MSNBC reports:
I guess we could have seen it coming. This leaves a lot of Wisconsinites and Democrats in general without their favorite candidate -- who will Edwards supporters back now? Is Edwards a potential VP candidate? Who will shape the issues?
DENVER - Democrat John Edwards is exiting the presidential race Wednesday, ending a scrappy underdog bid in which he steered his rivals toward progressive ideals while grappling with family hardship that roused voters'sympathies but never diverted his campaign, The Associated Press has learned.
I guess we could have seen it coming. This leaves a lot of Wisconsinites and Democrats in general without their favorite candidate -- who will Edwards supporters back now? Is Edwards a potential VP candidate? Who will shape the issues?
Labels: 2008
10 Comments:
This will make Wisconsin much, much more interesting than it would have been before.
Not only will Obama and Clinton court the vast pool of moderates in this state, but now they will begin to court former Edwards voters.
I honestly don't see Edwards supporting or endorsing anyone quite yet, especially since it's so close to Super Tuesday. I think he wants to see how the rest of the primaries go, because this race will be down to the wire.
I think former Edwards supporters will try to find the candidate that next fits their political beliefs. I have a feeling that they would lean more towards Obama than Clinton, since the messages were somewhat similar.
This could be a great shot in the arm for Obama.
Oh, and don't forget Gravel. He's still running, or he forgot to tell anyone that he dropped out. Either is possible.
It's too bad, I was hoping he would stay in through Super Tuesday, because his rhetoric definitely helped pull the Democrats leftward. The CW is that this will help Obama but I'm not convinced Edwards voters' second choice is overwhelmingly Obama, regardless of who he endorses.
PS I don't think he'd be a good vice-presidential candidate, he never got along well with Kerry and I don't think he particularly likes Clinton. Robert Novak reported last week that Edwards is likely to be appointed Attorney General in an Obama administration. Finally, I'm really looking forward to an Obama/Clinton 1 on 1 debate, that will be interesting and hopefully help me make up my mind.
What happens to the Edwards delegates? Do they go to convention uncommitted?
Also, Gov. Doyle is rumored to be another top choice for AG under an Obama administration.
You think 26 delegates are going to be decisive?
Suchita -- People can correct me if I'm wrong, but as I understand it, delegates elected for candidates who have dropped out are "released" by convention for the eventual nominee. If you look at the actual 2004 convention ballot, John Kerry was in first, and Dennis Kucinich in second -- Kucinich was the only one not to release his delegates for Kerry. So no, these candidates aren't "uncommitted," they're committed to Edwards right now and waiting for his go-ahead.
And to the above posts, no, I don't think Edwards voters will flock to Obama in droves. I see a fairly even distribution of support to Obama and Clinton -- not counting, of course, the Edwards supporters who will go into Super Tuesday unaware he dropped out.
John Edwards ran a spirited and friendly campaign, but it hit several wrong notes and was (we know now) doomed from the start. His level of populist rhetoric is admirable, and he could have been nominated during the 1930s. But his base (lower-middle class, or below-the-poverty-line voters) was never going to be large enough to make him the nominee. And the unexpected Obama candidacy meant that Edwards was unable to make headway among young college students, so his volunteer base dwindled as well. A sad day for a very good man, but at least he saw it coming.
Finally, the odds of Edwards being the VP choice again are very, very low. Failed VP candidates are rarely re-nominated. We all know Clinton would look beyond the slate of fellow primary candidates (Vilsack or Bayh, probably), and that Obama needs somebody with a career in public service and mastery of foreign policy issues (a Johnson to his Kennedy -- Joe Biden perhaps.)
i still have trouble thinking that it will be two senators on the ticket...
but onto delegates. edwards is officially "suspending" his campaign, not dropping out. the difference means that he will hold onto his 26 delegates until convention, when he may choose to give them to one candidate or another.
i still don't see this coming down to convention, but i'm more and more worried about a mccain candidacy. the arizona senator appeals to moderates on a number of issues and would be very formidable in the fall.
Yeah, I can't wait to see him run back to the center on immigration and taxes after flirting with the far-right during his run. Should be hilarious to watch.
Edwards supporters may not necessarily flock to Obama, but I can't imagine how this isn't good news for Obama nevertheless. Edwards was the most outspoken anti-Hillary candidate. Such an enormous part of his rhetoric was directed at her for acceptign lobbyist contributions, being part of the "status quo," and for falling in line with Bush's Iraq policy (Iran vote etc.). It would be humiliating for Edwards to endorse Hillary after he has been so critical of her and even suggested in NH that there should be a debate between the "two agents of change."
Another thing benefitting Obama: John Edwards' base was NOT poor voters. Most of his support came from salon populists in the middle to upper middle class. Although he geared his message towards poverty, he continually failed to garner support from lower income voters.
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