Edwards should go thru the Feb. 5th primaries and then....

[kentuck]

If he has not made substantial progress, he should then consider whether or not he still wants to stay in the race? Hopefully, he would have enough delegates to negotiate at the Convention in Denver? He could still have a big say in who becomes President - Hillary or Obama. However, in my opinion, if after February 5th he has not made significant progress, then he should step aside and let the majority of Democrats decide who they favor the rest of the way? If the Hillary and Obama delegates are very close at the end, and I suspect they may very well be, Edwards will be in a position to negotiate for either a personal position in the new Cabinet or to insist that certain issues be addressed. Just my opinion.

[cali]

1. He should do what he thinks best

there are still quite a few important primaries after 2/5.

[IndianaGreen]

2. Why should Edwards drop out at all?

It's bad enough that the MSM decided long ago who the "leading" candidates ought to be, based on TV ratings.

[FreakinDJ]

3. Very well said

Edwards brings lot of GOOD ideas and dedication to the table. Why should he drop out at all?

[kentuck]

4. He doesn't have to drop out...

But there is such a thing as reality. And the time will come when we will have to decide to unite behind one candidate or another. It's all about the number of delegates. Edwards may be in a much stronger position after Feb 5th - we do not know? But if not, in my opinion, he should consider taking the delegates that he has and stepping aside if the reality does not change?

[B Calm]

14. I hate the thought that we'll be uniting behind a corporatist candidate

only because we have to.

[kentuck]

15. Choose your poison.

A corporatist Republican or a corporatist Democrat? Is that where we are at?

[B Calm]

16. If Edwards backs down, thats what we'll have.. Sad state of affairs..

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[kentuck]

7. And thanks for your opinion..

also. We all have our opinions. That's why we put our scrawny little fingers on the keyboard.

[chimpymustgo]

8. Let the people say "Amen!". Edwards - and his message - are here to stay.

We need him in this. And you never know what will happen. Even Kentuck. :evilgrin:

[kentuck]

9. It's his call.

But we will have to unite sooner or later.

[frogcycle]

17. at the convention - no sooner

he needs to stay in and garner all the additional delegates he can. There is no earthly reason to do otherwise

[kentuck]

18. There is the reality of money.

Does he have enough to continue?

[frogcycle]

19. irrelevant

if he does not, and can not, that would be unfortunate. But it is no reason to express an opinion that he "should" drop out*. He can continue to the extent that available funds permit, and the probability of funding increasing is very real, as long as he stays at it.

*the reason for my earlier snotty response

[kentuck]

20. Personally...

I'm hoping he does very well in SC today and makes a comeback on February 5th. However, if he does not...?

[frogcycle]

22. if he does not, then he should keep plugging

as long and as far as he can

it ain't over til its over

[B Calm]

6. Piss on dropping out. The DLC would love to see him drop out.

I want him to stay and fight to the end!

[robcon]

10. I think he'll drop out before Feb 5.

n/t

[cali]

11. What do you base that on?

Anything real?

[robcon]

13. Another third place finish in SC will doom his campaign.

Real enough: no momentum to offer any hope in the Feb 5 primaries. Lack of money, lack of votes, lack of volunteers and staff in the major states.

But most of all, lack of hope. Doesn't he have to actually win a primary or two (or 10) to gain the nomination?

[cali]

21. yeah, but that doesn't mean he'll drop out.

he has an enthusiastic and dedicated base, and he can still pick up delegates and effect things at the convention. I don't see him as dropping out even if he gets under 15% and no delegates today. If he does poorly on 2/5, I wouldn't be surprised to see him drop out, but I don't think he'll do it until then.

[kentuck]

12. I would be surprised if that happened.

He needs to see a few more cards fall on the table before he folds his hand.

[OzarkDem]

23. Obama and Clinton are flawed candidates

neither of whom is likely to win in the GE. It may take a while, but I believe more Dems will also come to this realization. Edwards has to stay in for as long as it takes.

Otherwise, we're stuck with 8 years of McCain or whomever the Goopers choose.


This isn't a popularity contest, its serious business. Dems can't afford to blow this one.

[Sparkly]

24. I really thought he'd do better -- perhaps win -- both Iowa and now SC

I thought that in Iowa, the Obama-Clinton fighting would cause Edwards to break through and perhaps win. Now I'm seeing that same potential for South Carolina, but it's doubtful.

I must say, I never liked Edwards, but he's grown on me a bit. It may be that the other two, particularly Obama, have shown a lot of negatives lately and have sort of sunk to the level of Edwards in my mind, but I feel more accepting of Edwards now than I ever did before.

[saltpoint]

25. Maybe a good number of South Carolinians show up for John today and

put some delegates in his pockets before he boards the bus for Feb. 5th.

Say he does pretty well or better than expected Feb. 5th and that one of the two leading Dems falters. He wakes up on Feb. 6th with more delegates and not fewer, no matter the exact vote percentages or who won what.

This does happen in politics. The media-driven public perception had Giuliani as Mr. Victory in "this perilous age of terrorism!" and of course the red-hot Fred Thompson campaign really burned a few headlines before it fizzled. Fred's curtains and Rudy's looking at no better than 3rd in Florida, his last-stand state.

McCain's staffers fled for greener pastures, only to see their zombified pro-Surger rise from the dead and walk the earth again.

HClinton has taken some hits lately. If you prefer another candidate, the hits are "fatal" or "damaging." If you like her candidacy, she's more "demonstrably tough" than ever and can "play in the big leagues."

There's a tendency to discount Obama by a lot of pundits but he remains an obvious contender. Counting him out strikes me as naive.

kentuck, I think you're right about the delegate question. The three leading Dems likely roll into Denver next fall. It will be like the arrival of the Three Wise Persons in a new holy narrative. Much wrangling and jostling on the convention floor and tense phone calls between hotel rooms before a final nominee is chosen.

At the moment, John Edwards has as good a chance to be the Wise Person with the more persuasive case in the narrative, whether his delegates are the smaller or the larger number.

[MagickMuffin]

26. ALL the WAY to Denver

I WANT TO CAST MY VOTE FOR JOHN EDWARDS.

Thank you very much for your concern. However, John has said he IS IN IT TO WIN IT

:applause:GO:applause:JOHNNY:applause:GOOOOOOOOOOO

[Orsino]

27. If he were to quit, I'd hope that that was only to sign on as Veep.

If we can't have him as president, can we at least see him preside in the Senate?

But Obama and Clinton will have their own choices for running mate. :(