It's obvious to me that the Edward's campaign is not viable. I wish he would bow out and endorse Obama, which would help him beat Hillary. I think more of his supporters would choose Obama over Hillary.

Some people believe that Edwards may be able to play the role of "kingmaker" if neither Obama nor Clinton has enough delegates to secure the nomination by the time the convention rolls around. Remember, he is winning delegates in some of these states. He could release his delegates to one of the candidates at a later date.

I am inclined to agree with you, though - I think it's obvious Edwards isn't going to win the nomination if he comes in third in the state in which he was born...

Andrew

Too early.

Edwards has pulled the discussion left, and that's good. He also presents a nice check on things. Should anybody go nuts, he's there to point it out.

He's got matching dollars, and is winning delegates. IMHO, most of those are Clinton delegates.

I want Obama more than Hilary. IMHO, Edwards really can only help that happen.

Maybe Edwards is setting himself up to be Obama's running mate?

That could well be bad news for the GOP, no matter who comes out of that side. I saw Obama's speech after blowing the doors off of Hillary and Edwards last night, and to be honest it gave me goose bumps. The man oozes charisma and screams, "LOOK AT ME" when he talks. Edwards aligned with Obama? That would be a tough ticket to overcome.

I also want Edwards to stay in for the long run.
If for no other reason than to have someone, anyone, to talk about real issues.

I sent some $ to Edwards campaign last night for just that reason, and told them so.
(copied clinton & Obama campaigns too)

The Edwards campaign at this point is irrelevant. He has no constituency except his fellow trial lawyers. He only served one term in the U.S. Senate and ran for President in 2004 when it became apparent he wouldn't get re-elected.

Edwards is a political phony. He has flip-flopped on multiple positions he once held near and dear.

"The one (presidential candidate) that is the most problematic is Edwards," Sen. Russ Feingold told The Post-Crescent in Appleton, Wis., "who voted for the Patriot Act, campaigns against it. Voted for No Child Left Behind, campaigns against it. Voted for the China trade deal, campaigns against it. Voted for the Iraq War. ... "

How many times in TV sound bites have I seen him say his campaign is the "cause of my life" ? What cause would that be? Being the most insincere politician ever?

Say what you want, but he has made poverty an issue, all by himself. Also, he has consistently led by publishing strong progressive positions, on major issues that matter.

Both Obama and Hilary have had to address those, and that's nothing but good.

Finally, a three way race means a nice check on the mud slinging. I suspect, if he were to drop out now, Obama and Hilary could be highly likely to ruin Dem chances in '08.

Obama is learning on the trail. Not a bad thing, in and of itself. Hilary can and will leverage that, and that is a bad thing as negatives only do both of them harm.

Edwards being there, means forcing them to focus on themselves and their positive differentiators, or risk losing mind share to the other party.

If both sling too much mud, he does better. If one slings mud, he can point that out, redirect the conversation, and let the other one get the mind share, by taking the higher ground.

I'm gonna send some his way this week, when I'm able as well. This is a very nice dynamic to have in play right now.

It is vital that the everyday issues remain a point of discussion. We need to be hearing about how things are gonna change for the better there. Edwards is doing that, and it's good. I'm with Edwards all the way, and my vote remains uncommitted as to who I would support, should he not win.

One persons flip-flop is anothers growth.

Wobboh wrote:
The Edwards campaign at this point is irrelevant. He has no constituency except his fellow trial lawyers.

Well that's certainly not true. He has some devoted supporters that are certainly not trial lawyers - I know a few of his supporters personally.

Edwards is a political phony. He has flip-flopped on multiple positions he once held near and dear.

Oh, dear, I guess you won't be voting for any of the Republican candidates then either?

Andrew

I think Edwards will end up as the Attorney General in the new Democrativ administration to come. If Obama wins his running mate will be either Hillary or Kerry. If Hillary wins it will either be Obama or Vilsack.

Clinton and Kerry would never accept a VP slot on anyone's ticket. There's no benefit to them. Cheney notwithstanding, the job of VP is usually a lousy one, the only benefit being as a stepping stone in one's political career, and Kerry's is at its ceiling. Clinton doesn't gain anything by being VP, she's already well known. Obama seems an unlikely running mate for Hillary; I think she needs a white male to balance her ticket. If Obama is nominated he probably needs one, too.

The type of person to accept a VP slot is usually someone with ambitions of being president but without the usual credentials to get there on his/her own. Cheney accepted surely because of promises of great power. I don't think we'll see that again anytime soon.

Andrew

Edwards is a political phony. He has flip-flopped on multiple positions he once held near and dear.

Oh, dear, I guess you won't be voting for any of the Republican candidates then either?

Andrew

By not denying Edward's massive flip-flopping, you stipulated that John Edwards is a phony.

The primary results have shown he has no constituency. He only got 14% in his home state!

GO ahead, send Edwards money. I'm sure he'll put it to good use- on hair spray.

"Gene Simmons For President"

Hmmm...

Understands economics: check
Eloquent speaker: check
Creative problem solver: check
Bad hair: check

I second the nomination!

Pompous and arrogant: check
Willing to sell out: check
Womanizer: check

Geez guys I've done all I can to clean up my image.

Next call Karl Rove.

He probably could help you out. I hear he's pretty expensive, unless you've got leverage!

I was trying to spin that, but Vitalogy caught me.
No spin gets past that guy!

Amazingly, by consistently coming in third, Edwards is positioning himself perfectly to be a broker in the convention. You young kids have no basis for this, but back in the old days, that was a major position to hold.

This is not done yet, by any means. This is as fun as live television.

Stay tuned!

Well, there is this:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/1/29/115829/592/53/445395

Nice to see, frankly. He's got budget through the convention. Clearly, he's thinking old school. I like the idea of it, for reasons I've already posted.

The real draw for me though is Edwards bringing the MEAT to the table. For god's sake, they were talking about Obama showing his back to Hilary.

Don King would be proud. Where is MTV's Celebrity Death Match! Obama and Hilary -- worth a PPV, or that's what we are supposed to think.

So many people swayed by grade school, "did you know he's got skid marks in his skivvys?" kind of crap. unbelievable.

Maybe we deserve these last few years.

Anyway, Edwards has focused on a clean sell for the most part. Post up his differentiators, ideas, meet 'n greet the people, and talk with them. That's cool. Really cool.

And he's smart and rational too.

And he's also ended his bid for the presidency.

Yep. Edwards bows out on the Democratic side, Guiliani out for the GOP. Two early heavy hitters ...

Being fairly supportive of Edwards to this point, I am sorry to see him exit. Like many others, I thought he brought some important issues to the table that were largely ignored in the scuffles between the Obama and Clinton camps.

If Obama takes the high road, he may get the nomination, and Edwards does seem like a logical running mate. I think Clinton will be eroding and imploding if she stays on her present course. We may be seeing the end of the 28 year reign of Bush/Clinton after the primaries.

While the GOP might think they have a two horse race, they also do not. Even when I put his snowblower full of manure rhetoric aside, ignore his inconsistent stand on important issues, look past his beleaguered expressions when simple and direct questions are asked, and try to take him seriously, I just can't. Romney is a cartoon character -- just like shrub.

Ask the Democrats about longshot New England nominees. I will grant you, Mitt is a cherished noun from our national pastime, and the Red Sox are champions. Let's get real though -- the post-Kennedy track record of Massachusetts politicians running for the Oval Office is damn dismal.

So, do any of you think it eventually boils down to Obama and McCain?

"While the GOP might think they have a two horse race, they really do not. I will grant you, Mitt is a cherished noun from our national pastime. Even when I put his snowblower full of manure rhetoric aside, ignore his inconsistent stand on important issues, look past his beleaguered expressions when simple and direct questions are asked, and try to take him seriously, I just can't. Romney is a cartoon character."

Agreed. He has served up little of what he will accomplish, all he has served up is his signature waffles. Served on the fence plank he's been sitting on all these months.

I think it's becoming clear that the Democrats best chance to win is Obama. I'm guessing he takes the high road here, he's a smart enough of a guy to not get suckered in by the Clintons' ganging up on him (and why is Bill participating in this? It's helping to damage his legacy IMO. Al Gore made a monumental mistake by distancing himself from the Clinton administration's accomplishments and Clinton himself in 2000, and Hillary is making a monumental mistake by riding Bill's coattails too much in 2008). Obama has also, IMHO, done a very impressive job of reaching out to those wandering in the middle. His mentioning the legitimacy of the the Reagan administration and how Reagan breathed fresh, new wind into the sails of the United States of America, when other Democrats coil in horror at the mere mention of Reagan's name, shows that he is more willing to listen to the other side for the common good than the partisan horseshit we're seeing now.

Likewise on the GOP side, it's McCain. Again, someone who has no qualms going against the grain with the Republicans, moderate in his views, well-spoken ... the BEST thing that can happen for McCain IS happening in what seems to be the stabilization in Iraq.

The last few Presidential races have been pretty much bores once it got past the national conventions and the two final candidates. A bore on at least one side, in some cases (the last two for sure) BOTH bores ... this one could get some traction. Both guys are legit, both bring something to the table, and I really look forward to the possibility of this matchup.

Major bummer!

Oh well, there is Obama!

Would like to hear why Edwards dropped out. I suspect it's part family. His wife is sick. Bet he's thinking, either he makes a difference, or he spends more quality time with her, at some level.

Probably a bit of both KSKD ... 1) obviously and sadly, it looks like his wife doesn't have much longer and 2) it's pretty clear that he's not going to win the Democratic nomination, and to stay in and possibly muddy the Democratic waters more will be more harmful for primary goal overall than good.

It also opens the door for another VP nomination.

With Edwards leaving the race, this will help Obama, as I see more of his supporters going to the Obama camp than Clinton. I wonder if he'll endorse anyone?

If you aren't already thinking Obama, read the text of Edwards' speech in New Orleans today. I think he is well positioned for VP on that ticket. I know few Edwards supporters who felt Hilary was their second choice.

I still can't imagine Edwards running for VP a second time. It's unusual for the VP candidate to be selected from one of the other primary candidates. In recent years, only Kerry did it in 2004 and Reagan in 1980. It's usually someone else.

Andrew

What does not make sense to me is why would Edwards and to a lessor extent Guilani drop out now just a week out from Super Tuesday? I was thinking that if Edwards was in it till the end that Oregon's and other May primaries actually might matter for the Dems ticket.

They know it's over. I applaud the decision to both Rudy and Edwards to realize they are done and therefore allow what's best of their respective parties moving forward. I wish he would endorse Obama, this would be a big help before Super Tuesday. It's likely to be McCain for the GOP, with Romney having an outside chance, and either Hillary or Obama for the Democrats, with Hillary having the slight edge, but Obama's momentum could change things. I am really enjoying watching this all unfold, and am so hopeful that Obama gets the nod. He can beat McCain or Romney in the general.

Shyguy, I imagine he is getting a lot of pressure from within the party to not turn it into a brokered convention. This election could be a major win for the Democratic party, both in the White House and in Congress, if the party takes it all the way to the finish line unified and strong. The Democratic party has always been by it's nature a big tent, and therefore inherently factionalized. Though seeing Edwards take it all the way to the convention would be personally satisfying, it does not help increase the Democratic chances for a big, decisive win in November.

As for Edwards taking a VP slot, though I don't see it likely for either, I see it more likely with Clinton than Obama. Both Obama and Edwards are somewhat evangelical in their style (they should contrast each other more), whereas Clinton is more of a technocrat. Plus Clinton has the most foreign relations experience of the three. Combine her with Edwards vigor about solving domestic issues, and that would be a good fit.

I agree that something pretty big must be going on with John personally or he would have stayed in the race. Still, when a fella uses a term like "suspended" to describe it, you get the impression that he has at least one damn good stump left in him.

Andrew, who in the Democratic Party do you think would pair well with Obama -- both personally and politically? I think that the two of them compliment each other well, have a good rapport and the ticket could win.

I know that it might not make sense, but I never felt that Edwards was a liability in '04. In fact, he seemed to be the only consistent spark the campaign could muster. Obama is not a stammering, mumbling, too smart and sincere to be king sort of fellow.

Obama has charisma to spare and his running mate has to focus that energy and reflect it right back at him. John is very good at that or Kerry would have looked even more like a frumpy professor to voters.

I like their chances when I turn it over in my mind. In the land of short sidekicks and teammates, he would move up from being Toody with Muldoon, to being Johnny Pesky with Ted Williams or Jimmy with Superman. Truth, Justice and the American Way!

The Captain to Tennille. The Starsky to Hutch. The Batman to Robin. The Peanut Butter to Jam. The Hughes to Taylor. (love a good shameless plug)

Man LS now you got me going overboard.

Littlesongs, I haven't thought much through potential running mates for either Clinton or Obama. I think Obama needs someone more senior and experienced than him, a Chris Dodd or a Joe Biden type, someone with solid credentials respectability, but perhaps not someone who will overshadow him the way Lloyd Bensen sort of made people wish Dukakis was the VP candidate in 1988...

Some of the other conventional wisdom says a presidential nominee needs to pick a candidate from a region of the country where he/she is the weakest. Bill Clinton defied this conventional wisdom in 1992 to great effect when he picked Gore, who was seen to be much like him and from the same part of the country, but Gore turned out to be a great choice. Hopefully the presidential nominee will pick a good person, not just someone from a certain region of the country.

Andrew

Hillary Clinton.....Spoiled Democrat.

Heh.

Yeah. I can't really argue against that perception.

The Frick to Frack, The Laurel to Hardy, The Burns to Allen, The Martin to Rowan, or the Lewis to Martin. Hey LAAAAAAADY?!

You mentioned Toody to Muldoon You're aces with me, sport. Oooh, oooh, remind me to send you my lyrics for a Chris Rock version of the Car 54 Theme. was going to record it, but you know, it became a moot point when I lost my outlet for bizarre entertaining bits...............

Say what you want about Hillary, but she's not spoiled. Self made people can never be considered spoiled.

Hello, Major Tom, Earth Here. I think you've been in orbit a wee too long! Whatta ya say you come back down out of the clouds with the rest of us in the real world!

Running mates are selected to bring in electoral votes, which means they have to be somewhat popular, non-offensive, and acceptable to the party kool-aid drinkers.

Kennedy picked Johnson to pick up Texas electoral votes. Johnson picked Humphrey to pick up the Midwest and the unions. Nixon picked Agnew to attract the urban Northeast states. Carter picked Mondale because he was an idiot. Reagan picked Bush to pick up the Northeast and Texas. etc. etc.

And remember, the only recent VP's to be elected President in their own right were Lyndon Johnson and Bush I.

Obama needs to pick an establishment, well connected Northeast white guy. He won't pick Hillary, she's electoral poison.

McCain or Romney might well pick each other.

Given the recent acrimony between McCain and Romney it seems extremely unlikely that McCain would pick Romney for anything.

Romney won't have the opportunity to pick McCain for anything - despite what we hear in the media, Romney is finished. He hasn't won a single contested primary. (He was expected to win Michigan and no one else even campaigned in Nevada.) Romney has lost everywhere he was supposed to do well and spent tons of money: Iowa and New Hampshire for starters. Romney couldn't benefit from Giuliani's whimper in Florida - McCain did. I honestly can't understand why the media treats Romney like some sort of front-runner.

Andrew

Seeing that McCain has moved to the right during this election cycle, I'd suspect he'd pick a moderate to pull some independents not wanting to vote for a woman or minority in November. Who would this be?

Maybe McCain shifts back more to the center and picks someone from the far right to get that evangelical vote? A Huckabee, perhaps?

Mr. Huckabee would indeed bring in social conservatives, broadening Mr. McCain's appeal.

With a pro-life ticket, that's quite a contrast to the democrats for many moderate-to-conservative voters right there.

Herb

Huckabee is probably a popular choice, and perhaps even a smart one. However, this is the decision of the Republican machine. It is no longer a party of people at those levels. In McCain's case, he owes everybody favors. With that in mind, I would count on him being paired with a hand-picked crony.

If elected, he is bound to continue much of the agenda of the current administration, and that simple fact alone could defeat him. Though he is a very brave man, John has never shown consistent backbone against the less than savory wishes of his peers.

I don't know about that, Littlesongs.

While according to the American Conservative Union Mr. McCain has a conservative voting record at 80% (83% lifetime), he's enough of a maverick to have strayed on plenty of issues at variance with the party apparatus. Indeed, Mr. McCain was rated the least conservative of what were considered the most likely Republican presidential contenders:

http://www.conservative.org/archive2/2008potus.asp

I disagree with Mr. McCain on plenty of things, but he is a true American hero. It would be an honour to vote for the man.

Herb

VP, Jeb Bush. Let me be the first to predict this.

Most Vietnam Veterans I know, don't like McCain a lot, but we will nearly all vote for him, because hes still a lot better that Clinton or Obama.

I defer to your judgment on how Veterans will vote, Nwokie. I simply believe that Mr. McCain having endured 5.5 years in a Vietnamese hell-hole is remarkable to Veterans and non-Veterans alike.

Particularly since Mr. McCain suffered under horrifically brutal treatment. In addition, Mr. McCain had the opportunity to leave early, because his captors hoped to show he would use his position as an officer's son to 'cut and run.' Mr. McCain stayed and suffered. I'm not worthy to carry the man's shoes. The least he deserves is my vote.

Herb

There's no doubt what McCain endured as a POW and choices he made under horrific circumstances is noteworthy. It had to change him as a person and thus becoming a public servant he certainly has a perspective that others do not.

I can certainly respect him as a human being, and still disagree with his politics.

Here's a question for you;

"Would you be more likely or less likely to vote for John McCain if you knew that he fathered an illegitimate black child?"

I could care less about that. If he had a known child, and wasn't supporting the child, that would concern me.

Such attacks on Mr. McCain pale in comparison to his heroic accomplishments.

For the record, I read that Mr. McCain adopted a black child.

Herb

George is a Hero as well, he shot down and/or disabled at least 12 planes. To bad they were all ours!

I think he is just too old. Old in age, old in terms of mind and values. That's all I need to know going forward.

"For the record, I read that Mr. McCain adopted a black child."

Congratulations on doing some basic research!
That puts you somewhat ahead of many of your contemporaries, and smarter than the oh-so moral & Christian Bush folks give you credit for.

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/president/articles/2004/03/21/the_anatomy_of _a_smear_campaign/

Mr. Huckabee would indeed bring in social conservatives, broadening Mr. McCain's appeal.

And the EVANGELICAL NUTBAGS that America wants so much to just go away! The likes of Pat Robertson and Co. should be locked up with Britney Spears until they are HEAVLY medicated.