Scholastic Student Reporters Crystal McRae and Stephan Carney interview John Edwards's parents, Wallace and Bobbie, in the kitchen of Edwards's busy campaign headquarters in Columbia, South Carolina, on January 31. (Photo: Steven Ehrenberg)

Saturday, January 31—Behind every candidate is a team of hard-working staffers and volunteers—and parents, too.

John Edwards's mother and father, Bobbie and Wallace Edwards, stopped by his campaign headquarters in Columbia, South Carolina, today. They told Scholastic Student Reporters that when their son was younger, he wanted to be an attorney. Then his ambitions grew.

"I feel very proud," said Wallace Edwards of his son. "He's very capable of being President. We know where his heart is, and what he's all about."

The Edwards campaign headquarters was a busy and exciting place to be. Volunteers, reporters, and photographers were everywhere. Teams of canvassers were preparing to go out and talk to people about why they should vote for Edwards.

Sharon Goldenberger, a volunteer, spends most of her time knocking on doors to talk about her candidate. "He's as good as he seems, and that's rare for a candidate," she said.

Scholastic Student Reporters Crystal McRae and Stephan Carney interview Edwards campaign volunteer Sharon Goldenberger outside Edwards's campaign headquarters in Columbia, South Carolina, on January 31. (Photo: Steven Ehrenberg)

The volunteers were engaged in all kinds of activities. "I'm putting up 'No Parking' signs," said Amit Bose, who traveled from Georgia to help out.

A Visit to Dean

The Dean campaign headquarters in Columbia is located in a house. It was quieter there. Volunteers were organizing to put up signs in supporters' yards. Others were making phone calls, also to potential voters.

Ebs Bernaud, the deputy secretary, said that Howard Dean comes around the office sometimes. "I like his views on health care," said Bernaud. "He likes to talk about health care because he's a doctor."

Jeffrey Lerner, the regional director for South Carolina, agreed. "Health care, health care, health care," he responded when Scholastic Student Reporters asked him to name Dean's favorite issue.

Scholastic Student Reporters Crystal McRae and Stephan Carney interview Dean's deputy secretary, Ebs Bernauld, at the Howard Dean campaign headquarters in Columbia, South Carolina, on January 31. (Photo: Steven Ehrenberg)

We learned that whether it's in a busy storefront or a quiet house, volunteers dedicate a lot of time to getting the word out to voters about their candidates. On Election Day, they will go back to everyone who said they supported their candidate and ask them if they voted yet. This canvassing process is called GOTV, or Get Out the Vote. These volunteers believe in their candidates—and they really want them to win.