I just want to say I really resent those who are "belittling " the effort to get Edwards more

[saracat]

Delegates and attempting to sway Edwards supporter to vote for one of their candidates in the Primary. I resent the constant insinuations that Edwards does not want our vote. Edwards is still on the ballot. We can legally vote for him and he can accrue delegates. This is still a a democracy and we have the right to cast our vote for whomever we feel is the best candidate. For many of us that candidate is John Edwards. Many of us believe that politics was brought to bear in his suspending his race and if we want to exercise our vote to bring pressure on those people who caused it, that is our privilege. Personally , as for February 5th, I don't give a damn which candidate our support for John hurts. I have no obligation to any of them. Maybe we need to make a video, leave the Edwards supporters alone!

[bidenista]

1. amen

Some people need to look up "democracy" in the dictionary.

[neutron]

9. We aren't belittling him - he needs help

Just on basic right and wrong, Edwards lost the election,
and sensibly dropped out.

If he is still obsessing he should seek counseling.

He's a brilliant guy. He did great stuff. I think a refusal
to accept that it's over, and move on would indicate mental illness.

[hisownpetard]

13. T.A.T.A.

[Maat]

14. What nonsense - the idea that it is mental illness.

That's an insult to those who TRULY DO suffer from mental illness. I was in the mental health field for years - and political strategy is not mental illness.

[MADem]

15. That's probably the most uninformed commentary I have ever seen here.

Edwards is mentally ill?

It's not Edwards who has a problem, IMO...

[kurth]

22. Not to mention extremely insulting

[alteredstate]

21. You've posted some real crap here

but this takes the cake.

[MADem]

10. They sure do--along with "Freedom of Speech" as a Democratic concept.

Discussion, even of subjects that pain some, is a GOOD thing.

[Life Long Dem]

16. Some people should look at the issues and not the colot of ones skin.

That's why I chose Edwards. I don't see black or white. I see the person.

[bigtree]

2. some folks do think it matters which one of these candidates advance

and are not willing to wait and see who Edwards endorses, or wait to see how he'll leverage the delegates.

[kurth]

3. Well stated

Thanks!

[Joe the Revelator]

4. Edwards dropped out. If he wanted your votes he would have stayed in

I'm not trying to be a jerk. When Clark "suspended his campaign' a few of us felt the same way, and that he was going to jump back in, but the truth is we were in denial .

[MADem]

5. You can do what you want, and others can, too.

If you don't like what they are saying, tell them so. "Resenting" is simply wasted energy, though. People who are boosting for their particular candidate are going to try to sway people, and you're not going to prevent them from so doing. It's the nature of the beast.

It is my opinion that Edwards "suspended" rather than quit outright so he'd be able to continue to qualify for funding so he could pay his staff while he shuts down the campaign, which is a classy thing to do--not leaving one's employees in the complete lurch. I think he's DONE. YMMV, and probably does.

[DJ13]

6. If you dont vote for an active candidate NOW

You're leaving your vote on the table, and any delegates Edwards recieves from here on out may not end up with the candidate still running you end up supporting for the nomination.

[krabigirl]

29. ok, then vote for Gravel!

[MonkeyFunk]

7. You really think he'll get more delegates?

[bowens43]

8. Edwards quit. What else needs to be said?

[robbedvoter]

11. I don't. It's not often you get to vote for a candidate you like. I did the same in 2004

voted Clark after he dropped out. It felt good - and was good education for my kid. I explained to her the difference between a fote for and one against (my GE vote)

[goldcanyonaz]

12. Yep, I agree. Some don't know the meaning of democracy around here.

[kurth]

17. Make a statement. Vote your conscience.

[Maat]

19. I agree, although I am debating what I want my strategy to be.

BUT, I'll defend to the death someone else's right to vote for either Kucinich or Edwards on principle.

[Hoof Hearted]

18. Saracat you should vote with your heart and do what makes you happy.

Especially in the primary.

[cali]

20. LOL! Hypocrisy writ large by... YOU

You were just sanctimoniously lecturing me on another thread for saying I don't give a damn what you or other Edwards voters here do, and what do you say in your OP? That you don't give a damn.

I've said it before: I don't give a flying fuck who the DU Edwardians vote for. I don't give a damn if you have a little shrine to St. John with candles burning. Do what you want and whinge away as much as you want. It's your party, you can be as petulant as you want.

[saracat]

25. Reading comprehension is a valuable tool. I never said you didn't give a damn. I asked why you post

if you weren't trying to convince people of a certain point of view ot toward a candidate, which you usually are.

[never_get_over_it]

30. St. John - WOW that is snarky

that is especially special coming from an Obama supporter - you guys (and I don't mean you personally because I don't know) but the Obama supporters have as much as made him the second freking coming...

and I have to tell you before all this shit broke out on this board between Clinton and Obama - I couldn't stand Clinton and didn't care one way or the other about Obama but now I can't stand either one of them....

To the OP vote with your heart its the primary - but come home in November and vote for one of these two WAY less than perfect candidates....if not for any other reason than the Supreme Court

[Clovis Sangrail]

23. I don't know what people have been saying to you

but Edwards is out of the race.

"It's time for me to step aside so that history can -- so that history can blaze its path."
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/30/us/politics/30text-edwards.html?em&ex=1201928400&en=534d2cc8dcea0150&ei=5087%0A


You have the right to vote for whoever you want, and others have the right to *try to persuade you to vote how they want.
It might be annoying, but it's their right.

It's also their right to point out (correctly) that Edwards is no longer a candidate in the primary.

[Clarkansas]

24. Edwards isn't trying to be president anymore

I am not going to vote for someone who isn't trying to be president. You can do whatever you want.

[LoZoccolo]

26. "Edwards is still on the ballot."

You give this as evidence that Edwards still wants your vote, but the fact that he's on the ballot has more to do with the high cost of printing and the procedures by which people get on the ballots when they are running than it does with Edwards' intentions as of now.

Why didn't he keep his campaign going?

[mruddy]

27. I believe he was forced out.

The "powers" got nervous. His supporters were coming together & making things happen on their own. No one is quite sure how much was raised on the 1 day fundraiser but I imagine it was a rather large sum - maybe not quite the $7 million we were aiming for. Large numbers of supporters were signing up & making phone calls all around the country for John Edwards. I personally think this ground swelling made some people very nervous - that it was becoming a threat.

Just my opinion.

[LoZoccolo]

28. Are these the same "powers" that let him run in the first place?

The ones that let him get a base of support who are now saying they are going to vote for him anyways?

[mruddy]

32. Edwards evolved.

Again, just my personal opinion...
I started following Edwards in 2003. He is not the same candidate or person he was back then. Somewhere he finally got it - corporations were ruining the country. This primary, when he started taking on corporations and lobbyists, he lost any support he had from the those with money and power and thus any coverage on MSM.

[nancyharris]

31. Normally

when a candidate suspends their campaign, withdraws from the debates and schedules no public appearances they do not have to specifically say to their supporters "Please do not vote for me" because that is implied by the candidate's actions. Some Edwards supporters fail to make that simple logical connection. Sometime in the next few months it will slowly dawn on them. My guess is that even if Edwards endorsed another candidate they would still vote for him.