I find all the talk of "Kerry stabbing Edwards" in the back funny because...

[book_worm]

in 2004 Al Gore didn't endorse his VP running mate, Joe Lieberman, and there wasn't an uproar regarding "Why did Gore stab Lieberman in the back" when he supported Howard Dean. The facts are these: Yes they say they choose the VP as the person they think would be the best president if something happens to them, but while that may in some cases be true, the real truth is that the VP is selected as who they think will help them the most. In 2004 Edwards was chosen because of being from a different region of the country, appealing to a different demographic than Kerry--Kerry had this limousine liberal image while Edwards is more folksy and because Edwards had shown strength in states like Ohio, Wisconsin and Iowa. If it had been only about who would be the best president I'm not sure that Kerry would have chosen Edwards.

It's not isolated. Ike in '60 didn't particularly care for his VP, Nixon, famously telling a press conference, "Give me a week and I'll think of something" he had contributed to the administration. JFK didn't want LBJ to succeed him in '68. FDR dumped two of his VP's (Garner and Wallace).

[Johonny]

1. What about Lieberman

That dude endorsed a rethug. Now that's pretty low. No wonder Al Gore did endorse him.

[book_worm]

4. but he hadn't endorsed a rethug in '04 when he ran for president.

[Johonny]

12. wouldn't it have been rather stupid

to endorse someone other than yourself in 2004? I wonder after McCain fades out of the race, who well Joe pass the Joementum on to.

[Orsino]

13. He'd simply voted like one.

No, I think Lieberman is a fairly special case.

[MethuenProgressive]

2. Perhaps Edwards shouldn't have lied to Kerry about his dead son?

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1626498-2,00.html

"Edwards had told Kerry he was going to share a story with him that he'd never told anyone else—that after his son Wade had been killed, he climbed onto the slab at the funeral home, laid there and hugged his body, and promised that he'd do all he could to make life better for people, to live up to Wade's ideals of service. Kerry was stunned, not moved, because, as he told me later, Edwards had recounted the same exact story to him, almost in the exact same words, a year or two before—and with the same preface, that he'd never shared the memory with anyone else."

[Virginia Dare]

11. Perhaps that's a stupid reason to endorse somebody else?

not that I believe that is his reasoning.

[seabeyond]

3. it is stupid knee jerk attack kerry at all times without thinking. i prefer edwards

to the others. i liked kerry. i liked edwards. i liked clark. i can do obama. about the only one i am opposed to is hillary for many reasons. BUT i would vote for any over the repug. not a hard call. and the continual attacks on dems all sizes and shapes doesnt work for me.

[LibraLiz1973]

5. Actually there was A LOT of talk about Gore not endorsing Lieberman

He took a lot of shit for that.

[karynnj]

15. The bigger issue was that Gore did not call Leiberman first

so he heard it via the news - then could not get Gore to take his call.

I have no idea if Kerry called anyone first.

[DainBramaged]

6. Here we go again

and the flames begin to grow. Maybe Kerry thinks Obama offers more HOPE than Edwards? Why didn't he endorse Hillary? Why not Richardson? Who cares? Feed those flames yeah.:popcorn:

[book_worm]

7. Another point: had Kerry run for president again in '08 Edwards wouldn't have endorsed him

where's the loyalty there? Edwards began running for president for 2008 right after the 2004 election.

[Bluerthanblue]

8. I find it offensive that people are telling John Edwards how this endorsement

'could be seen'-

It's on the noon news- all over the place- "this could be seen as a snub"-???

All the editorializing.

What a petty society this is.

[AlGore-08.com]

9. In 2004, Gore got a LOT of flack for "stabbing JL in the back" - - Kerry was one of the complainers

Pretty much anybody running in 2004 (except Howard Dean, obviously) publicly complained that Gore's endorsement was either a stab in the back to Joe Lieberman or just in incredibly bad taste, because Vice Presidents "don't take sides in primaries" (which is total b.s.) or Al Gore's unique roll as the winner of the popular vote sorta-kinda-not really made him an ex-President, and ex-Presidents "don't take sides in primaries" (which, again, is total b.s.). The MSM had a field day with it, bashing Gore as some kind of power crazed king maker driven only by a deep loathing of George W. Bush.

And DU was not much better - - folks who supported Dean were wild about the endorsement, and those who supported others were furious. Many did not hesitate to diss Gore.

[book_worm]

10. I don't recall all that much criticism of it from other candidates

I was a Dean supporter so maybe I didn't pay any attention to it.

[seabeyond]

14. kerry did not. get me the quote. n/t

[karynnj]

16. I don't remember the other candidates complaining

I think Kerry was more upset that Gore did not chose him - though that is only from Shrum, Kerry never said anything.