Edwards. Town Crier or Consummate Politician?

[IndieLeft]

I really admire John and Elizabeth but there is a reason why he dropped out of the race. His message resonates with people who want change, who want to erase poverty in America, but a vote for John is not going to bring him back to the campaign.

It's admirable to vote for him to keep his message alive. People should do this if their hearts are really into it. But even John knows that he was a politician. The media didn't give him a fair shake. That is obvious, but he got out of the race because he realized that the political winds changed from 2004 to 2008.

Edwards was simply fighting an uphill battle, and didn't get enough traction with people who really desire real change. In many ways he is part of the past, given that he ran in 2004, and people resoundingly want a break from politics as usual. One candidate, the established candidate, wants to believe she can bring about change even when the barometer has said that her 35 years haven't gotten us very far.

My feeling is that he is still playing the consummate politician. One of the two candidates in the DEM party running for the presidency will get the DEM nomination. It will not be Edwards.

John made some rather strange political moves, some that undermined his core values. The two most important ones were the war authorization, in which he voted for, and the bankruptcy bill that put poor people in worse shape. Those two votes confound me. He is a good man, but he did not make his case that he could take care of all Americans. Because of that his campaign went south, with many democrats believing they could get what he has to offer with Obama and Clinton.

This is just my opinion, but I think he should endorse since he's out. Not doing this leads me to believe that he's playing an artful game of politics with the American people. It feels the same as the political calculus he and Hillary used for their war vote. It undermined many Americans, many injured Americans, many dead Americans.

If you have doubts about whether a war should be waged, you should never send people to start a war; even if you think it's going to last one day. Edwards apologized but this is why neither he nor Clinton get my vote.

It was his judgment that should have mattered then, and if he wanted to end poverty then he shouldn't have voted to give Credit card companies more money with that bogus bankruptcy bill. He, like Clinton, lacked good sound judgment.

Edwards should endorse now. He should endorse the candidate, either Obama or Hillary, that embodies the core belief that America is better when we are united and, strong. Only when we are united for this cause can the specter of poverty be erased.

Bottom line:

This is why I'm for Obama. He laid it out plain and simple in a number of debates. Obama got it right when Clinton and Edwards got it wrong.

Obama was against the war. Clinton and Edwards voted for the war.
Obama was against that bad bankruptcy bill. Clinton & Edwards voted yes.
Obama was against the Kyle/Lieberman amendment. Clinton was for it.
Obama is for transparency. Clinton made many decisions in secret.

Who has the best judgment in my opinion? Obama. YES WE CAN!!!!

[Jim Sagle]

1. He should endorse only if he wants to. I hope he doesn't.

[OzarkDem]

2. More GOP talking points

Thanks, but no thanks.

[Yael]

3. Edwards supporters are not looking for him to re-enter the race

We are simply stating to the party that our issues are no longer represented, as with Candidate A and Candidate B -- there is no there there.

Thanks for posting your case though. Seriously.

When it comes to the General, many of us Edwards/Biden/Dodd/Kucinich voters will need the inspiration.

[IndieLeft]

4. Someone tell me what voting for Edwards will accomplish

I really don't understand. Someone tell me what this will accomplish because Nader ran in 2000 and in 2004 and what happened? I'm a staunch Democrat and I remember wanting Nader to stay out of this but I certainly understood why he was doing it. He wants to change the party system and I respected that but it is one of many reasons that got us Bush for two terms. And further, everyone isn't a right winger because they have a position that another candidate "within the Democratic party" has better judgment.

Someone please respond to the question. Why vote for Edwards understanding that he, himself withdrew his candidacy?

[asdjrocky]

5. Because I still can.

[NastyRiffraff]

6. Because this is the primaries

I don't care who wins, between Obama and Clinton. Yes, I realize Obama people think that's heresy, but there you have it.

I'll vote for the nominee; until then John Edwards gets my vote.

As for endorsing, I fully agree with his decision not to endorse right now. Again, that's heresy to St. Barack, but so be it.

[IndieLeft]

7. I want to know the merits though

What would Edwards gain? That's what I want to understand. I know people want to vote for him and they should if that's the way they feel but what would Edwards and his supporters gain from a substance standpoint.

For instance, does he become the king maker or does his votes go in the trash? If he got a large enough vote in the primary, what would happen?

[ClericJohnPreston]

8. Because I wonder

when folk like you suddenly show up out of the blue to insist we vote for someone, when OUR CONSCIENCE tells us otherwise.

OUR CONSCIENCE...these words will not be understood by any candidates flaks coming in here and preaching surrender. How can people of good conscience surrender a cause, such as that for poverty, when candidates like Obama, do not understand anything beyond sloganeering and rally cheers.

Take your argument and peddle it where there are people who don't think. Take it to the Obama threads....

[Beaverhausen]

9. he suspended his campaign- he didn't withdraw

his name is still on the ballot in my state, and I still support him. ANd stop with the Nadar comparisons - Nadar ran in the GE and he wasn't a democrat.

Sheesh - stop telling people what to do and vote for who you want.

[kurth]

10. It's a free country and I can vote for whoever I want whenever I want.

[avaistheone1]

11. Correction: Obama was Not Present for the Kyle/Lieberman amendment.

In addition~

In 2004, Sen. Obama said he didn’t know how he would have voted on the Iraq War resolution.
‘When asked about Senators Kerry and Edwards' votes on the Iraq war, Obama said, "I'm not privy to Senate intelligence reports,’ Mr. Obama said. ‘What would I have done? I don't know. What I know is that from my vantage point the case was not made.’
In 2004, Sen. Obama also said there was little difference between his position and George Bush’s position on Iraq -
In a meeting with Chicago Tribune reporters at the Democratic National Convention, Obama said, "On Iraq, on paper, there's not as much difference, I think, between the Bush administration and a Kerry administration as there would have been a year ago. <...> There's not much of a difference between my position and George Bush's position at this stage." (Chicago Tribune, 07/27/04)

[Blue_In_AK]

12. He has no obligation AT ALL to endorse anyone. n/t

[jackson_dem]

13. Obamites continue to swiftboat Edwards. Tell me who else voted for the bankruptcy bill

What was the roll call? Look it if you, like every Obamite who swiftboats Edwards doesn't know...but Edawrds should rescue the same folks who swiftboated him. It is no mere coincidence that the swiftboating of Edwards on the netroots suddenly picked up steam when Obama announced his candidacy...