Volunteers at heart of Edwards' campaign

ROCK RAPIDS, Iowa, Oct. 31 (UPI) -- Former U.S. Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., is counting on remaining competitive in his quest for the Democratic presidential nomination through his volunteers.

While U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., have been focusing their campaign efforts on TV commercials, Edwards has become increasingly reliant on his volunteers' efforts, the Raleigh (N.C.) News & Observer said Wednesday.

Despite the significant difference in his campaigning strategy, Edwards has remained confident he can be competitive in states like Iowa, whose caucus date is swiftly approaching.

"We are very organized," Edwards said during a recent Iowa visit. "We know how to do this. We know how the Iowa caucus works. We know the hard, nose-to-the-grindstone work that has to be done. I don't think Iowa caucus voters are a television-driven vote. They are looking very hard at each one of us."

The newspaper said Edwards also is relying on labor unions in Iowa to help him in the Jan. 3 caucus. He was recently endorsed by the Iowa chapter of the Service Employees International Union.