Ex-Sen. John Edwards, who was John Kerry's running mate in the Democrats' unsuccessful 2004 presidential campaign, visits with supporters during a visit to Tucson on behalf of increasing the minimum wage. Edwards said he's weighing another presidential run in 2008.

Benjie sanders / arizona daily Star

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Not two sentences into his stump speech Monday, former Sen. John Edwards was greeted by someone in the crowd yelling: "Run for president, please!"

Edwards was said to be visiting Tucson to rally for a minimum-wage increase, but there was a feeling of déjà vu in the air: Edwards sounded an awful lot like the presidential candidate he once was.

In an interview after his speech, Edwards — a North Carolina trial lawyer who ended up as John Kerry's running-mate in 2004 after losing in the primary race — said he's thinking a lot about running for president these days but hasn't made up his mind yet.

"A lot of it will have to do with how my wife, Elizabeth, is doing," he said of his wife who was diagnosed with breast cancer the day after Kerry lost the White House. Right now, she's doing well, Edwards said.

The Tucson stop, and one later in the day in Phoenix, came as Arizona voters begin consideration of a measure expected to make the ballot in November seeking to increase the minimum wage from $5.15 to $6.75 an hour.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 2.5 percent of all hourly-paid workers receive wages at or below the minimum.

Edwards, known for his laid-back charisma, is on a national tour to highlight the issue of poverty in America; his acquaintance with U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva brought him here.

The visit was also the second in two weeks to Tucson by a Democratic Party superstar. Howard Dean visited June 29. Both visits are intended to ramp up excitement for Demo-crats in Southern Arizona as several high-profile races heat up this election season.

Edwards' speech was preceded by a half-hour infomercial for Democratic candidates for everything from U.S. Senate down to local school boards. And while his speech, held at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Hall, touched on the minimum-wage initiative, Edwards mostly stuck to what he's become known for: Delivering a populist message with Ronald Reagan-style optimism.

Dressed in khaki pants and a plain white dress shirt (no tie), Edwards said he is "not interested in the Democratic Party that is poll-driven, focus-group-driven" and afraid to take a stance.

As he's done before, Edwards said he was wrong to vote for the Iraq war, drawing hisses when he revealed his original vote and cheers when he said he goofed.

His goal, he said, is to end poverty in America, which he says can be accomplished in the next 30 years if the country commits to the idea. Doing that means realizing people don't become successful on their own, said Edwards, a multimillionaire attorney.

"None of us do this by ourselves," he said, pointing out he was educated in public schools and attended state universities using public grants.

But Darcy Olsen, president of the Goldwater Institute, a small government think tank in Phoenix, said Edwards' approach — from government aid programs to increasing the minimum wage — would hurt American workers and go against America's traditional principles of self-initiative.

"Do you think King George was giving handouts to the American colonists?" she said. "When labor becomes more expensive, employers will contract out to Mexico, reduce employees' hours, and especially in the case of small business, will be forced to cut jobs."

"They're wrong," Edwards said of his critics.

Even though poverty was a signature issue when he ran for president in 2004, Edwards said that as he's traveled the country he's been surprised by "how many people live in poverty."

And it's that message that has folks like Laura Carlson, a middle-aged political independent, hoping they have the chance to support Edwards in 2008. "He's very exhilarating," said Carlson.

And, oh yeah, he's also pretty handsome, she added.