Yes, it's a two person race.

[cali]

Edwards supporters are are not living in reality if they think otherwise. Realistically, Edwards' odds of winning the nomination are vanishingly slim. I supported Dean in 2004, and it was clear to me that he was done after NH- and he came in second there. It was clear to Dean to, and he gracefully dropped out. Edwards is in that same position today. Is he influencing the other candidates? If so, in a very limited way.

I do understand that most Edwards supporters believe passionately in what he says. I am not suggesting he drop out. I think he'll become increasingly irrelevant in the coming days. And I don't believe that the MSM is largely to blame for his poor showing in NH or his not winning in NH. Both Iowans and NH voters rely heavily on person to person contact and local media. I know personally that's true about NH.

The reality is that by February 5th Edwards will have lost even more support, and Unions will start pulling their support and throwing their weight behind either Clinton or Obama even before then.

This is not going to end in a brokered convention. 23 states vote on Feb 5th. Odds are it will be decided that day. Edwards' staying in until the convention is his business, but his doing so won't change the trajectory or outcome of the race.

[ellisonz]

1. If he can't break 30% in S.C., he should drop if...

...he's sincere about Hillary representing the status quo and Obama being deeply sincere about change (per the last debate).

Edit: grammar.

[peacebird]

2. I kind of like the quaint old idea of democracy. Where people in ALL states get a say before a

top three candidate is eliminated.

But that's just me, and I don't get a vote in this pig til pooperscooper tuesday.

I will vote for Edwards then, and if he isn't the candidate I will vote for Obama in the general.

[NC_Nurse]

6. Me too.

Although I am unhappy with the way that the primaries are set up so that some of us really don't have a voice.
I would like to see all of them stay in, if only to widen the conversation. Having Edwards stay in keeps the issues of poverty and corporate
influence in the campaign. That's good , IMO.

[AmBlue]

27. "pooperscooper tuesday"

KEYBOARD ALERT!!!

:spray:

Now why haven't I heard that before...

[Jersey Devil]

3. If Bill Clinton thought that way he'd never have been President

He didn't win Iowa or NH and was considered washed up at this point.

You really have a lot of chutzpah to tell Edwards supporters that they have to stop supporting they guy they (and I) believe in simply because you can't hold your breath until February 5.

[cali]

5. I didn't tell Edwards supporters to stop supporting him

You want to live in a fantasy, it's fine with me.

[Jersey Devil]

9. Oh please, you are so transparent

I don't know if you are an Obama or Hillary supporter and don't care, but the motive for your post was obvious. You think that Edwards voters will flock to your candidate if he drops out.

I happen to think that there is no one candidate Edwards supporters would run to if he did so and in all likelihood the vote would be split fairly evenly.

[cali]

13. er no. I don't. Looks to me that Edwards supporters would split between

Clinton and Obama, just as you said. And I don't care much one way or another whether you personally write his name in in the GE. Most of his supporters will peel off in short order when he loses in NV and SC.

[Jersey Devil]

19. No, sorry, NV & SC are irrelevant to most people in the real world

and the real world is not DU.

Nevada holds a caucus, not a primary, and the caucus is virtually controlled by the culinary union. So you're telling me it's over if the kitchen workers of Las Vegas say so?

As for South Carolina, sure, that should really be influential to all Democrats, shouldn't it, seeing what a monumental Democratic stronghold South Carolina is. Why, if all 14 Democrats in that state go for Obama then who could possibly question his momentum?

Super Tuesday will answer most of these questions and no matter how much you might not want it to be so, it is not over or anywhere near over.

[mhatrw]

4. The difference between Dean and Edwards is that Edwards hasn't been

assassinated by corporate media, just ignored.

[HughBeaumont]

7. You think this is over?

Your girl's husband didn't win Iowa OR New Hampshire. Poor showings in both states IIRC.

Edwards will not back down. I know you're praying for it . . . maybe his populist message just can't compete with and isn't as believable the make nice, bridge-building, continue everything as planned under a different party rhetoric of HRC. America needs REAL change, not the illusion of it. He will not do it in one year, but at least he'll take steps.

I for one cannot concede this race to the inevitable. HRC is poison to this party. Why voters continue to tread this path of voting against their interests, do whatever the media steers them to and go with a candidate who, unlike Gore and Kerry, WILL divide the left and center, lose the South and inspire more Republicans and misogynists galore to vote against her in droves is beyond me completely.

[cali]

11. why do DUers make such silly assumptions?

You just look ridiculous. I support Barack- very strongly. Wrong you are on that and wrong you are about everything that follows. which is based on your silly leap that I support Clinton.

[HughBeaumont]

20. It's not really THAT silly a leap.

Given your history of sticking up for Hillary even when people call out her very real negatives, such as her two odious war votes, her free trade/job offshoring stance, etc.

And what's wrong with the last paragraph? She wouldn't divide the left and center? She wouldn't inspire people to vote against her? She already IS.

[liberal N proud]

8. 2 contest and you already know all this?

I think we should wait and see. If Edwards is willing to fight on, I am willing to continue to support him in that fight.

[cali]

12. Nothing wrong with his fighting on

if that's what he wants to do. And he certainly shouldn't drop out before Feb 5th. That wouldn't be fair to his supporters. But if it plays out as I think it will, and he doesn't do any better than third on that date, his staying in is futile. Of course if Obama loses badly on the 5th, that can be said of him. Same for Clinton.

[Darth_Kitten]

16. Then what's the use anyway? I mean, if Edwards supporters are

living in a dream world and can't face reality and all that?

[forintegrity]

10. Why do we ALLOW the corporate media

to determine the best person for the job cuz that's exactly what they're doing! WE give them far too much power! If we ever want something different for this country, we have to stop allowing this to happen! And the only way I believe this will happen is through the only source of communication that is not yet OWNED by corporations: the internet.

It's our job to start spreading this concept and telling people to boycott all corporate-owned media!

[cali]

15. They didn't.

The MSM doesn't play nearly as big a role in Iowa or NH as retail politics and local media.

[Darth_Kitten]

14. Well, then who do the "voters" want? Obama or Hillary?

seems to me that "voters" still can't make up their minds......

[cali]

17. We'll find that out.

I actually believe this is good for Obama. The Clintons are going to throw the kitchen sink at him. We'll be able to see how he handles it.

[bdamomma]

18. I am not giving up on Edwards.

[Meshuga]

21. He is done. It is Obama vs Clinton now.

And it is going to be a long race for the nomination.

[Donnachaidh]

22. hogwash rhetoric

2 primaries and you call US delusional? :rofl:

[cali]

23. He got 17% of the vote

less than half the total of the 2nd place winner. He will not get anymore significant union endorsements, and just as unions started backing away from Dean, you'll see that with Edwards. Sorry, but Iowa and NH have huge influence. Denying it is just foolish.

[LizW]

24. You're back, after your premature gloat yesterday????

I thought you might take at least a day off after embarrassing yourself so.

:evilgrin:

[ozone_man]

25. Dean didn't drop out after NH.

He dropped out after the Wisconsin primary on February 17th. Any Dean supporter would know that Cali. :D

There is a lot of time between now and then for Edwards to define the differences between himself and the two corporate, war hawks. As an economic populist his message will be catching on as we slip into recession. Don't count him out yet. What happened to Obama yesterday, may happen to Clinton in the next primary as voters mull over their choices. No one likes to be told who their choices are. Not in America and not at DU.

Don't worry, Edwards will let you know if and when he's done. :)

[AmBlue]

26. But it's EDWARDS that's driving the debate, cali.

And while he fights with all he's got against a relative media blackout to get his message out and become the People's President, whether he wins or not, he will continue to drive the conversation and force the top tier candidates to be answerable to the hard issues-- however nasty and inconvenient-- like the U.S. screwing over our veterans, like poverty on the rise, and the corporatocracy that diminishes this nation and all of us with it in immeasurable ways. NO ONE else in this race is bringing these issues up-- in so many words-- because they don't want to step on the shiny wingtips of their fat cat donors. Like I said in an earlier thread, Edwards is not waiting to be chosen to be the nominee to begin delivering on one of his primary campaign promises: To be the voice of the voiceless. It's a dirty job, but somebody has to roll up their shirtsleeves and do it. Moreover, it's a powerful message. If we're doing our parts in this, we should be asking these hard questions of all our candidates, and not accept high sophistry in place of concrete answers. The longer Edwards stays in, the more people get to hear him, and the more people are persuaded by it. We see it here on DU just about every day.

John Edwards is in it all the way to the Convention, using that important platform to move the conversation and make sure the least of us have a voice in this process. As long as he's in it, I'm in it with him. He makes it a better race for all of us by elevating the discussion.

Who knows, as you say, it very well could be a two person race: Edwards and Obama OR Clinton and Edwards.

[laureloak]

28. Looks like you haven't learned that you need to kiss up

to Edwards supporters. If you want to help your candidate you should just SHUT UP!