Will John Edwards Decide Who The Next President Is?

[ihavenobias]

Run time: 03:13 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0McYwKL-ZeM   Posted on YouTube: January 15, 2008 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: January 16, 2008 By DU Member: ihavenobias Views on DU: 1341

 
As an Edwards supporter, my cynical (but somewhat and sadly serious) response is that no, he won't decide, the *media* will decide.

But with that off the table, the issue raised in this clip is likely to become a hot topic in the weeks to come. I wonder how many Edwards supporters will stay strong in this election-style game of chicken and how many will jump (to Obama I would assume) out of fear of crashing into a Hillary nomination?

PS---Which candidate would "change" things the least? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-4mL0Fl6i4&feature=user

[petersjo02]

1. Here's what I see happenig

Edwards will collect and hold onto his delegates until the convention atwhich time he'll make a deal with the candidate of his choice to throw his delegates his/her way in return for the job or policy of his choice in the new administration.

[localroger]

8. Yes -- the YT analysis is completely wrong

A lot of people remain so pissed off about the Nader thing they don't realize primaries aren't winner-take-all. It's very unlikely that Edwards will take so many voters from Obama, without collecting the delegates by making 10%, that it would throw the election lock stock and barrel to Clinton. It's much more likely that none of the candidates will reach the convention with a plurality, and THEN Edwards will be the kingmaker, not because he injudiciously stayed in the race but because he will be in a position to throw his delegates to the candidate who is most willing to incorporate his priorities in their platform.

[ihavenobias]

11. Maybe--Time Will Tell

Besides, you're forgetting one very important thing. How will *voters* react if Edwards doesn't have a strong showing in the two upcoming primaries?

What percentage of those yet to vote will worry (rightly or wrongly) that a vote for JE will be a "wasted vote" and what percentage of them will worry (rightly or wrongly) that a vote for JE would ultimately result in a Hillary nomination?

Keep this in context of what *you* wrote in your first sentence "A lot of people remain so pissed off about the Nader thing they don't realize primaries aren't winner-take-all." Exactly, a LOT of people *do* believe that. The reality of the situation is (unfortunately) irrelevant, it's the perception of the voters that matters.

PS---Again, I hope just about EVERYONE (in the media) is wrong and JE comes back to win this thing.

[mother earth]

2. I'm not going anywhere, Edwards is in it for the long haul, and I am

too. This race is too early to call, and I don't care what MSM says, they are going to eat their words.

[mirrera]

9. Me too. If he's in I am in.

He is a CLOSE 2nd and 3rd. Only a few Delegates behind. Hillary has a battle against Edwards as much as a battle against Obama, the message is just not framed that way. They could have just as easily said that she caught up with Edwards in NH as anything else. I am already looking forward to my Maine caucus where I vote for him. UNLESS the whole room of 20 or so people are for Kucinich... I would never stand in the way of a wave like that. BUT most likely it will be evenly divided with Kucinich needing a couple more people to land a delegate, and Edwards, Obama, and Hillary having a few extra.

We will see. The reality is SO much different when you don't watch TV News.

Edited to add that once again for the 5th time Edwards wins Thom Hartmann's 5 minute phone poll. By a BIG margin.

[mother earth]

10. He's the favorite of everyone who realizes what we are up

against, and it's only growing. My heart was with Edwards as soon as he said no to lobbyist money. It's the root of every problem we have today. If we don't tackle this, we may as well turn over everything we own to the corporations. They're the rulers with the status quo. They own us.

[ihavenobias]

13. Funny that you mention the phone poll

Edwards won the TYT poll when Cenk took calls on the issue, also by a BIG margin! With that said, I wonder how much the host of a given show influences the opinion of the listeners/viewers?

I know Thom has stated several times that he's donated to Edwards and Edwards only (unless that's changed). As for Cenk, he's gone back and forth between Edwards and Obama lately and is currently leaning slightly toward Obama.

If you watch the show you know he's been more than fair with the Big 3, alternating between singing their praises or providing relevant criticism (on substantive issues). He even joked the other day that he's pissed off supporters of ALL of the candidates because he's raised questions on all of them. But IMO, that's exactly what one should want out of a show host.

[TexasBushwhacker]

3. He's NOT leaving before Super Tuesday! n/t

[mother earth]

4. And after that we just may be asking when one of the others will

bow out.

[polichick]

5. Very interesting...

Hmmm ~ wonder what Edwards will do if he doesn't have a win in Nevada or South Carolina.
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These bumper stickers, t-shirts & more at: http://www.cafepress.com/powerboutique GET OUT THE VOTE!

[midnight]

6. Yes, If the people get to hear his message that the media

is trying to silence. Because if Edwards gets his message delivered to the people, the people will deliver Edwards the Presidency. Since the media is paid for by the mega rich, they want to install one of their own. They would prefer someone as thoughtless as Bush.

[jae1227]

7. If Edwards stays in the race then Clinton will win

Ever since the beginning of this race I believed that there was an anti-Clinton majority in the Democratic Party. As of now the Anti-Clinton vote is divided between Obama, Edwards and Kucinich. Obama has done much better in both Iowa and New Hampshire then Edwards. Also most of the polling is showing that Obama is doing much better then Edwards in the the bigger state. As long as Edwards is in the race the anti-Clinton vote is split and Clinton will win every time.

[mother earth]

12. Nice fear tactic.

The results of two states means nothing. This race is just getting started. I'm not buying MSM BS, we know who owns them.

[ihavenobias]

14. Look

I am NOT ready to call it quits. I even gave another donation to Edwards AFTER his NH finish.

With that said, it's unfortunately not relevant if *we* buy the MSM BS, because the bottom line is that many (if not most) people will. It's incredibly frustrating.

[cascadiance]

15. If that's the case then all the more reason that Obama NEEDS to make a gesture to Edwards voters!

If Obama sees such a pattern develop (which I still don't believe is the case just yet), he knows that in order for him to win, he will need to win over Edwards' voters. He will then need to start negotiating with Edwards to take on some of Edwards' positions to give Edwards the room to endorse Obama and ask his voters to vote for Obama instead.

If Obama doesn't do this in this circumstance, then I believe he never wanted to win anyway, and was part of the DLC plan to get someone like Hillary elected.

This is why Edwards supporters and Edwards NEED to continue on despite not winning states. They need to be the facilitator of horse trading that helps the progressive cause!

[DianaForRussFeingold]

16. I believe Edwards is viable ...

However--he is not BUY-ABLE!
While Obama is an inspiring, powerful and charismatic speaker,
the corporate media is aiming against Edwards, who threatens their strangle hold
-- their obvious agenda -- marginalize him and his message...

If Edwards is the next President of the United States.
He will take on out of control Corporations,
as did FDR.
He's determined to be a voice for regular families, like ours--that's why I am voting for
John Edwards for my family and every other family (rich and poor) in America...

If only the media would cut the crap and let Edwards
get his message out he could be unbeatable!

We the people, need a president
who will be an advocate for us.
That's the CHANGE America NEEDS!

"I know why I'm a democrat now -I know why, I'll be
a Democrat when they put me in the ground..
-- because this party gives voice, to people who have no voice!
We need to stand up and fight for people we have always fought for,
who need us today, who have always needed us and need us now, more than ever!"
John Edwards more...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bst32ThhUI

[Hulk]

17. Give me that Edwards/Obama ticket...and we'll kick ass in 2008!!

Take away the celebrity crap, which America seems to get so damn caught up in, and listen to what the candidates are saying. If you aren't pushing to get the woman or black man in to break the ice, then I think Edwards is the best pick in the litter.

If your goal is to get the first woman or first black in the White House, then I worry about what's best for the country versus what's good for minorities. It's pretty simple in my "simple mind".

[never_get_over_it]

18. I'm sorry but Cenk doesn't know what the hell he is talking about

I've been listening on a regular basis for a little while now and some of his ideas frankly are ridiculous - first of all he has been on a big kick the past few days that Edwards is running for VP - Edwards is NOT running for VP - I don't THINK he wants it or would take it - but what I KNOW is that the VP nomination WILL NOT BE OFFERED to John Edwards - it will remind the voters of the 2004 LOSING election and Edwards will not be asked whether he wants it or not. Now today Cenk comes up with this new theory - the most ridiculous part being especially if Edwards drops out before Super Tuesday. Edwards isn't going to drop out before Super Tuesday and it is asinine to suggest it.

Cenk might be entertaining and seems like a nice guy - but he is about as accurate as any of the M$M pundits - you know like when TYT called New Hampshire primary for Obama about 1 minute into their coverage.

I was actually going to become a member - but Cenk has made so many stupid comments in the past two weeks that I'm not going to waste my money....too bad actually because for the most part I like the guy

[ihavenobias]

19. Is there ANY show host which you agree with 100% of the time?

I wouldn't be especially offended by his political predictions (i.e. candidate X will win, etc.), because he OPENLY and regularly says they are generally wrong! Very few people I know, myself included, watch the show to hear political predictions. After all, those things are simply unknowable. And apparently Cenk was 100% right the other day when he said "well, at this point I've probably offended the supporter of EVERY candidate" because he criticizes ALL of them.

Overall though I think he has a really interesting, and as you said, entertaining, perspective on a variety of issues. I think any show host that has the guts to be honest about his/her opinions is going to anger some people, which is just fine with me.

I know people who HATE Thom Hartmann for example (find him to be boring, etc.), and I think they're crazy because Hartmann is AWESOME :). I'm also not crazy about some popular shows (one in particular just seems to be a series of goofy sound effects, accents and low-brow humor) but that just goes to show, to each his own.

[never_get_over_it]

21. No there is not a show host I agree with 100% of the time

that is not the point - what I don't like is STUPID or inaccurate. I think some of the things he has said lately are STUPID. If John Edwards stays in until Super Tuesday which is a grand total of 21 days away - in the words of Cenk OF C O U R S E John Edwards is going to stay in until February 5th. Thinking that Edwards might be running for VP is STUPID - Clinton or Obama would NEVER ASK HIM.

And my criticism of Cenk has nothing to do with my supporting Edwards, about 85% of my support for Edwards is actually opposition to Obama and Clinton - so I don't really care one way or the other how anyone else feels about John Edwards - I've made up my mind and everybody else has to make up their's

And for the record my favorite talk show hosts are Bernie Ward, Sam Seder and Thom Hartmann - Bernie and Thom are brainiacs and Sam is pretty darn smart too. Also for the record I do not agree with any of them 100% of the time - as a matter of fact I recently sent Sam an email explaining why I think he is dead wrong to not be concerned about Barack Obama's electability....also for the record I actually do like Cenk and will still listen to him - I'm just not going to become a member which I was considering doing before

[ihavenobias]

22. I'm curious, what do you think *now*?

You were pretty pissed about what Cenk said on January 15th, and his first prediction (that Edwards dropped out *before* Super Tuesday because he finished 3rd in SC) came true. I HOPE it helps Obama as he also predicted, but only time will tell.

Yeah, maybe he got lucky but it seems your harsh words were, well, a bit harsh in retrospect? Especially since Cenk was deciding between Obama and Edwards when he made this clip, so it's not like he was being anti-Edwards, he was just giving his honest opinion.

PS---*I* was behind Edwards! I was planning on voting for him and he's the only candidate I gave money to, THREE times, including another donation about a week ago!

[never_get_over_it]

23. What I think now is that Cenk did indeed get lucky

John Edwards stated after SC he was in for the long haul AGAIN...so I don't think it was SC that made him get out - at least not today - I think it makes no SENSE from what we currently know - that it wasn't because of money - it wasn't because of Elizabeth's health - makes no sense for him not to go 6 more days and then get out - I would have agreed that was likely if he did poorly on super Tuesday for him to get out THEN - something happened that made John Edwards get out TODAY - we may never know what it really was - and it is even stranger because he doesn't appear to be going to endorse anyone - maybe he is still working the two of them to secure a position in the administration.

Actually despite them saying its not Elizabeth's health - I am actually a bit worried about that - because that would make this thing make complete sense - if God forbid something has happened and she has taken a turn for the worse - 6 days would be INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT - I hope to God that truly is not it - I love that woman....

The reason I was pissed that day is an accumulation of STUPID things Chenk had been saying ...not just the John Edwards comments...I don't even remember what they were - not a big deal you know some people like Cenk some people aren't that crazy about him - I'm sure Cenk doesn't know or care what I think....and since they have changed their time I never get to hear him anyway so for me it is a complete moot point....

You like Cenk - God Bless as he would say and enjoy....

[Connonym]

20. and WE THE PEOPLE need to not let Edwards be pushed aside

fuck the MSM if they're going to marginalize him. I know America isn't DU but he polls so strongly here and so strongly against any potential Republican opponent that I really can't come up with any other conclusion than he's being deliberately ignored. So if they won't get his name out, we can get his name out. Talk him up, slap a sticker on your car, tell people why you want Edwards to be president. Grassroots and all that. Fuck the MSM