The temperature in the Polish Cadets Hall on Grant Street in Buffalo rose gradually Friday night as Senator John Edwards heated up his campaign for president in front of an over-capacity crowd of students, senior citizens and local politicos.
When Edwards took the stage at 6:45 p.m. to John Mellencamp's upbeat rock song "Small Town," the room was packed and the air was stifling.
Edwards dripped in sweat as he denounced President George W. Bush and described his own campaign's vision for "one America."
"What we need is a president of the United States who comes from were you come from, who knows the problems people face everyday," Edwards said.
While Sen. Edwards (D-N.C.) is considered by many pundits to be a distant second in the race for the Democratic nomination - Howard Dean is out of the race, and Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) has the most delegates - Edwards got several standing ovations as he criticized Bush's agenda.
Crowd members at the hall, a century-old brick structure in Buffalo's Black Rock neighborhood, shouted out spontaneously during Edward's speech as if in a Southern church.
Edwards sweated so much that at one point in the lecture a woman stood up and handed him a handkerchief.
"I've been getting ready for this fight my whole life," Edwards said. "You have to give me a shot at George Bush, because if you give me a shot I'm going to give you back the White House."
Masten District Councilman Antoine Thompson announced the opening of an Edwards for President campaign office on Hertel Avenue.
Though Edward's beloved Carolina Panthers lost Super Bowl XXXVIII to the New England Patriots, he said he's looking forward to the next North Carolina-New England matchup on the national scene.
"I'll tell you one thing that I don't intend to do is lose another battle to someone from Massachusetts," Edwards said.
Several audience members sporting "Edwards for President" stickers and buttons said they were optimistic about Edwards's chances in the March 2 New York primary. Though Edwards lost to John Kerry in last week's Wisconsin primary, many analysts saw the six-point margin as a strong showing for him.
"I am a supporter," said Beverly Jones, a UB graduate who sat in the front row and held a small American flag. "I am excited about his campaign."
According to the campaign Web site, Edwards was born in South Carolina and grew up in a small North Carolina town.
The son of a mill worker and a post office worker, Edwards was the first in his family to attend college, and he eventually earned a law degree from University at North Carolina Chapel Hill.
After 20 years as a trial lawyer fighting against the "big corporations," he ran successfully for Senate in 1998.
"I think he comes from where we come from," said Jeff Long of Buffalo, who attended the rally.
During his speech, Edwards said he believes the election should not be focused on personal attacks and that his campaign is based on hope, not cynicism.
Edwards said he has tried to establish a different viewpoint than Kerry on the heated issue of trade agreements and their connections to jobs.
"One of the fronts I want to focus on today is jobs and trade, and what needs to be done not just to protect our jobs, but to create jobs in this country," said Edwards.
The large sign behind the candidate proclaiming, "A Vote for John Edwards is a Vote for Buffalo Jobs" further emphasized Edward's message of job creation.
If elected, Edwards said he would create a tax system that rewards companies that keep jobs in American hands and make sure that new trade agreements have labor and environmental standards.
Edwards also proposed a debate between himself and Kerry, moderated by Tim Russert, the homegrown host of NBC's "Meet the Press," which some Washington insiders consider the most influential Sunday morning political talk show.
Edwards has been insistent in his requests for a debate with Kerry, perhaps another strategy designed to politely illustrate the differences between the two candidates without being negative.
"I came here today to ask every one of you to go to the polls on primary day," Edwards said. "I can't change this country by myself, but we can do it together."
Photo: Meredith Forrest Kulwicki
