The Washington Post reported the results:

DES MOINES, Jan. 19 -- Sen. John Edwards, who conspicuously stood apart from the fray and refused to criticize his Democratic rivals, said Monday night that his strong second-place finish in the Iowa caucuses was evidence that "a positive, uplifting message to change America" will resonate in New Hampshire and beyond.

The senator from North Carolina, who had vowed to "shock the world" with his performance here, surged ahead of early front-runners Howard Dean, the former governor of Vermont, and Rep. Richard A. Gephardt of Missouri in the final two weeks of the campaign to finish behind Sen. John F. Kerry of Massachusetts...

"I came here a year ago with a belief that we could change this country, with a belief that the politics of what was possible, the politics of hope, could overcome the politics of cynicism," Edwards said to a roomful of cheering supporters shortly after 9:30 p.m. Central time at a hotel in downtown Des Moines."

As recently as November, Edwards was polling in single digits in Iowa, but his fortunes changed just after New Year's Day, when he won the endorsement of the Des Moines Register, the state's largest newspaper. In the past week, the crowds at his campaign events grew larger and more enthusiastic, and campaign officials said their offices were flooded with phone calls from people wanting to help.

Edwards, 50, stuck to his basic campaign message, but the renewed energy surrounding his candidacy was obvious. On the stump, he smiled more widely, was more animated and encouraged his audiences to shout back when he asked them if they wanted change in Washington.

In interviews during the past week, most Iowans cited Edwards's optimistic message and praised him for refraining from joining in the internal fighting that dominated the large field of Democratic candidates.

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