Mari Culver endorses Edwards
Posted: Monday, December 17, 2007 3:37 PM by Mark Murray
Filed Under:
2008, Edwards
From NBC/NJ’s Tricia Miller
DES MOINES, IA -- Iowa’s first lady,
Mari Culver, endorsed
Edwards at a rally at the Temple for Performing Arts here this afternoon. She spent her first moment at the podium applauding the field of candidates vying for the nomination.
“Like you, however, I can only select one candidate to stand with on January 3,” she said, taking a breath.
“You got the right one!” a man in the crowd yelled, setting off a new round of cheers from the mostly union crowd.
“And that is why today, I publicly announce my support for John Edwards for president,” she finished.
Culver said she chose Edwards because she has a long-standing relationship with the former senator and agrees with his stances on the issues. She said he comes with an added bonus -- his wife Elizabeth, who introduced Culver -- and that he is a candidate who can inspire people. “Most importantly, I believe John Edwards can win,” the first lady said. “Not just the caucuses but the general election, too. He’s ready. He’s been battle-tested. He’s been through this before, having been on our national ticket.”
The former senator was as effusive in his gratitude for Culver’s endorsement. “Here is a woman who doesn’t just talk the talk. She walks the walk,” Edwards began. He told of a visit he and Culver had paid to a homeless shelter that morning where workers and families had recognized the first lady from previous visits.
The endorsement was not surprising in light of the ties between Edwards and Gov. Chet Culver. Edwards campaigned for then-Secretary of State Culver during his 2006 run for governor. Jen O’Malley, Edwards’ Iowa state director, married Gov. Culver’s chief of staff, Patrick Dillon, this summer. (Dillon also worked for the Edwards campaign in 2004.) Brad Anderson, Culver’s communications director, worked on Edwards’ 2004 presidential run and his 1998 Senate run.
What’s debatable is how much influence the endorsement will have. In 2004 Christie Vilsack’s endorsement of John Kerry was seen as a catalyst to his win. But at that time, her husband had been governor since 1998, and his wife was well-known to Iowans. Mari Culver, a lawyer who has two young children, said that she would be willing to help however her schedule allows. After the event, Culver said that making an ad for Edwards had not yet been discussed, but she ruled out the possibility of a repeat of the “big lug” ad she cut for her husband last year.
