On the Campaign Trail for Edwards
By Chuck Mahaleris, Special to The Monument

Falmouth--Sean Mooney wears many hats. This 39-year old Falmouth man is an environmental lawyer with Verrill and Dana. He is a husband. He is the father of three. He is also a political activist. Currently, he is the volunteer Chairman for John Edwards' Presidential campaign in Maine.

"(Edwards) is from a rural state and grew up in a rural town and he has strong appeal to small towns in Iowa. He has the same attraction in rural towns in New Hampshire. I think he can really speak to people in Gray and New Gloucester. I think he can really speak to the people of Maine." Right, Sean Mooney, Verrill & Dana photo

Mooney spoke with The Monument Newspaper on Friday. "I think this is the most important race I have ever seen. This is a critical juncture for America," Mooney said. He explained that he sees America becoming more divided between haves and have nots under President George W. Bush. "I don't like the two-tiered system that is crystallizing under Bush. It's pretty discouraging."

Edwards, who is a first-term United States Senator, surprised many when he came in second during the Iowa Caucuses. He had been expected to come in fourth or fifth in that Midwestern state. His strong showing changed the dynamics of the campaigns in both New Hampshire and Maine.

"We were swamped with people who wanted to know more and wanted to volunteer. In New Hampshire they have been overwhelmed. They have had to start giving tickets to his events because they have had to turn away hundreds of people," Mooney said.

Here in Maine, Mooney said that he has seen the ranks of volunteers expand rapidly since the caucuses. Maine now has nearly 200 Edwards activists despite the fact that the candidate Edwards has not visited the Pine Tree State and the campaign has not hired any paid staff for Maine.

He said that Maine volunteers for Edwards are focusing on New Hampshire first and then on the February 8th caucuses here. "People are going down to help in New Hampshire until Tuesday. They go down there, hear him speak or volunteer and then come back and want to volunteer here."

Mooney- who has volunteered on the campaigns for Tom Allen, Chellie Pingree, and Bill Bradley- loves the work he is doing and believes in his candidate. "He is the one candidate who listens to a question and gives an answer to that question and doesn't try to figure out what box that question fits into. That played well in Iowa. He stuck to a positive message. That made a difference," he said.

Mooney recognizes, though, that Edwards may not be among the top finishers in the Granite State. "I think if he gets 4th place, he will do quite well for New Hampshire. He could get 3rd place and then he goes to South Carolina. I think he can win in states where the Democrat Party can no longer concede to Republicans- the south and the southwest. He can really compete there against President Bush."

Then the campaign will pick up in Maine. Mooney will organize volunteers to get people to caucus for Edwards on February 8th and to hold fundraisers, meet-ups, and write support letters. "The hard part is trying to balance work, family and volunteering. You can be doing this 24 hours a day."