Edwards needs to stay in the race for Obama to have a chance....

[FrenchieCat]

Until at least through SC.

Edwards helps Obama in SC because he takes votes from Clinton
Edwards helps Obama in NV
Richardson helps Obama in NV as well.

They should all stay in.

If Richardson drops out before NV....we can say Oh-oh....and bu-buy Obama in NV cause....
Richardson attracts the "experience" voters. I'm not sure how Hispanics would break, as they are pretty conservative; maybe Obama?

[sjdnb]

1. I hate politically calculating actions ... just do what you believe is right

Man, all these calculated, poll driven, celebrity grabbing, political moves are turning me off to the whole thing. And, I've seen far too many similar posts on DU.

Whatever happened to voting your conscience?

[FrenchieCat]

3. Well at least, I'm encouraging all of the candidates to stay in.....

So, I guess I'm alright!

[sjdnb]

5. If only for the most cynical reasons

It's not the destination, but the journey.

[K Gardner]

10. Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...... LOL. She'll change her mind !

We don't want that !! :dem:

[saracat]

2. Edwards should stay in because he has the best message.

And I want to have someone to vote for!

[FrenchieCat]

7. But he really wouldn't have the money for the GE.....

and that's a biggo problem!

Especially if McCain is the nominee.

McCain did not accept matching funds.

[sjdnb]

13. No matter who wins the Dem nom --- they'll have more than

enough $$$ - it will come flooding in.

[cali]

17. no. that's not how it works when you accept matching funds.

but why bother to explain it again? Edwards odds at winning the nomination are about as good as my chances of hitting it big in the lottery. He wants to keep running, that's his business, but he has virtually no chance.

[sjdnb]

23. Ever hear of a little group called the DNC? or 527s? or

any number of political fundraising entities that can advocate-legally for a candidate based on policy/political positions?

My only point is, don't vote for someone because you think they will win based on their bank account - vote because you believe in what they say and finding a way to win is secondary. We're Americans for goodness sake, if you believe money ALONE dictates our democracy, you've already given up on it.

[saracat]

25. Especially since Edwards is the only one who beats McCain!

[PretzelWarrior]

4. there's no way Edwards is peeling more votes from Clinton

than he is from Obama. Just no way. I say Edwards should stay in until he decides he doesn't want to or until he wins. Let people win on their own merits--not because of some calculus of segmented voter rolls.

[cali]

18. In SC he'll pull more votes from Clinton than Obama.

It's all about demographics there.

[K Gardner]

6. Does that mean...

you're dropping your JE oppo and all the Edwards Attacks?? !!

:bounce: :think: :hi:

[FrenchieCat]

Nope.....I'm sticking to the truth as to John Edwards' track record.....

versus his rethorics.

He is still in last place as one of my picks.

[ClericJohnPreston]

12. LOL

What a joke Frenchie....coming from you. You think any of us forget 5 days of straight Edwards bashing by you?

Get a life...

[skipos]

8. Totally disagree. The CNN exit polls have Clinton winning 60+% of the people who

don't find Edwards "favorable." I don't see the cross over.

[Bonobo]

9. Now seems like a good time, Frenchie, for me to ask. Why don't you like JE?

You and I were of a like mind about Wesley Clark, but seem to have parted ways a bit. I do not dislike Obama at all and am curious as to what your thoughts are on JE if you care to share.

[FrenchieCat]

14. His record speaks differently to me than does his words......

I have too many speeches of his that I have read prior to his conversion which only took place after he lost the 2004 election. I'm not comfortable with that. I could accept his original record better than the convenient way in which it morphed.

[Bonobo]

16. I think that his wife and her illness may have had a transformative effect on him.

For some reason, my bullshit meter, which he set off in 2004 all the time, does not go off anymore when he rallies against corporations. It is just that much of a gut feeling for me in terms of trust.

Thanks.

[lynch03]

11. WTF? Edwards takes a way votes from Obama not Clinton

Have you ever heard an Edwards speech?

[cali]

19. Heard him tonight.

and his stump speech doesn't do much for me. I still don't trust him. And in SC, Edwards will NOT take AA voters from Obama, but he does take white voters from Clinton.

[FrenchieCat]

24. Yep...I agree

Edwards helps also in NV for the same reason.

[lynch03]

26. How about ignore race and look at the issues

Hillary Clinton is everything that John Edwards campaigns against.

[smalll]

20. You assume that Obama's rhetoric is economically leftist, the way Edwards' is. It isn't.

The OP is essentially right here.

Edwards and Obama appeal to the two opposite ends of the Democratic Party, in terms of class. Edwards appeals to the working class and lower-middle classes: economically liberal, and at times socially conservative. Note that in Iowa, Edwards WON the self-described "conservative" Democratic vote.

Obama, on the other hand, appeals to the upper-income bracket Latte Liberals, who are socially liberal. The LLs can also be economically liberal (eg, anti-corporate) however, economic issues are of course not central to their motivation (they're living well.)

Clinton stands in the middle. If Edwards dropped out, for Obama, at best, it would be a wash. It wouldn't help him any.

[jzodda]

15. You know I don't care if Edwards helps Obama nor want him to

I want Edwards to stay in the race to try and win it for himself. He said it right, 99% of the people have not voted yet and there are 48 states left. If Edwards needs to stay in to help another candidate then he should drop out now. I also don't agree with your premise that he helps Obama since I think he steals more from potential Obama supporters then Clinton.

[NastyRiffraff]

21. Er...excuse me but why should ANY candidate

Stay in or leave the race to help Obama? I thought they were running their own campaigns, separate from Obama's. Am I wrong???

Oh, right...I forgot. It's all about Obama.

[incapsulated]

22. I think it's the opposite

I think Edwards helps Clinton by taking votes away from Obama.

But I would have to see a demographic rundown.

He *did* get the votes of older people in Iowa. And she got the union households and working class, same in NH.