Edwards Dropping Out of Presidential Race

T

Tyler Durden

500+ Posts
MSNBC is reporting John Edwards will drop out of the presidential race today during a speech in New Orleans. I wonder where his voters will go? I would guess a good percentage of his voters were anybody but Hillary people but he also stands to have the support of people who wouldn't vote for a minority or a woman.
 
I think 60/40 for Obama, but have no basis just a gut feeling.

Is Edwards going to endorse either Obama or Clinton? if so that could change the number 5-10%
 
I think Edwards supporters fall into the Obama camp to a much greater degree than 60/40. I say that from reading a lot of opinions and keeping an ear to the ground. People who support Edwards want a change from the DC establishment status quo much more than not and Obama is much more consistent with that than Hillary, obviously.

It's also of huge significance, imo, that this announcement comes almost an entire week before Super Tuesday instead of Friday or over the weekend. I'd even be willing to believe the crucial timing of Edwards' announcement has an intended effect that supercedes the news of his withdrawal.

.
 
I think it hurts HRC in the South as well. In my opinion (and this is a grand generalization) Edwards supporters more than likely consisted of white males and southerners not ready for a minority candidate and/or female. But now that only two remain, Obama is the lesser of the two evils (in their eyes). Personally, I can not stand HRC, and I'm a Dem. If she wins the nominee I could without a doubt see myself switching party lines and/or obstaining.

At any rate, Obama picks up a HUGE amount of Edwards votes out of spite for HRC. If Edwards endorses Obama, game, set, match. The door to the Democratic big wigs had been opened by Kennedy, the flood gates will be opened by an endorsement by Edwards.
 
This is really a huge deal for the democratic race with Super Tuesday on the horizon.

I am a little nervous (being a Obama supporter) as to what John will do / say in the following days.

An endorsement for Hillary would be huge and the other side of the coin would be monumental for Obama.

The endorsements have been flying around and I certainly hope he goes to the Obama side!

Come on John, show your support!
 
I was an Edwards supporter who will now switch my vote to Obama.

They both seemed to have similar ideals about bringing change, bringing troops home, and taking care of our own by helping poor people to better be able to help themselves, and keeping jobs in America.

I liked Edwards better because the plans he had laid out for each issue on his website are much more specific and detailed than Barack's. It was more than just a good idea and a general plan. But nonetheless, I am now an Obama supporter, regardless of who Edwards endorses.

Even though Obama's and Clinton's stances on most issues aren't as far apart as they seem, I just think Obama's personality makes him more electable in the general election. Clinton is just downright hated by a lot of people, right or wrong, that's just not what we need in a candidate nor in a President who will have their work cut out for them to bring the United States back into respected view among the rest of the world.
 
I would be shocked if Edwards endorsed Hillary. Apparently he encouraged Obama to be more aggressive in one of the early debates. Edwards has talked a lot about change and that isn't Hillary.

Hopefully, he will endorse Obama and soon. It might not matter much if he waits two weeks.
 
This really sucks. He was going to be the key to wrecking havock at the Dem. convention and was the one chance Obama really had of becoming the candidate. I'm pretty sure I'm going to end up voting thrid party...again.
 
This is no surprise to me. It's over and his wife is dying of cancer. He cut his deal at precisely the right time to maximize personal gain. Edwards is an ambulance chaser; he's getting something out of this and went to the high bidder, which I'll bet is Hillary and the bid is Attorney General. Who do you think is the high bidder?
 
Normally I would share the spirit of your cynicism, Tahoe, but in this case I think it's a bit misplaced.

Frankly, this one has me a bit flummoxed. My sense was that Edwards 15% was solid and sticking with him for the time being, and that he would at least wait until he had a sufficient delegate stash (after Feb 5) to stop campaigning.

Now, it's any body's guess, but it would seem a bit of a long shot that he would endorse Hillary either explicitly or by silence. And in any case, many of his more activist supporters would be more likely to hit the ground for Obama, even if his rank-and-file voters would have a natural even split between HRC and BO. If Edwards has cut a deal with Clinton, I would think a good # of his supporters would feel just a bit betrayed.

Likewise for Richardson (or so I hear) his supporters tilt slightly toward Clinton, but much of his staff has already thrown their lot in with Obama's campaign.

Too early to see what the play is, imo.
 
If Edwards gives his support to Hillary Clinton after being closer to Obama....he'd confirm everything his enemies ever said about him.


John endorses the '90s now and he's an eternal fraud. That would be his ultimate legacy in American history. We're about to find out if Edwards was as genuine in his thoughts as his "change" rhetoric.
 
What Super said- in any case, I don't really know that Edwards can necessarily direct his support having dropped out- they aren't just going to sit around waiting for him to tell them what to do.
Hillary Clinton is a known commodity. Edwards' ~15% wasn't with her for a reason, so I'm guessing that his support breaks about 70/30 Obama.

Even though I think it helps Obama (a good thing), it's too bad. A brokered convention would have kicked *** and given the eventual nominee real momentum heading into the general election. There's nothing Americans appreciate more than good TV, and I think their gratitude would be reflected in the polls.
 
Given that it's not winner-take-all in the Democratic primaries, and given the prospect of a brokered convention where the Hillary/Obama people are so entrenched and gridlocked that a compromise candidate could emerge, this seems strange...

...unless he's just worn out, or worried about his wife, or has been offered a spot in a Hillary (or Obama) administration.
 
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