When Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., arrived Saturday at the Inn On The Park, 22 S. Carroll St., he hopped on stage with an ear-to-ear grin, shaking hands all around.
Many are attracted to Edwards-who wore a suit and sneakers-for his charisma.
\I don't want an angry president anymore,"" said Madison resident Brian Lisse, who was one of hundreds attending the rally. ""[Edwards] is the only one who smiles and is happy inside and can project it.""
Mayor Dave Cieslewicz, who endorsed Edwards Friday, introduced him at the rally by saying, ""I like the kind of campaign John Edwards has run. He has appealed to the best in us all.""
But Edwards focused the rally on his platform. Echoing the theme of previous speeches, Edwards began by saying voters must unite an America divided along economic lines.
With beads of sweat scattering off his temples as he spoke, Edwards demanded the country ""outsource the president"" and undo many of his policies. His attack on President Bush's Medicare and job retention record elicited a particularly strong response from the audience.
Social issues ranked high on Edwards' list of priorities. He called on the government to enforce civil rights, saying ""[minority rights] is not an African-American issue, it's an American issue."" He also mentioned his support for abortion rights.
""We have to have a president in the White House that will stand up strongly, loudly and forever for a woman's right to choose,"" Edwards said.
But his position on gay marriage, a hot-button issue in this state, is more centrist.
""I believe that states should be allowed to decide for themselves what kind of marriage they want to recognize, and I think the federal government, for benefits purposes, should honor that,"" Edwards said after the rally.
Edwards and his supporters disregarded poll numbers putting him well behind front-runner Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass. Edwards insisted he would ""stay in the race all the way through March.""
Madison resident Paula Beard, for one, said the media were to blame for putting Edwards so low.
""If it hadn't been for the press ... he would have gotten credit [for his second-place finish in Iowa] and overtaken Kerry in New Hampshire. The media ... have coronated Kerry. It's a coronation, not an election,"" she said.
But Lisse remained optimistic.
""Once his message gets out and is perceived by the media, I think he's more than electable-he's the man!"" he said.
