Thank you John Edwards for stepping aside when the party asked it of you

[Omaha Steve]

Even though you ran second in Iowa. Even though you were still above the 15% viability mark. Even though you had cash on hand. When the party said "We can't afford a three way race to Denver, it could cost us the Nov. election", you did what was asked. I wish others would act for the good of the party too!

Omaha Steve

[Colobo]

1. Exactly. Hillary should learn from him.

[cali]

2. I've never seen any evidence that Edwards was asked to drop out

[Inspired]

22. I think it was a combination of things, Cali.

I think he might have been asked because the decision seemed very rushed and his speech in New Orleans was very un-Edwards like. However, John ran to be the nominee. He didn't run to be a VP contender, or to be a kingmaker. He didn't run to play second fiddle to anyone. He knew he wasn't going to win. That is what I believe caused him to drop out.

[emilyg]

28. He wasn't.

[ClassWarrior]

36. Ah, he had the good sense and consideration to do it on his own.

NGU.

[emilyg]

44. Of course. He wasn't getting votes.

[MonkeyFunk]

3. When did the party ask John Edwards to step aside?

Who asked him? Why did Edwards agree?

Isn't it more likely that the reason for him stepping aside was that he hadn't won any primaries, and there was little likelihood that he would win any in the future?

[UALRBSofL]

4. Does anyone know who asked Edwards to drop out?

Was it Kennedy or Leahy or Kerry??

[goldcanyonaz]

18. Laurence O'Donnell.

[stevenleser]

19. I wrote a long letter to him 24-48 hrs before asking him to do that. Does that count?

I think a number of us Edwards supporters did at that time. I still have it in my sent box. Anyone wanting a copy can PM me.

[cornermouse]

25. With support like you, one doesn't need enemies.

BTW, how's that enemy list of yours doing?

[question everything]

40. I shook his hand less than 24 hours before he announced and asked the same

and he traveled all the way to the very cold Minnesota to talk to supporters who stood more than an hour in line to cheer him. And his campaign, at least, just recruited fresh volunteers to fire up the campaign. He would have done quite well in Minnesota.

Of course, I've done the same in 2004, same union hall...

[karynnj]

30. We know it wasn't Kerry - How could he, Edwards had long before stopped talking to him

I have no idea if ANY person stopped talking to Edwards. It may be that he, himself, saw the writing on the wall. He was not at 15% when he pulled out shortly before SuperTuesday. He peaked at 15 - 20 (in one poll the highest he ever got) in early January. By late January, he was around 8- 10%, 13% at the highest - and the trend was negative.) Link to all many polls -http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=5307745&mesg_id=5307745

He had raised money - but not enough to really do sufficient advertising in all the SuperTuesday states. He faced having his campaign go into significant debt, staying in but not running anything close to a competitive campaign or dropping out.

[polichick]

5. Where are people getting this thing about the party asking him to drop out??

[Tuesday Afternoon]

6. ~

:shrug:

[MonkeyFunk]

7. because some people

can't accept the simple fact that he wasn't getting much support. They have to invent some conspiracy behind his dropping out.

[roguevalley]

33. and that can't apply to you ...

[MonkeyFunk]

42. I don't know what that means

I fully accept the fact that Edwards wasn't getting much support, and had no chance of winning any primary states.

[jobycom]

8. Jesus goddamned christ.

The hagiography some people can convince themselves of...

[spooky3]

23. Any party that forces out a candidate who is still receiving votes and $ isn't

very democratic. It's ridiculous that candidates who are essentially tied at this point, if FL and MI votes are counted, should be having this discussion.

[Levgreee]

32. They aren't essentially tied if those are counted, not even close

[spooky3]

43. actually, they are--you might want to check out the facts

http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/03/how_to_count_the_popular_vote_1.php

[ElsewheresDaughter]

9. as Elizabeth said "We can't make John black and we can't make John a women"

otherwise John would still be in it.

[polichick]

11. Well, as I wrote to the campaign back then...

John needed to broaden his message so that more people could relate, and also use terms that work in urban and suburban areas, as well as rural and small towns.

[karynnj]

31. Elizabeth was biased - as a wife usually is

Those comments demean both Edwards and Clinton - they are far more than just the demographic category they fall into. In fact, Edwards supporters were arguing for at least a year that - resumes aside - he was the best candidate because he was White, male and Southern and that is what wins.

Here is what Alice Walters wrote:
" I am a supporter of Obama because I believe he is the right person to lead the country at this time. He offers a rare opportunity for the country and the world to start over, and to do better. It is a deep sadness to me that many of my feminist white women friends cannot see him. Cannot see what he carries in his being. Cannot hear the fresh choices toward Movement he offers. That they can believe that millions of Americans –black, white, yellow, red and brown - choose Obama over Clinton only because he is a man, and black, feels tragic to me.

When I have supported white people, men and women, it was because I thought them the best possible people to do whatever the job required. Nothing else would have occurred to me. If Obama were in any sense mediocre, he would be forgotten by now. He is, in fact, a remarkable human being, not perfect but humanly stunning, like King was and like Mandela is. We look at him, as we looked at them, and are glad to be of our species. He is the change America has been trying desperately and for centuries to hide, ignore, kill. The change America must have if we are to convince the rest of the world that we care about people other than our (white) selves."

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/3/29/124042/507/409/486744

[MethuenProgressive]

10. "when the party asked it of you"

Or the Humor Forum.
What "stuff."

[ElsewheresDaughter]

12. Do you have a link or proof that "John was asked to drop out for the good of the party"?!?

[mod mom]

13. He placed the party before his own self interests.

[splat]

14. Actually he looked really pissed about it

[Arkansas Granny]

15. Do you have any evidence that he was asked to step aside? I didn't think so.

[stevenleser]

20. PM me if you want my letter to Edwards...

I dont think I was alone.

[Cooley Hurd]

16. I don't think that's the way it happened, Steve...

I don't recall anyone asking him to drop out. His ending his campaign was a bit of a shock - he seemed so... shaken during his bow-out speech that I assumed it was perhaps that Elizabeth's health was not doing well.

[stevenleser]

21. I think a number of us wrote to him asking him to drop out...

as I said above, PM me if you want a copy of my letter

[Omaha Steve]

17. Does not freedom of speech (or opinion) count for much anymore in troll land

Rather than argue with people that won't get off their ass and go door to door. That won't open a wallet to help their candidate. I choose to ignore.


Edwards stated just a few days before dropping out he was in it all the way to Denver. He had a successful grass roots fund raiser a few days before too. I read it that he was asked. He complied. My opinion. If your opinion is different, I'm fine with that. To attack any posts in GDP, shows these little people for what they are. I too will start using ignore finally. You attitude DUers are losing YOUR freedom of speech because of YOUR actions.

Have a nice day you few that are left to fight over nothing.

The target is McCain and company! Not I. Not the Hillary crowd. Not the Obama crowd. Not the candidates of our choice. Like the generations of my family before me, I am a blue collar Democrat. That is a label I wear with pride.

[cornermouse]

24. I wish he hadn't dropped out.

Whoever thought what we have now was "for the good of the party" was very very wrong.

[countingbluecars]

27. I think you may

be right. I believe Edwards was asked to drop out for the good of the party. And we have the right to say what we think!

[Adelante]

26. I don't know that he was asked to drop out

At least I've seen any evidence of it. My opinion is he dropped out because he was losing, though anything is possible, I guess.

[superkia]

29. With his influence and knowledge of the candidates, I only wish...

he would endorse someone and tell us why so we can make informed decisions with knowledge from one of the good ones.

[depakid]

34. I suspect Edwards had personal reasons

that had little to do with all the pathetic "requests" for he (or anyone else) to "step aside."

[NashVegas]

35. Looking At Where We Are Now, I Don't Think The Party Knows What's Good For Itself

If the party - both parties - don't want this crap, the first thing they can do to help alleviate it is do everything they can to discourage anyone from declaring their candidacy within one year of an election - and enough of these bullshit exploratory committees!

The result of all the early birding has been to make the costs astronomical, the contest more bitter, given the press too much power to decide the fates of the candidates, and the voting public entirely turned off.

[question everything]

41. And have rotating regional primaries that include IA and NH

Had Clinton not pushed ahead in NH, the race would have been finished by then.

Certainly by the time Super Tuesday came, after only four small states voted, OK, even MI and FL. Obama would have been the only candidate and this is ridiculous.

I have to wonder, how many who now want Clinton to step out live in PA, IN, NC and other states that have yet to vote. Don't their voters have a right to express their preference?

[ClassWarrior]

37. I don't think the party asked him. He's just a good, sensible Dem who...

...believes in the American people more than his own personal ambition.

NGU.

[question everything]

38. I recently went to CNN and looked at all the results so far

and my heart sank when I saw how many votes Edwards received.

However, with our bizarre way of assigning delegates - Clinton won Nevada but not the delegates, or Texas provided more delegates to black districts than to hispanic ones - he was really sliding back.

Iowa, where he literally campaigned non-stop since 2004, Nevada, with a strong union presence, and his birth state South Carolina, should have been there for him, and they did not.

Instead Oprah and a charismatic unknown, who would provide a badge of honor saying "I am not racist" took over a thoughtful, sincere with plans specific Edwards. Which is one reason why I, among others, moved to the Clinton camp, she with her direct responses to direct questions in the debates, instead of charisma.

And, I suspect, this is the reason why Edwards just cannot find it in himself to endorse Obama. Iowa and South Caroline should have been his, not Obama's.

[efhmc]

39. I still love and miss John.