He’s the hometown boy, the one spending a week in South Carolina before Saturday’s primary… and that’s why you should vote for him.

In his brief speech – less than 30 minutes by my count – he only touched on Iraq and spent several minutes talking about healthcare. But the thing you didn’t forget was that John Edwards comes from South Carolina. 

 ”No one knows… when I tell these stories, no one knows where these places are,” he said.

If elected, he’ll bring the troops home from Iraq. [Big applause] 

Healthcare is “screwed up.”  About 47-million people in America don’t have healthcare.

“If we don’t have a president that’s willing to stand up to drug and insurance companies, nothing is going to change,” he said. “Everyone deserves healthcare.” [Big applause]

But most of all, he’s the “home-grown guy” who attended elementary school here. The other “glitzy” candidates each have $100 million he said “and they’re “jetting” in and out to South Carolina’s big cities. But he’s here, and wants you to tell your friends to vote for him Saturday.

“Candidates take small towns for granted,” he said. “The result is, you get ignored. It’s time to have a President of the United States who understands you and stands up for you.”

The crowd seems responsive toward his “tidal wave of change” declarations. But at least 50 of the 650 audience members were his friends and family – at least according to his parents, who introduced him. Maybe that’s why he’s so confident.

“If you get them to the polls, they’re going to vote for me,” he said.

In two days, we find out. Meanwhile, I’ll be talking to people here to find out what they really think. 

Stay tuned.