Edwards MUST Endorse...

[cjmastaw]

One of them. He has to make a decision, Clinton or Obama.

Yes, I know he just called it quits, but unless he wants to look like just another politician, he needs to pick one of them, and soon.

I'm not going to say which one, as that is not my decision... Only he knows which one of them will do the most to put forth HIS agenda, and whichever one that is, he needs to endorse them soon.

[readmoreoften]

1. So is Gore "looking like a politician?"

He doesn't have to endorse anyone and I hope to god he doesn't.

[Prefer]

2. And he quit because he didn't want to be a kingmaker...

[Blue_Roses]

3. He doesn't have to endorse a DAMN thing...

nice try...:eyes:

[Maven]

4. I would be surprised if he endorsed anyone

then again I was surprised he dropped out today, so who knows.

[flyarm]

5. he suspended his campaign,..he did not quit..he does not have to endorse..so get over it..

get over your demands..Edwards doesn't have to do shit..get that straight..

http://www.slate.com/id/1004841/

explainer: Answers to your questions about the news.

Do Delegates Have Free Will?
Ted Rose
Posted Tuesday, March 14, 2000, at 3:02 PM ET
Last Thursday, Bill Bradley withdrew from the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, and Republican John McCain announced that he was "suspending" his campaign. Bradley said he would not release his delegates to the Democratic nominating convention. Similarly, news reports suggested that McCain used the term "suspending"--as opposed to "withdrawing"--in order to retain control of the delegates he has won so far. How do the candidates keep control of their delegates?

The two national parties set the rules for the selection and responsibilities of their delegates. (All states have their own laws regarding delegates, but in recent decades the U.S. Supreme Court has struck them down, ruling that the parties can set the policies.) Democrats dictate their policy from the top down: All delegates are pledged, but not bound, to reflect the conscience of the candidate they were chosen to represent. The Republican Party, on the other hand, relies heavily on its organization in each state to set the rules regarding its delegates. A handful of state parties give delegates complete autonomy to vote at the convention for whomever they chose. Others require that the delegates vote for their candidate until the candidate releases them from that obligation.




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On the Republican side, McCain will have considerable leverage at his party's convention, because he'll have at least six delegations obligated to remain in his corner. He would lose the support of these delegations only by officially releasing them, not by withdrawing from the race. (McCain delegates from a seventh state--New Hampshire--would be released if he did withdraw.) Under GOP rules, six delegations are needed to pass a motion that would allow McCain to bring a special amendment to the convention floor for consideration by the entire Republican Party--not to mention the audience watching at home. (Note to Bush: Incorporate campaign-finance reform into party platform in advance.) McCain will also have enough support to be officially nominated for president at the convention.

Bill Bradley may say he is retaining his delegates, but in the Democratic Party an official withdrawal severely weakens a candidate's power at the convention. Since he has withdrawn, Bradley will not be able to appoint supporters to the all-important convention committees, which determine the rules and the platform for the convention.

In addition, he will lose a significant number of the delegates already placed in his column by news organizations. In the Democratic primary process, one group of delegates from every state--the at-large delegates--is officially allocated late in the primary season. If a candidate drops out of the race, party rules dictate that his at-large delegates are to be distributed among the remaining candidates. In New York, for example, MSNBC News reported that Bradley earned 87 delegates. At the convention, this number will drop to roughly 70.

As a result, Democratic candidates, unlike their Republican counterparts, have a real incentive to "suspend" their campaigns, as opposed to ending them. In recent history, a number of Democrats have chosen to suspend their presidential candidacies, including Al Gore in 1988. By contrast, only one other Republican in recent memory has chosen to suspend a campaign that made it into the primaries: John McCain's new nemesis Pat Robertson, in 1988.



fly ..a 2004 dem delegate

[Ken Burch]

6. That's a trap. If Edwards DOES endorse somebody right away

People like you are gonna say "aw, they must've promised him a job", and then he'll look like even MORE of a politician. Nice try.

[Cant trust em]

7. I just hope he uses this to stay public

My biggest regret would be for him to recede into private life and not use this moment to do something big. Endorsement, cabinet position, develop a foundation. You name it. If he can't be president then I hope he does something that makes an impact.

[mahina]

8. John Edwards does not have to do any such thing.

I sure wish he would, but he can do whatever he damn pleases, with no obligation to any of us. He more than fulfilled his obligation to us, if there was one, a thousand times over in this race.
my .02

[WinkyDink]

9. Who says he must?

[JDPriestly]

10. As an Edwards supporter, I view Obama and Hillary

as Tweedledee-dee and Tweedledee-dum and I dislike them both equally. Maybe Edwards feels the same way. I do not wish to or plan to vote for either of them, so I can understand if Edwards decides not to endorse either of them.

[Beacool]

11. I disagree!!

The gracious thing that he, and also Richardson, can do is not endorse anyone and let their supporters make up their own minds. I'm sure that some will go to Obama and some to Hillary, people can think for themselves.