LIANE HANSEN, host:
Former North Carolina Senator John Edwards finished a disappointing third in South Carolina, the state where he was born and where he scored an important primary victory in 2004. I spoke to him last night from his primary night headquarters in Columbia, South Carolina.
Welcome to the program, Senator.
Mr. JOHN EDWARDS (Former Democratic Senator, North Carolina; Presidential Candidate): Thank you so much for having me.
HANSEN: You've insisted no matter how you finished in South Carolina you would continue your campaign. Does your third-place finish change your thinking at all?
Mr. EDWARDS: Not one bit. We actually made great progress this week. We came from much further behind to the place that we finished in this primary. I think it's the result of the debate. The debate went very well for me in the subsequent days after the debate when Senator Clinton, Senator Obama were spending a lot of energy attacking each other personally. And I rose above it and talked about jobs, health care, the war, things where people are interested in. And the second thing I would say is in the last two weeks, we've literally had the best online fundraising we've had in the entire campaign.
HANSEN: Where do you plan to focus your efforts between now and the large number of contests that would be happening on February 5th?
Mr. EDWARDS: Well, we'll hit as many places as possible. I know we're going to Georgia, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Missouri, California. I think we're going to Alabama. I mean, these are the places I can carry around in my head right now. We may go to other places, too. I'm sure we will.
HANSEN: All the way to California?
Mr. EDWARDS: Oh, yeah. We're - listen, we're - there's no long-term process, and there are three of us taking sizable chunks of the vote. It's very hard for anybody to consistently get 50 percent. And so I think what it means is a practical matter. This thing is going on - as I heard Congressman Clyburn say on television tonight, this thing is headed to the convention.
HANSEN: Many voters in several of the primary and caucus states have identified the economy as foremost in their minds as an issue, and you focus much of your campaign on the economy. But voters don't seem to be responding to your message. Are you concerned that your message isn't getting out?
Mr. EDWARDS: I know it's not getting out. I'm not concerned about it. I know it's not. Because in any place I get heard, it works. That's what we saw happen in South Carolina this week. We just ran out of time. I mean, I'm trying to drive this economic message in giving people a real chance through $200 million campaigns and people - and two candidates who absolutely blitz with national media. And it is difficult to get heard. I'm the - that's what makes me the underdog.
HANSEN: Should, Senator, it become unrealistic for you to become the nominee, do you envision another role for yourself in the campaign?
Mr. EDWARDS: You know, if you're doing this and you're doing it 16, 17 hours a day and you believe deeply in the calls of giving voice to people who don't have a voice, you don't spend any time thinking about that. You spend - this is what motivates me, this is what drives me every day. And the call has in no way dissipated or gone away. And so I'm in this for the long term.
HANSEN: Former North Carolina Senator John Edwards. Senator, thank you very much.
Mr. EDWARDS: Thanks for having me.