No gloating here. I like John Edwards. I like him a lot. If not for Obama, he would be my clear choice for President. I feel very bad for him—I believe him when he says how personal this is for him, and and Mrs F likes to remind me, it is his and his wife's life goal—which is tragically also her dying wish.
It is fitting that this announcement will come in New Orleans where he was scheduled for another speech on poverty.
Thank you, John Edwards for being in this race, and doing everything you've done.
As for the fallout from this, I'm sure there will be barrels of pixels spilled on that today. Of course, I hope he throws his support (and supporters) behind Obama, but I won't be surprised if he holds off a bit on that.
UPDATE: His campaign was talking defiantly about their delegate strategy and many thought he would remian in the race as long as financially feasible. This is definitley turning on a dime, and I can only hope this is a decision of pragmatism and one he is comfortable with, and not because of anything to do with Elizabeth's health.
Hopefully all the Obama and Clinton supporters give the Edwardses and their supporters some space and show some class.
Direct all gloating and schadenfreude to Rudy Guiliani.
UPDATE 2: Statement from Obama:
John Edwards has spent a lifetime fighting to give voice to the voiceless and hope to the struggling, even when it wasn’t popular to do or covered in the news. At a time when our politics is too focused on who’s up and who’s down, he made a nation focus again on who matters – the New Orleans child without a home, the West Virginia miner without a job, the families who live in that other America that is not seen or heard or talked about by our leaders in Washington. John and Elizabeth Edwards have always believed deeply that we can change this – that two Americas can become one, and that our country can rally around this common purpose. So while his campaign may end today, the cause of their lives endures for all of us who still believe that we can achieve that dream of one America.
Also, the word is that this has nothing to do with Elizabeth Edwards' health.
10 comments:
Well said. Love your blog. Our friend Deb of Missives-fame thought I'd like it.
"Direct all gloating and schadenfreude to Rudy Guiliani."
Done and done. We haven't seen the last of Ruday: someone's totally going to make that fascist prick his running mate.
roadkill-
Deb's obviously got good taste. ;-)
rickey-
I'm thinking Rudy needs a nice Nelson Award for playing...
Rudy is still a wanker, but his withdrawal speech wasn't bad. I liked Edwards and he would have been my choice. Smitty pointed me to several of his speeches and I was impressed with how Edwards thought things through.
Mr. F, I think Giuliani needs both a Nelson and the hot cup of STFU.
Dick of the week candidate?
I too like John Edwards a great deal. I'm curious though... I read this morning that 40% of Edwards supporters are thought to have Hillary as their second choice, just 25% Obama. That makes no sense to me. I would have thought it would be reversed and skewed even greater towards Obama. What's to consider?
I've seen numbers in both directions...
Here's the way I see it. Politically active/savvy Edwards supporters who liked him as the anti-establishment/change candidate will naturally flow over to Obama.
The rank and file, blue collar, union supporters will likely go with the party establishment candidate, and that's Hillary.
All the over-analysis about demographics is pointless though—I've heard "experts" claim All rural voters will go to Hillary, but Obama won those voters in Iowa, Nevada and NH.
I think the best way to look at it is based the states we've already seen, assume similar states will follow similar patterns...
Georgia=South Carolina—Edwards and Clinton split 3/4 of the white vote—that would appear to benefit HRC.
But, in the Midwest, Obama has done very well in the rural areas...
Short answer? Anybody's guess. If Edwards makes an endorsement it could make a difference...
My general rule in a three way race:
If there is one woman and more than one male, the female gets a huge advanatage. This is especially present in Democratic primaries.
I am an Edwards supporter who has been saying it's time to hang it up, if only to save us from HRC.
The words three way and HRC should never been in the same post.
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