February 10, 2008
Wooing Edwards
NBC/NJ's Athena Jones has confirmed that Hillary Clinton met with John Edwards Thursday at his home in Chapel Hill to make her pitch for his endorsement. The encounter was first reported earlier today by The Page. NBC News subsequently confirmed that Barack Obama will make the same pilgrimage tomorrow to visit with JRE. The Obama campaign, however, is not commenting on the report, according to NBC/NJ's Aswini Anburajan.
Since Edwards dropped out of the contest nearly two weeks ago, Clinton and Obama have given public props to him at every possible turn, on the stump and in their first one-on-one debate in CA. As former Edwards supporters have realigned, however, more seem to be finding their way to Obama.
While scoring JRE's nod would certainly dominate a day's news cycle, and provide the beneficiary of Edwards' support a new opportunity to appeal to his base of blue-collar voters, would it deliver anything of consequence?
After all, Ted Kennedy and Caroline Kennedy and John Kerry couldn't help push MA into the win column for Obama. Mari Culver, Iowa's first lady, didn't bring Edwards, whom she backed, a victory in her state's first-in-the-nation contest. And many wonder, for example, if MD Gov. Martin O'Malley, a rising star in the Democratic Party and an HRC supporter, be able to help Clinton win his state during Tuesday's Potomac Primary. We're guessing that the state's demographics will play in Obama's favor in the end. So the answer ... No.
So these endorsements -- from former candidates and powerful actors and activists -- don't necessarily produce victories. The question then is do Edwards' delegates shift to the candidate of his choice? And did he land enough delegates to matter in the end?
(ATHENA JONES, ASWINI ANBURAJAN and JENNIFER SKALKA)
Posted at 05:42 PM
Comments
The question then is do Edwards' delegates shift to the candidate of his choice?
No. I voted for Edwards anyway. And I will be writing Sen. Edwards recommending he endorse Hillary Clinton.
corinne | 02.10.08 08:11 PM
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Edwards would be ill advised to make any
endorsement, because endorsements
make little difference to voters and it
is just wrong to influence ex officio ("super")
delegates at this stage, because once the voters have
spoken to deny their choice would be to
force Ralph Nader into the race and give
the Repugnicons a chance to win.
Edwards ought instead to propose a united
ticket with Barack Obama in return for a
much more working class oriented program.
With an Edwards-type orientation to the
working class an Obama-Edwards ticket
would be headed for a landslide.
Shane Mage | 02.10.08 10:40 PM
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If Edwards supports Hillary I will have lost all faith in him and his values. Hillary is as far from what Edwards believes in as a Republican would be! Edwards should throw his support with Obama because their beliefs and what they want to do for our country are more similar than Hillary's and Edwards. Hillary takes money from Special Interests-Edwards and Obama didn't; Hillary wants to work with insurance companies for our health care (like that will work!) Edwards says you can't work with insurance companies and get any kind of deal from them for us; Hillary is more of the same Washington DC status quo we've had-Edwards and Obama would bring fresh new ideas like John Kennedy did.
Lu Patterson-Sisco | 02.11.08 08:45 AM
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Marty O'Malley endorsed HRC very early in the process when she was "inevitable" and it looked like she neededto appeal to the Catholic vote. He's done nothing for her since the press conference nor will he. He's not needed anymore and he sees no reason to stand in the way of the avalanche. He's another profile in courage. LOL
just another dem | 02.11.08 05:41 PM
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