Barack Obama went to visit Edwards in North Carolina today. Presumably, he’s asking for the former candidate’s endorsement, and the 20-some delegates that come along with it. In a race this tight, it’s not surprising that both Obama and Clinton are lobbying so hard for his endorsement.
Word last week was that Edwards was leaning toward Clinton. The rumor making its way around the internet at the time was that Obama didn’t offer him the Attorney General position that he wanted, and he went to see what Hillary had to offer. I don’t know how much stock you can put in that, but I suppose it’s plausible. I haven’t heard any rumors about Hillary offering cabinet positions, but all indications are that she’s wooing him pretty intensely. (She has also gone to North Carolina to visit Edwards.)
I’m not sure what to think. I’m inclined to say that if Edwards gives his endorsement to Clinton based only on what position he was able to secure for himself, I’ll lose all of the respect I have for the man. I’d like to think that he’d support the best person for the job, independent of what his role might be, but maybe that’s na
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All the AG stuff is speculation. Heck, I hope he’s put in charge of federal efforts in NOLA. Then he can run for NC gov.
No candidate has really come out hard on Edwards’ populist issues — therefore I don’t think he’ll endorse anyone. But, I’m pretty sure that it’s not about him and his next position. I just think he isn’t particularly impressed by either.
This quote from the AP article on the meeting seems plausable:
“People close to the Edwardses, speaking privately, say they have been torn about whom to support. The former North Carolina senator is concerned that Obama may not be ready for the presidency and that his health care plan is inferior. But Edwards was highly critical of Clinton — her policies, her ties to special interests and her character — during his campaign, making it more difficult to support her now. The couple has been impressed with Clinton, who has more effectively courted them since the 2004 vice presidential nominee dropped out, people who talk to the Edwardses say….”
I’m all for cutting him some slack until he makes his decision. I don’t have any problem with him hearing both Obama and Clinton out. It’s hard to imagine a scenario where he’d endorse Clinton over Obama, but, as the previous person said, maybe it would make sense if he were deciding based on the issue of healthcare alone. My sense is that he’s more concerned with corporate influence on Democracy, however. If that’s the case I don’t see how he could go with Clinton.
An Edwards endorsement would not likely change anything except possibly place him on the shit-list of the person he didn’t choose. He would be wise to stay neutral unless and until things came to the point where his backing of a particar candidate were to make the difference for them. That is a highly unlikey scenario. If he does endorse, I’d expect him to wait until just before the March 4th contests in Texas and Ohio, at which time we are probably going to know from polls there who the nominee will almost certainly be.
Polls in Wisconsin show Hillary gaining on Obama in today’s contest there. If she pulls off an upset in Obama’s neighboring state, I’d say he’s done.
You think that the superdelegates will move that heavily toward Clinton if she wins today? I think Obama has enough support that it is almost impossible that she catches him in terms of pledged delegates. All he has to do is stay within about 20 points of Clinton in Texas and Ohio and continue to do well in the caucuses.
There was an interesting piece at Daily Kos today on the possibility that the Clinton campaign may try to flip pledged delegates.
I wonder just how ugly they’ll allow this to get.
saying you would lose respect for someone b/c he endorsed clinton is a bit over kill I’m a Edwards fan. I trust him to make the right choice for him personaly I dislike either of the other candidates and think if edwards would have stayed in he could of made a better impresion. I was sad when I never got the chance to vote for him (in Missouri). Although right now I am lenning towards Obama I don’t think it will make a big difference who makes the nomoniee anymore. The only problem I have is that Clinton comes off a bit rude and with differences that small between them that can make a difference
I didn’t say that I’d lose respect for him if he endorsed Clinton. What I said is that I’d lose respect for him if he endorsed Clinton because she gave him a better offer than Obama. His campaign, at least on the face of it, wasn’t about personal ambition. It was about restoring the moral center of America. It was about doing the right thing, not the thing that best serves one’s own personal self interest. That’s all I was trying to say.
I think this talk of Edwards leaning toward Clinton because she may give him the position of Attorney General…is a crock. C’mon. We all kind of think “well maybe that’s true,” but I think this is just the media making shit up as usual.
The media is who is going to determine this election. We have to doubt most of what we read and hear. They spin and spin and spin to have a juicy story that we can all gossip about, like this one.
Edwards was the candidate for me, and if the media thought he would have been a hot story, he’d have had the media’s support and would still have been in this race. The case is that he is not and I think he will endorse whomever he thinks will be the best president. Wouldn’t you?
Apparently, Elizabeth Edwards lost her battle with cancer today.
AnnArbor.com contributor Betsy de Parry, a cancer survivor, shares her thoughts about the passing of Elizabeth Edwards:
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.annarbor.com%2Fhealth%2Felizabeth-edwards-reminded-this-cancer-survivor-to-choose-life-over-death%2F&h=56992