November 3, 2005 

Senator Edwards, thank you for agreeing to participate in NH Insider’s inaugural “10 Questions.” First, we would like to wish the best to your wife Elizabeth who we hope is feeling better and also to your family.

1. During the course of your Presidential campaign in what ways did your family have to adapt to handle the constant traveling and the public scrutiny?

Thanks for your thoughts about Elizabeth. She is doing great and really appreciates all the support she has received from our friends in New Hampshire and all over the country.

On to your question - obviously, the campaign changed our life a great deal, but we all truly felt that it was such an amazing opportunity to be able to travel all across the country, meet so many wonderful people and talk about the ideas and policies we care about so deeply. Cate and our younger kids joined us on the campaign trail a lot, and those times are some of my best memories. When I traveled alone though, I constantly talked to Elizabeth and Cate and got updates about how everyone was doing.

2. What do you see as the Democratic parties’ greatest weakness?

The reason I am a Democrat and will always be a Democrat is because we give voice to those who have no voice. The one thing we shouldn’t do as a Party is to try to shift or nuance our core beliefs. We have a clear set of convictions and we need to fight for them passionately.

3. What do you envision as being accomplished during your tenure as Director of the Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity?

First, we want to shine a bright spotlight on poverty and raise awareness about the need to do something to help those who are struggling. Second, we want to bring the best minds from around the country together to examine the root causes of poverty and develop new ideas for ending poverty.

4. There are a lot of rumors that you will be running for the Democratic Presidential nomination again in 2008. Do you think you have the ability to distance yourself from what some Democratic Party activists consider a failed 2004 campaign?

I’m focused on two things right now - making sure Elizabeth is well for the long-term and doing something about poverty. I’ll let the pundits yap about the past, but I’m very proud of the campaign John Kerry and I waged for the American people.

5. What have you found to be the greatest differences between your former role as a policy maker and your current role in academia as a policy analyst?

It’s so refreshing to be outside of Washington and focused on the issues that truly make a difference in the lives of all Americans. When you’re outside of Washington, it’s much easier to hear directly from people about the issues they deal with everyday and come up with the most effective and viable solutions for the people who need help the most. Also, it allows me to focus on grassroots efforts to end poverty.

6. Some said during the 2004 Presidential Election that your background in international affairs and military issues was thin; in what ways have you strengthened these credentials since the end of the campaign?

There is a huge vacuum of moral leadership from our country on some of the most pressing global issues facing us today. We are not leading on fundamentally moral issues like climate change, Darfur , global poverty and we are not even doing as much as some other countries to address these challenges. I have been traveling extensively to learn more about what we should be doing to restore America 's role as a true leader on the global stage. I have been to Britain and Russia already this year and will be traveling to India in the next couple of weeks. I am also remaining very focused on some of the national security challenges that I worked on in the Senate - like nuclear non-proliferation - as a part of my work as a co-chair of the Council on Foreign Relations Task Force on U.S.-Russian Relations with Jack Kemp.

7. The South has been heavily Republican ever since the political realignment of the 1960s, and the Kerry/Edwards ticket made no significant advances there in 2004. What will it take for a Democrat to win the south, and your home state of North Carolina?

First of all, Democrats have shown repeatedly that we can win in my home state and states across the South. Americans want leaders who stick to their convictions. We need to hold firm to our core beliefs and not try to shift our or nuance positions. We believe everyone deserves a fair chance and that we have a moral responsibility to help those who are struggling to get by. We show true leadership by staying true to what we believe.

One of the most important things Democrats can do is to begin our efforts as early as possible, and not try to start to build a grassroots network three months before an election. We need to build the party from the ground up and that is why I’m traveling all across the country to help raise money for state legislative candidates and caucuses for my Raising the States initiative.

8. It is well known that you like Diet Coke and drink lots of it; have you considered switching to Coca-Cola Zero or original Coca-Cola in light of recent scientific findings?

I used to drink an obscene amount of Diet Coke and realized after the campaign that I definitely needed to cut back. In January of this year, I actually quit cold turkey and I only drink Diet Sprite now. Diet Cokes are still really tempting, but I haven’t given in yet.

9. In the past you have opposed caps on medical malpractice law suits; if a compromise was offered to expand federal health care to children, but included a strict cap on malpractice suits, would you support it as a means to both help low income children and curtail costs doctors pay in insurance premiums?

That's a false choice. If we change the Republicans' spending priorities, we can provide quality, affordable health care to everyone who needs it. We can start by rolling back George Bush's tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and eliminating wasteful spending. Taking the rights of children and families wronged by powerful insurance companies doesn't help pay for anybody's health coverage.

10. While your home state is North Carolina you have spent a lot of time here in New Hampshire; if you had the choice would you choose New England clam chowder or jambalaya?

Both are great, but I prefer North Carolina Bar-B-Que.