John Edwards to endorse Barack Obama tonight.
Is this it? Is an Edwards endorsement the end of it all?
(I wonder how long the Obama campaign has held this in their pocket only to bring it out right when the media is asking whether Obama can win Edwards' prime demographic.)
This also has the nice effect of changing the narrative from race and West Virginia to a "coalescing of the party."
And, Does Edwards encourage his delegates to Obama?
(I wonder how long the Obama campaign has held this in their pocket only to bring it out right when the media is asking whether Obama can win Edwards' prime demographic.)
This also has the nice effect of changing the narrative from race and West Virginia to a "coalescing of the party."
And, Does Edwards encourage his delegates to Obama?
posted by mikevotes at
4:29 PM
7 Comments:
We'll have to see if this moves more supers to commit openly. I don't think Edwards wanted to do this. He wanted to focus on his issues, to stay above the individual campaigns. I'm guessing, but maybe, as a Southerner, Hillary's recent pandering the the white pride movement might have been the last straw.
The Clinton campaign (mostly her spokesmen and surrogates) have shifted into rabid dog mode... Even Old Yeller had to be put down. Maybe Edwards is saying its time to do the same with Team Clinton, before they attack the party itself.
By
-epm, at 9:36 PM
RReally? I think he was sitting in wait for the opportunity.
I get your argument, but he's been "evaluating" the candidates on his issues for awhile, forcing into their trail talk. Now he gets to come in and impact and probably gain prominence for his issues.
Frankly, Al Gore worked a miracle being more powerful outside the structure. I think Edwards is likely better served levering the White House for what he wants. Without it, I think he fades from the scene.
(Although I do like the argument that he was stepping in before Obama and working white got too far separated.)
By
mikevotes, at 9:52 PM
But why now? Of all the possible scenarios where he could have played "king maker" in the past several weeks, why wait until after Obama has already become the presumptive nominee?
I'm just curious as to why, after repeatedly saying he wouldn't endorse a candidate, he chose to do so today. (I know his decision wasn't made today, but I'm guessing it was within the past week)
By
-epm, at 10:11 PM
I don't know. Maybe the Obama camp finally caved to some demand. Maybe he saw his window of influence closing.
I have a hunch we'll get a little more backstory in the coming days.
(However, the Obama campaign can be pretty tightlipped.)
By
mikevotes, at 7:16 AM
News blip on NPR this morning quotes Edwards as saying he told Obama of his decision to endorse on Tuesday, 5/13 (after the polls closed in WV?) So I don't think Team Obama sat on this very long. They went from phone call to endorsement rally in less than 24 hrs.
By
-epm, at 9:38 AM
Interesting. So the timing was all Edwards'.....
By
mikevotes, at 10:32 AM
Seems to be.
Regarding all this cloak-and-dagger guessing as to why Edwards endorsed now, etc, etc, I found a diarist at Dkos who kind of summed it up this way "Let's just assume Obama and Edwards are smarter than the blogosphere and know what the hell they're doing." (paraphrase)
It made me smile at myself for all my curiosity and second guessing.
By
-epm, at 10:59 AM
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