is continue the momentum that we see today on Labor Day. Which is, millions of people supporting me, believing in my message of universal healthcare, attacking global warming, creating a country where not just a few rich people, but everybody has a real chance, and making it clear what I believe we need to do in Iraq. I think when those choices are in front of voters they will decide to support me, in addition to the reason that the unions are supporting me, which is I stand up for working people and they believe I'm the strongest candidate in the general election.
And the same polls that you're talking about, if you look at the general election match up, show very clearly that I'm the strongest Democrat to beat the Republicans in the general election. And these people are sophisticated, they know what they're doing, which is why they're supporting me.
MS. SHIPMAN: All right. Senator Edwards, thank you very much for being with us this morning. We appreciate it.
MR. EDWARDS: Thanks for having me.
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