The Edwards Primary (The Nation)

[jackson_dem]

-snip-

On Super Tuesday, 415,000 Democratic primary and caucus voters chose John Edwards as their candidate for president. It is true that many of those votes came on "early ballots" that were cast before the former senator from North Carolina withdrew from the race. But hundreds of thousands of Democrats and independents who were motivated enough to go and vote on February 5 did so for Edwards, knowing full well that he was out of the running.

In Oklahoma, where Edwards might well have won the primary if he had stayed in the race, the former candidate won more than 10 percent of the vote. In several of the state's larger counties, the 2004 Democratic nominee for vice president took second place, running ahead of either Obama or Hillary Clinton. In the state's 2nd and 3rd congressional districts, Edwards took 13 percent of the vote, narrowly missing the 15 percent threshold needed to secure delegates.

In California, Edwards won 170,050 votes for 4 percent of the total. And in at least one of the state's congressional districts he fell just short of the 15 percent threshold.

-snip-

But both the Clinton and Obama camps have come to recognize that a nod from Edwards could influence a significant number of his former (and in some cases continuing) backers. And the remaining candidates know that in a close race for the nomination -- after his Maine caucuses win on Sunday, Obama leads Clinton by 3 delegates -- an endorsement could be definitional.

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/thebeat?pid=283443

[jannyk]

1. Kick & R for JE

[jackson_dem]

2. Edwards' cause lives on!

[surfermaw]

3. Run John Run with your delegates use them where they will count most.

[Maddy McCall]

4. Rec for John.

His endorsement will come this week. I feel it in me bones.

:)

[jsamuel]

5. k & r

[The River]

6. I Vote In Virginia Tomorrow Morning

I'd prefer to cast it for John if only to add weight
to his upcoming endorsement....but, I'm ABC.
My guess is that Edwards will endorse Obama.
Which is more strategic in the long run?
Add to Edwards gravitas or help Obama gain delegates?


on edit: Thanks for the heart "anonymous"

[UpInArms]

7. Go, Johnny, Go!

Make them hear all of us!

[mzmolly]

8. I was one of the 415,000 but I'm not sure that I expect him to endorse.

We'll see what he decides. :hi: