Obama-Backing Edwards Elbows Aside Clinton
It was a weary and wistful Hillary Clinton who sat down with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer and other network anchors for extended interviews in the middle of the day Wednesday. She knew that, no matter what she said, and how well she said it, it would not be enough.
Like the coronation march that her 2008 campaign was supposed to be, her latest gambit would be trumped by Barack Obama’s juggernaut.
Yes, she had just been handed a face-saving landslide win by West Virginia Democrats, beating Obama by more than 2-1 in an honest-to-goodness swing state. But Clinton did not seem to be fighting very hard on a day when her senior campaign adviser, Harold Ickes, was disptached to Capitol Hill to reassure congressional supporter that the former frontrunner would remain in the race through June 3.
Clinton used her precious spotlight time to defend Obama as a friend of Israel, describe his supporters as people who thought he would be the best president and promised to “work my heart out for whoever our nominee is.” Indeed, if she made news Wednesday, it was with a seeming show of openness to an as-yet-unoffered place on an Obama-led ticket. Clinton did not dismiss the vice-presidential talk - and she certainly did not resort to the old dig of suggesting she might have a place on her ticket for the senator from Illinois - she simply it was “premature” to talk about what she would be doing after her campaign was done.
Perhaps it was. But only by a few hours.
As Clinton’s interviews were supposed to be dominating the evening news and talk programs on the cable networks, Barack Obama was again stepping on her moment.
Television screens filled with live images from Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Bruce Springsteen was singing “The Rising.”
The crowd was cheering, “Yes we can!”
No one was thinking about West Virginia.
No one was thinking much about Hillary Clinton.
They were listening to John Edwards.
“The reason I am here in Grand Rapids tonight is that Democratic voters in America have made their choice and so have I,” shouted the man who almost beat Barack Obama in the campaign-opening caucuses of Iowa and who, long after he quit campaigning, still pulled 7 percent of the vote in West Virginia.
Echoing the themes of a campaign that did not win him the nomination but that secured him a credibility - especially with the blue-collar voters who may well define the fall race - that made his the most sought-after endorsement of a campaign that is now done in all but the formalities.
Delivering that endorsement, and a dose of the populist appeal Obama still needs, Edwards came not to finish the primary race but to open the fall campaign. “There is one man who knows in his heart that it is time to create one America, not two, and that man is Barack Obama,” shouted Edwards.
Edwards stood next to Obama Wednesday night, basking in the applause of thousands of Michigan Democrats who were, for all practical purposes, cheering the end of the Clinton campaign. (And reminding the pundits that a Michigan delegation will be seated at the Democratic National Convention and will likely join in the “by-acclamation” nomination of Obama.)
Of course, John Edwards praised Hillary Clinton in Grand Rapids. “We are a stronger party because Hillary Clinton is a Democrat,” the 2004 Democratic nominee for vice president told a crowd that did not really want to hear it but offered a reasonable measure of tepid applause.
“What she has shown is strength and character… She cares deeply about the working families in this country,” said Edwards. “She is a woman who in my judgment is made of steel. And she is a leader in this country not because of her husband but because of what she has done…”
But the truth is that Edwards was in Michigan to bury Hillary Clinton, at least as a presidential candidate.
“When this nomination battle is over, and it will be over soon, brothers and sisters, we will have a united Democratic party,” Edwards declared.
The Edwards endorsement, delivered not in an upcoming primary state such as Kentucky or Oregon but in the contested former-primary state of Michigan, was not a primary endorsement. It was a positioning moment for a November race in which everyone - including the savvy senator from New York - knows that Barack Obama will be carrying the Democratic banner into competition with Republican John McCain.
“I will do whatever it takes” to elect the Democrat, said Clinton. Would Clinton like to be on that ticket? Probably.
Might she have some new competition? Absolutely.
No one missed the fact that Barack Obama and John Edwards looked right together. “They looked fantastic together,” gushed Jill Zuckman, the Chicago Tribune’s able political writer. “They looked like a ticket.”
Even Obama seemed to notice.
“I haven’t been seeing John as much,” said the Illinois senator. “I forgot how good he is.”
The soon-to-be nominee won’t forget again.
Neither will Hillary Clinton.
Click here for a video of Edwards’ speech.
John Nichols’ new book is The Genius of Impeachment: The Founders’ Cure for Royalism. Rolling Stone’s Tim Dickinson hails it as a “nervy, acerbic, passionately argued history-cum-polemic [that] combines a rich examination of the parliamentary roots and past use of the ‘heroic medicine’ that is impeachment with a call for Democratic leaders to ‘reclaim and reuse the most vital tool handed to us by the founders for the defense of our most basic liberties.’”
Copyright © 2008 The Nation
John Edwards would be a great choice for Vice President, despite it being two election cycles in a row. He’s one of the few Democrats that I mostly like these days.
I wish Obama supporters, esp. delegates, would have a change of heart and reject him. He’s the weakest nominee ever in my lifetime. Ironically, he still might win, but only because Bush II has been so despicable. I find this whole situation so incredibly sad. I know I will be saying “I told you so” to Obama supporters a year from now. I know they can’t hear the truth about him now. The Democrats always choose the wrong nominee every four years - what else is new??
Obama-Edwards - looks like one of the better ideas, both really seem to care more about American people then McCain&Clinton
“Barack Obama was again stepping on her moment.”
Her moment??????
John Edwards is a nice-looking guy with a sincere-sounding voice and a great message. He is an important party voice, but he cannot get elected as dog catcher. He belongs in an appointed cabinet post (like say AG) and never on a ballot ticket.
There is always the chance Hillary would decline VP if she is asked, but Barack would have to be dumb as a post to not recognize that her following is loyal to a fault. We have just learned (or re-learned) in Pennsylvania and West Virginia that racism matters—-and feminism matters. We are going to “learn” again soon in Kentucky.
John Edwards as VP? Not if Barack intends to win. It won’t fly over the we-want-Hillary women (and other miscellaneous white men), and I “think” Barack knows it. Let’s hope.
A 2-fer for my 2 favorite posters. Rich- again with the outrageous claim that Obama is the weakest candidate in your lifetime?? How about John Kerry, as an obvious one. How about Bob Dole? I wish for once you would lay claim to the reasons you oppose Obama. My guess is that you don’t like the fact that he is not an overt war monger….
Daniel- John Edwards was a Senator from North Carolina. If he can win a statewide election in the South I’m pretty sure he’s qualified for dog catcher.
DD is back shilling the centrist views.
I was disappointed when Edwards pulled out. In head to head polls aginst each GOP hopeful, he was the only candidate who handilly beat any of them.
His pro worker stance is his strong point.
I still don’t know if this country is ready to elect a black or woman as president - but I’m hopeful it’s ready for either (as long as the women is not Bilary).
Obama the weakest candidete in Rich Griffin’s (whoever he is) lifetime?! My god. Please explain why. Or, get a life!
An Obama/Edwards ticket would win a landslide over McCain in the general election. Let’s hope Obama offers VP to Edwards, and that Edwards accepts.
Is Rich Griffin secretly Bill Clinton? Or perhaps Mark Rich?
It would explain a lot.
There is always a chance that Barack will assemble Hillary as VP and also announce some other advance luminaries at the same time who agree to be appointed and serve in high posts. Such would be a great time to bring in Edwards and maybe some others, announced with fanfare and, in a sense, all running together. Such a strategy could be dramatic, yet a bit presumptious of actual Senate confirmation of any advance nominees.
But snubbing Mrs. Clinton? Risking the entire liberal agenda to a loss on racism and mad women? When she brings millions and millions of votes? Nah. Too nutty (even if the Clintons ARE “difficult” partners.)
RE: Obama-Edwards
Ditto. Edwards was my first choice.
Obama Edwards ‘08. ‘Nuff said.
I can easily envision an Obama-Edwards ticket, but I still am rooting for Bill Richardson. He’s been great for New Mexico, and his resume is unbelievable. I doubt he’ll be asked, though.
I second the above on Bill Richardson for VP. Talk about straight talk. He’s got it in spades.
I too think Richardson a far better choice than Edwards for VP. Edwards should get the Attorney General spot. He would restore the DOJ.
And here’s a factor few seem to be calculating in their hypothetical match-ups: Bob Barr.
Barr will syphon off a lot of McCain’s support, more than any other 3rd party candidate could. He will not be taking votes from Obama.
We have a chance for a real landslide if we don’t fuck it up.
Oh yes. Very impressive. The obamabots booed when Edwards praised Clinton and Obama grinned and let them. Meanwhile that praise couldn’t help but raise the question of why Edwards would choose the weaker candidate. But wait. He is a man. The all important qualification, and didn’t Edwards rub it in. A loser himself, it isn’t hard to deduce that he has made this supposedly face saving endorsement the day after West Virginia for personal gain. And so the US prepares to foist the wrong president on the world yet again…
Oh yes. Very impressive. The obamabots booed when Edwards praised Clinton and Obama grinned and let them. Meanwhile that praise couldn’t help but raise the question of why Edwards would choose the weaker candidate. But wait. He is a man. The all important qualification, and didn’t Edwards rub it in. A loser himself, it isn’t hard to deduce that he has made this supposedly face saving endorsement the day after West Virginia for personal gain. And so the US prepares to foist the wrong president on the world yet again…
people are saying obaam will not win the general election because….THEY ARE AFRAID HE WILL WIN IN NOVEMBER ! they have to keep saying he won’t, because they KNOW HE CAN BEAT MCCAIN……MCCAIN IS PAPER THIN ! (A PUPPET AT BEST)
Dear Hillary,
C’est dommage. C’est dommage. How did it come to this?
It just didn’t work, did it?
Any other self-respecting woman, especially one who believes in progressive, feminist values would have left your philandering husband years ago.
But we all know why you stayed with Billy-boy, especially during the Monica Lewinsky caper, don’t we now?
All together class. BECAUSE YOU DIDN’T WANT TO SPOIL YOUR CHANCE AT THE BID ENCHILADA.
Ah, greed and ambition! And both so … American.
Still, you failed, Hillsy-willsy. And, gosh-golly, I wonder why.
Maybe because, politics aside, simply from a personal point of view, people saw through your hypocrisy all during the Lewinsky caper.
Perhaps there are some women out there, and men, who during Monicagate wanted you to hold a press conference and declare:
“You know what, my husband has been cheating on me for years — for years. And I’m mad as hell and I’m not taking it anymore! It’s not fair to me, it’s not fair to my daughter, whose had to endure this dickhead throughout her childhood.”
Hey, now *there* would be a woman! Feminist or otherwise.
Ecca Homa!
But, oooooh no! Oooooooooooooh no — you creepy little political aparatchik, you.
Because you wouldn’t have, couldn’t have, indeed daren’t have done that. And why not? Because Sammy Glick types like you, whether male or female, just don’t think that way, do they?
And so Hillary, bubula, this one’s for you. Maestro. …
~ The party’s over.
~ It’s time to call it a day.
~ They burst your premature expectations, and taken your corporate-funded mask awaaaaaay!
~ It’s time to wind up the masquerade.
~ Just make your mind up the piper must be paid. …
~ The party’s over.
~ Your delegates have flickered and fled.
~ You danced and dreamed through the night.
~ It seemed to be right just cozying up to the riiiiiiight!
~ Now you must wake up, all dreams must end.
~ Take off your all your clothes and jump in a lake, the party’s over, you graceless biiiiiiiiitch!
… Thank you, thank you! Another one? Oh, no, I couldn’t. No, no. Oh, well then alright, if you insist.
My next number asks the musical question: Is she one or isn’t she one?
~ B is for the nomination that you bleeeeeew!
~ I is for the iodine I’d rather rub on several open wounds.
~ T is for the tears no one will shed.
` C is for the catastrophe your campaign was.
~ H is for the fire hydrant you should hang around.
~ Put dem letters altogether, they spell Hillaryyyyyyy! A word that means disaster to me.
Thank you, thank you! The number in New York is You-Got-Yours 5-6794.
Hey, Bill, Bill Clinton. Come on out, bILL, take a bow.
Bill Clinton, ladies and gentlemen.
Hey, Bill, you really fixed her wagon this time, didn’t cha?
I’ll be the forth to hope Obama picks Richardson. He has the experience in world events needed to
be an excellent VP. He
actually has much more experience than Obama and Edwards put together.
Edwards has already spoken publically that he would prefer the AG position. RFK is his hero. And I agree. We need him to reinstate the rule of law in this country and go to bat for the Constitution. The DOJ needs a thorough house cleaning. And I think Edwards is just the man to get the job done.
I also second the votes for Richardson. We need someone with foreighn policy credentials. There may be others, but Richardson looks good.
And for those of you pulling for HRC, after what she has tried to do to Obama and the party, you have GOT to be kidding.
P.S. According to the most recent polls, Obama can ALREADY beat McCain. And that’s BEFORE all of McSames laundry comes out into the sunshine.
P.P.S. I still want Kucinich! How about Labor Sec’y? And let’s put Ron Paul in as head of the FED. That should fix those greedy monsters! Yeah!
Yes, Obama/Richardson would also be a great ticket.
OldBadgertoo - If it makes you feel better to call Obama supporters “obamabots” go right ahead. I just hope you won’t be sporting an Obama monkey t-shirt come election time. You aren’t from WV, are you?
Anyway, this Obama supporter is hardly any kind of bot. I have supported Kucinich through 2 campaigns. He was my first choice.
Clinton and even Edwards were right out because I, like many other liberals, made a pledge early on not to vote for anyone who voted for the war.
I consider my word sacred. Weird, I know, but I’m sot of old-fashioned about things like that, since it’s one of the few things that has value to me.
And like most of Clinton’s die-hard supporters (I won’t call you a Clintonbot), you charge that Obama is the “weaker candidate.” I am at a loss to understand just how you arrive at this notion, aside from parroting Clinton’s surrogates, and herself, since Obama is actually winning.
Winning. That means actually gaining delegates, winning states, piling up the popular vote, etc. Maybe we just love weakness, but it seems clear that he is beating your stronger candidate.
Of course I don’t expect this to faze voters in West Virginia. They certainly see Clinton as the preferable candidate. Of course they would see any white person as preferable to a black one.
Not an endorsement I’d want to crow about, but there you have it. And what kind of bots would these people be? Hmmm?
Oh well, it’s almost over. I’m returning to my closet now to mindlessly chant “Yes we can!” and masturbate to pictures of Eleanor Roosevelt.
I think Edwards would be a great VP choice. Back at the very beginning of this race, he was the one who polled as beating every single one of the Republican candidates (poll by CNN). Just my two cents…
BTW - Did anybody see the Daily Show last night when they were showing interview clips from Democratic voters in West Virginia? It was appalling. One woman straight up said she couldn’t vote for Obama because he was a different race. Another said she didn’t vote for him because he’s Muslim - thanks Fox News! Yet another said she didn’t vote for him because his middle name is Hussein and, I quote, she’d “had enough of Hussein”. I don’t point this out to play some elitist intellectual snob. I point this out to demonstrate that the Dems have a lot of work ahead of them to reach out to voters who are, quite simply, misinformed about who Obama is and what he stands for. I mean, for God’s sake, how can anybody still think the man is a Muslim?? Hillary needs to get out of the race so we can focus our attention on WINNING the election in November. And it’s quite clear we need to start in places like WV!
Ladies and gentlemen, Hillary Clinton is about to begin this hastily called news conference. We, the press, have no idea what she’s going to say but her handlers have told us that she’s about to divulge information that may *salvage* her run for the presidency.
Ladies and gentlemen, Senator Hillary Clinton.
“My fellow Americans, I’ll get right to the point. My husband, Bill Clinton, who as you can see is standing next to me, is a hopeless dickhead.
“By finally admitting this all-too-obvious fact, I’m hoping that my campaign for president will be revived and eventually successful.
“I realize now that during the Monica Lewinsky affair, many of the voters were turned off by my standing by my husband, this useless piece of ****.
(BILL smiles, obligingly.)
“Many of you felt that I stayed with my husband for selfish, opportunistic reasons. … Well, of course I did! … Jesus H., any *idiot* could have seen that! But, still, there sure are lots of idiots out there. (Turns to her husband.) Aren’t there, Goober?”
“Sure are, honey-bunch.”
(Gives BILL a Milk Bone Dog Biscuit, patting him on the head): “Good boy! (Turns back to the audience): Now, as I was saying. This sorry excuse for a human being, I want everybody to know, especially the superdelegates, is a disgrace. Good Americans would never stand for his heartless behavior as a husband. Sure, I put up with him for over 20 years, but that’s because I thought that tolerating the behavior of this philandering pig-dog would get me a shot at The Big Show. But now that I’m up Sheboegans’ Creek without a paddle, I’m changing course, baby, and pronto!
“Fact is, I’m so desperate for votes, I’m actually gonna try telling the truth. And starting with this clown. (Eyes BILL up and down): Sheesh! Look at him. The guy’s a card-carrying hound dog. He’s not worth a bucket of warm you-know-what. And I don’t mean piss.
(BILL leans into the microphone, smiling): “That’s right, folks, I’m no good. And I can prove it.”
(HILLARY throws BILL another biscuit): “Good boy, Rover. (Turns back to the audience): And so, my fellow Americans, I’m kicking this bum out, hoping of course that by doing so I will have finally earned the trust and respect of the American people. Then, if I win the nomination and the presidency, we can both go back to being the two lowlife shysters you all know and want us to be.
Because let’s face it, folks, slimeballs like us are nothing but two obnoxious s***s without power. God, we love it! Right, Clem?”
“That’s right, honey-bitch.”
“WHAT???!!!”
“Err, I mean, honey-bunch.”
From somebody who’s been right on political strategy and good old boy from the US South, let’s just get this out of the way as a done deal– Barak Obama and Jim Webb. Yes we can kick Johnny “Straight Lies” McCain and Hilary Rodham Klanton’s GOP booties big time. It’s just gone take some real Rainbowization of this Coaltionization.. Let’s Push, baby!
You may be onto something AD.
With regards to Senator Obama, I have never bought the “he’s the weaker candidate” line; and I sure don’t buy the “the weakest candidate in my/your lifetime” line, unless it would be the dead or unborn doing the talking.
That said, the weakest candidate in my lifetime (or anyone else’s, I might add) has in fact, “won” the past two Presidential elections.
To my Hillary bashing Progressive friends - do you really know her so well to be so hateful?
Please stop your misogynist lynching on CommonDreams - it is beneath the intelligence and compassion of a true progressive.
Regarding the support Hillary received in WV - she beat Obama 2-1 and everyone (with the MSM in the lead) discounts the win as a result of racism -meanwhile 95% black voter support for Obama in NC/SC etc… is what?
And don’t give me that bs about whites hate Obama and are racists for voting against a black man while the ‘black’ vote is just supporting their candidate.
The fact is Obama has a problem with conservative white voters and the Democrat Party with their caucus/%delegates primary system have given the black voters an unwarranted advantage in choosing our Decocratic Primary Candidate. Unlike the Democrat Primary the Majority of America is not Progressive/Liberal and the black vote will be diluted in the more conservative General Election.
The Axelrod/Obama campaign is clever and ruthless so it may yet win against McCain - but if Obama vs McCentrist-McCain turns out to be a race to win the ‘Reagan Democrat’ guess who will win that one?
I would add that it troubles me greatly that the MSM that helped sell the bush/Cheney/neocon abuse of 9-11 and created the nightmare of present day America is so supportive of Obama. Why? I can assure you it’s not because they want what is best for America.
I’d not object to Hillary as VP if Edwards would prefer the AG position.
While we’re at the assembling a dream team thing, how about Al Gore as Sec of Interior? And Dennis Kucinich as Sec of Defense? Talk about your winds of change…
Obviously Obama is the “stongest candidate”. He won the Republicn STRONG red states.___ He won every CAUCUS state. He recieved over 90% of the black vote and he recived most of the the votes where colleges were located and that made the difference in several states. He ran a marvelous campaign, or his campaign manager did actually and he got the young voters out in droves.
The fact that he has LOST in every swing state and quite badly in most of them, those critical states that any Democrat MUST WIN in order to be the next president is “immaterial” I suppose. The fact that if the Michigan and Florida votes are counted, he’s behind in the popular vote is “irrelevant” also I suppose.
The Michigan and Florida votes will be counted___ or if not, the Democrats might as well just annoint McCain and stay home in November. Obama refused to allow another vote in Michigan and Florida, even though the Clinton campaign would have paid for those re-elections. He didn’t want it and he didn’t get it.
We cannot aford another Republican in the White House, we just cannot. But if Obama does as good, or as bad, (however one wishes to say it), as he has done in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Florida, Texas, Arkansas, New York, New Jersey, etc, McCain will most likely be the next president. If Obama loses any three of those states, McCain will probably win.
Who really and honestly is the strongest Demo candidate? An Obama/Hillary ticket would be Obama’s best bet, I very seriously doubt we will see that. If somehow Hillary is the Demo choice, she’d better have Obama as her VP running mate. And whoever it is, John Edwards would be a great choice for Attorney General. That’s my opinion, based upon what has transpired.
There is one out that we have. If McCain does not have the money to run TV ads like Obama will, Obama may easily win. TV ads are a major difference. If the neo-cons want Obama, McCain won’t get the money. __ We’ll see by September first how that goes.
The media supports Obama because he is the corporate selected candidate. That’s the agenda and they have to get on board. On Wednesday every major newspaper in the country buried Hillary’s West Virginia win on the back pages. The slime that serves as our mainstream media couldn’t even bring themselves to acknowledge her success with a small front page report. Think about the enormity of the collusion that went into keeping the story buried–nationwide. Creepy, isn’t it how like the Third Reich we have become.
There is no doubt she has been the target of blatant sexist discrimination by her own party, the other candidates and the public. I admire her fortitude and most people man or woman would have caved long ago under the onslaught of lies, character attacks and unreasoning hatred she has endured for years.
Edwards and Obama deserve one another and I pray that Hillary will stay as far away from an Obama ticket and those two as possible. If she went on that ticket and became V.P. she would be used as a scape goat and for nothing more. She certainly deserves far better than that!
Obama’s going to be president in training and she doesn’t need to be the “fall girl” for his mistakes. Run Hillary, run in the opposite direction as fast as you can!!!!
Yep, ~BrokenTop~ it was on the back pages of all three of our newpapers. Have you ever seen where Obama really got most of his campaign money. __ Amazing.___ $131 million so far from Pacs. He says he does not accept PAC money. It’s Okay to accept it, they all did. It’s not okay to decieve and condemn the others for accepting PAC money though.
Wonder who we actually have here? The Republicans are well prepared to explain Obama fully, you can count on that.
Kem Pratrick, I do value many of your posts but when it comes to Hillary vs Obama your crystal ball has macular degeneration.
You state: “If the neo-cons want Obama, McCain won’t get the money.” This is absurd. Would the neo-cons want someone who had the courage, during the wave of fear and false patriotism of 911, to loudly and openly speak out against the invasion of Iraq while the rest of the cowering politicians where running to their closets looking for their swords to rattle while tattooing lapel pins on their lips.? Does this make any sense. Would they want someone who actually inspires young people to get involved in the election process and potentially dilute the moneyed elites established power?
Who did the Republicans and neo-cons really want. Well after Bushes rape and pillage of any visage of nobility left in america there were precious few repugs that even bothered to reach for the brass ring as they felt it a lost cause. I mean have you ever witnessed such a sorry group of criminals lined up for mug shots posing as politicians as the early to mid republican debates (excluding Ron Paul who had the honesty of a weatherman to tell us we were in the eye of a hurricane)?
Big money realized there was going to be a price to pay for Bush’s excesses, so decided to let the pendulum list just a nanometer back to the left. Thus Hillary was appointed Queen for Day, that is if people didn’t eat the shit burger that was Julianne, which they probably wouldn’t (and didn’t).
Notice both of these potential candidates were from the corporate hub of all things financial, New York City and were very much in-bed-with the military-industrial-congressional-media complex. Hillary started to get her right wing repug revisionist makeover. Some say because they think Hillary is more beatable then other Demos but in reality they want to own both horses in the race: A totally cooped McCain and republican light (but getting heavier all the time. i.e. using rovian tactics against Obama) Hillary.
I would have to age with Michelle Obama, that is, just by the mere fact that Hillary didn’t pick up her “entitlement” of a nomination and presidency, gives me some hope that we may have turned a corner in America towards some type of intelligence and change.
Maybe were tired of eating all those shit burger!
Every time a thread on CommonDreams is dominated by Democrats the level of intelligence drops to near zero. These kool-aid drinkers remind me of the same intellectual midgets on Democratic Underground who waste hours daily fighting over either Hillary or Obama.
What will make these idiots wake up?
McCain, Hillary or Obama represent one and the same corrupt entity. So now another member of the club, Edwards, might join the ticket. Who really cares?
The political significance of Tuesday’s endorsement by former presidential candidate John Edwards goes well beyond the 19 delegates he carries. As a matter of fact, his timing couldn’t have been more precise. Edwards was able to score an important victory in regard to the direction of the Democratic party as it gears up for the general election. In a way, even though he was forced to withdraw his candidacy once it was clear that the corporate media was not going to give him an equal opportunity given his populist message, he came out as the real winner in the titanic battle between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
It seemed clear to me that both Obama and Clinton understood that Edwards’ endorsement would come with a high price tag. After all, both Clinton and Obama represent the centrist current of the Democratic party and, for this reason, it is no surprise that they are the last two candidates left standing. With a pattern all too familiar to the American people, these almost politically indistinguishable candidates began battling each other over issues of no consequence to the voters: flag pins, pastors, race, and gender; and while Obama has been leading Clinton by over 100 delegates for the past few weeks, he has been unable to shake Clinton off his tail and begin to emerge as the clear and undisputed nominee.
Clinton’s 41 point win in West Virginia this past Tuesday helped to further solidify the media’s short “short term memory” narrative of Obama as the candidate unable to win over white blue collar workers. Under such circumstances, Obama had an important and uncomfortable choice to make: stay the course and risk taking the battle to the Convention floor (something that would practically guarantee a loss in November), or give into John Edwards’ demands and bring on board the one ex-candidate who is still getting a sizeable chunk of the vote at the ballot box (7% in West Virginia).
The timing of Edwards’ endorsement couldn’t have been better as it overshadowed Obama’s somewhat embarrassing loss in West Virginia. And aside from confirming Obama’s maneuvering capabilities this decision has finally shown that he is capable of doing what he’s been claiming to be best at: negotiating. He set aside some of his nebulous rhetoric, which had been causing him some trouble with part of the Democratic base, for Edwards’ clear and unequivocal stand on health care and poverty. Edwards, on the other hand, was wise to wait for a clear winner to emerge instead of blindly throwing his support behind Clinton (which seemed likely at some point) thus ensuring that if the Democrats win in November, he will be a major force in shaping the policies of the next presidency.
All in all, it’s a big win for Obama, Edwards, and why not, Clinton as well. It goes to show that Clinton’s tenacity has paid off by forcing Obama to espouse some of the ideals of the progressive wing of the Democratic party which are still resonating in the ballot box months after John Edwards decided to withdraw his candidacy. Edwards’ side of the bargain was to soften some of his rhetoric towards corporations but it’s only a matter of time before the Democratic base catches up to it.
Hopefully, by 2012.
http://politicjock.blogspot.com/
tetti_tatti - I’ll bet you the rest of the world cares who wins the presidency of the United States. Admittedly I have low expectations, but of the three I believe Obama will be least likely to rain bombs down on sleeping children and will be most likely to work toward some restoration of the rule of law. He also says lots of smart things, for example, on trade and clean energy. He is not an idiot!!! Yay!!!
(I too want Edwards to have a major role in the government.)
The presidential election, no matter who wins, is not the end of anything. It is just an indication of American voters’ thought and organization and will result in the selection of a bigger or smaller obstacle to a progressive agenda. These next few months we should pray that we will have elections and work hard to educate and motivate our fellow citizens on the issues.
Obamabots .. just remember, you NEED the votes of the Clinton supporters if your candidate is going to win the general election. This non-stop flaming of Clinton will only offend them. Good luck in November with this brilliant losing strategy !
Well ~RALPH 442~ You say it’s absurd that the Neo-cons wouldn’t want OBAMA? ___LOL,___ so far the Neo-cons have donated $131 million to the Obama campaign and the same PACs donated less than a million to McCain. ___ Check it out before you write something that makes you look foolish.
I didn’t state anything other than what has transpired so far in the election process and I wasn’t offering an opinion on whom I preferred. I did say we cannot afford another Republlicn, that’s my opinion. Do you disagree with what states I noted Obama has won and which he has not? How could you or anyone else disagree? The states he’s won and lost are a fact.
Kem Patrick, I stand by my post. Your throwing figures around without any references. You state “Neo-cons donated $131 million” … out of his total of $240 million. My brief search says majority of his total donations came from small on line donors (Open Secrets.org).
Are you using “neo-cons” as a simple pejorative or does it represent real people. Is Project for a New American Century endorsing Obama? How about the Heritage Foundation? The Hoover Institute? How about cheney, perle, woffolwitz, feith, rumsfield, etc. ???? Sure he would be their man to bring home the bacon and make a clean run of the table in the oil wealthy middle east by bombing Iran.
Why do you think states won by Hillary, especially big industrial states, won’t be run by Obama? I’m sure your going to have millions of Bush haters sitting this one out or crossing over to McBush.
Come November Obama will win big over McCain, congress will become heavily democratic, and we can start the push to get this ship turned around. Obama has asked us for that push and if he hears enough voices I believe he will be a remarkably progressive president in the most difficult
times (not your FDR progressive as the money’s not there but a newer version based on uniting people and tackling problems).
Just in case I’m keeping my passport up to date and a for sale sign in the garage for a quick flight out of the U.S. ……if McCain wins that is.
P.S. I read the methane article you recommended. This GW stuff is “biblical” scary as hell …. literally.