No Edwards endorsement yet? Wow...

[Coldkilla]

I'm kinda shocked that he hasn't made an official endorsement yet. I guess he said something about "whoever makes a commitment to end poverty in 20 years"... and "whoever gets him 2 jet skis" but none of the candidates have suggested they would do that (the poverty thing!). His supporters were a large enough chunk that could tip the scale ether way.

Do yall think he will endorse anyone before PA?

 

[Perknose]

Originally posted by: Coldkilla
Do yall think he will endorse anyone before PA?

Nope. I think it's clear he's angling for the Veep slot -- white, Southern male to balance the ticket and all.

 

[Farang]

He doesn't want to upset either side because he plans to run again in 2012 or 2016. He will never be an excellent candidate but with the right field he could get the nomination, and looking back at Edwards' political career that is all he seems concerned with.

 

[Aimster]

He is being smart.

If he endorses Clinton and Obama wins he loses.. and vice versa.

 

[Farang]

Originally posted by: Aimster
He is being smart.

If he endorses Clinton and Obama wins he loses.. and vice versa.

I disagree. Because the odds are at least 90/10 of Obama winning, and have been for some time now, the "smart" thing to do would have been to endorse Obama early and grabbed a high position in his administration. He will never give up his presidential aspirations and thus wants to please all sides of the Democratic party by staying neutral and planning for another run.

 

[nageov3t]

Originally posted by: Farang
He doesn't want to upset either side because he plans to run again in 2012 or 2016. He will never be an excellent candidate but with the right field he could get the nomination, and looking back at Edwards' political career that is all he seems concerned with.

I agree on pretty much all counts.

he's got to know that he has nothing to offer as a VP after his abysmal performance in '04, but I think he's young enough that he can try for another run next time around. he'd have been a pretty formidable contender in the '08 primaries if he wasn't running against two rock stars of the party.

it's the path Jud... er, Richardson should have taken.

 

[Coldkilla]

Yea I think he'd seal the deal with endorsing Obama. He'd get a high cabinet position, and an Obama administration surely wouldn't be a bad one to be behind, or at least - not NEARLY as bad as Bush . He'd then have a higher standing in a field of possible future candidates.

 

[b0mbrman]

Originally posted by: Coldkilla
I'm kinda shocked that he hasn't made an official endorsement yet. I guess he said something about "whoever makes a commitment to end poverty in 20 years"... and "whoever gets him 2 jet skis" but none of the candidates have suggested they would do that (the poverty thing!). His supporters were a large enough chunk that could tip the scale ether way.

Do yall think he will endorse anyone before PA?

No. For Tuesday primaries, the deadline for game changers is Saturday, so that they can make Sunday headlines.

North Carolina, which votes on May 6, is probably the last state left where his endorsement would have any effect, and even then not that much.

Perknose: AG I think, although it certainly sounded like Clinton was tossing him a bone when she started talking about creating the title of Secretary of Poverty

 

[Nebor]

I really like John Edwards. He seems like a nice guy. I don't like how he turns his accent on or off according to the audience.

 

[Vette73]

Originally posted by: Nebor
I really like John Edwards. He seems like a nice guy. I don't like how he turns his accent on or off according to the audience.

Maybe he is like me, i grew up in NC, and my accent depends on the speed I speak and also if I have been talking a lot. I know a lot of people in the south that their accent can change.

I have had people think I was from up north before and some think i was from the deepest part of the south.


Edwards can add a a lot of social image to either person as a VP. His background and image would support that. Not sure about economic side but social woudl geta boost from him. That and the whole "white southern guy" thing does not hurt the black guy or woman who woudl be the head of the ticket. Either one needs to take a white guy if they want to pick up more white male votes.

 

[Dari]

No way he'll be VP candidate if Obama wins the Democratic nomination. You can't have two young(ish) pretty-boys running around the whitehouse. That's just too much.

 

[Corbett]

Originally posted by: Nebor
I don't like how he turns his accent on or off according to the audience.

Clinton and Obama do the exact same thing. Must be a democrat thing.

 

[mflacy]

Originally posted by: Perknose

Originally posted by: Coldkilla
Do yall think he will endorse anyone before PA?

Nope. I think it's clear he's angling for the Veep slot -- white, Southern male to balance the ticket and all.

That would balance Hillary, but Obama hasn't had any trouble getting votes in the South so far.

 

[Vette73]

Originally posted by: mflacy

Originally posted by: Perknose

Originally posted by: Coldkilla
Do yall think he will endorse anyone before PA?

Nope. I think it's clear he's angling for the Veep slot -- white, Southern male to balance the ticket and all.

That would balance Hillary, but Obama hasn't had any trouble getting votes in the South so far.

Edwards actually does really well in the mid-west. Only average for the south.

 

[Lemon law]

I tend to think Edwards will not endorse either until the end. Its simply the safest course and it antagonizes no one. Being seen as a decider is the last thing Edwards wants. But if Edwards is going to make another run at the white house, his nest is feathered by some national post where he can amass a visible public record. And that why having a surviving sitting Senator
out to get him with a grudge is so dangerous.

And even then, an Edwards endorsement is not the huge anyway.

 

[Thump553]

I think Edwards time has come and gone. It may be tarnished by my personal opinion of him (weak 2004 performance, mega-bucks "populist") but the fact of the matter is he was essentially the first one in this race, had a very powerful organization, plenty of publicity, the hot issue on his side (the economy) and still couldn't hardly generate any votes.

He probably is holding off to preserve his future Presidential ambitions, but I think he is deluding himself by doing so.

I view him as a natural endorsement for Obama, and the really proper way to frame this issue is "Why hasn't Edwards endorsed Obama yet?" Is it because of Obama's refusal to have mandatory health care (most likely in my view) or some other, broader concern.

 

[Legend]

Originally posted by: Nebor
I don't like how he turns his accent on or off according to the audience.

A lot of people do this without realizing it.

 

[rudder]

Originally posted by: Marlin1975

Originally posted by: Nebor
I really like John Edwards. He seems like a nice guy. I don't like how he turns his accent on or off according to the audience.

Maybe he is like me, i grew up in NC, and my accent depends on the speed I speak and also if I have been talking a lot. I know a lot of people in the south that their accent can change.

I have had people think I was from up north before and some think i was from the deepest part of the south.


Edwards can add a a lot of social image to either person as a VP. His background and image would support that. Not sure about economic side but social woudl geta boost from him. That and the whole "white southern guy" thing does not hurt the black guy or woman who woudl be the head of the ticket. Either one needs to take a white guy if they want to pick up more white male votes.

No, maybe it is like every other politician... accents change based on the crowd. But I think Obama would best be served by staying away from Edwards... he reeks of the little lawyer weasel type.

 

[SirStev0]

Originally posted by: Perknose

Originally posted by: Coldkilla
Do yall think he will endorse anyone before PA?

Nope. I think it's clear he's angling for the Veep slot -- white, Southern male to balance the ticket and all.

I was thinking a cabinet position. I think he knows that he doesn't make a good second fiddle. He needs to actually be running something.

 

[CycloWizard]

One of the many problems with our political system... People are voting around waiting for someone to tell them who to vote for. These endorsements are pandering of the worst kind. /weak rant

 

[Perknose]

Originally posted by: SirStev0

Originally posted by: Perknose

Originally posted by: Coldkilla
Do yall think he will endorse anyone before PA?

Nope. I think it's clear he's angling for the Veep slot -- white, Southern male to balance the ticket and all.

I was thinking a cabinet position. I think he knows that he doesn't make a good second fiddle. He needs to actually be running something.

Well, right now the next administration's candy jar is full, and he's done his best to position himself, I guess.

 

[Craig234]

Salon wrote a piece on why he hasn't endorse Obama, which basically said that he met with both of them, and Hillary surprised him with committed talk about the issues he cares about, while Obama was more arrogant and would only speak in platitudes, which turned him off.

Just a couple days ago, he did a comedy bit about how he hasn't decided yet, including jokes about whichever of them get him a pair of jet skis will get his endorsement.

I don't know what his reasons are for not yet endorsing; it's possible he's not thrilled with either, it's possible he's trying to get some committments to his issues, who knows.

I do know I had preferred him to either of these two - not because of his stage abilities, his speaking abilities, but because of his clear values for the issues I like to see prioritized.

At the moment, I'm leaning towards Obama and hoping ((c) Obama 2008) his vagueness turns into something good in office, and have some reason to expect it to.

Hillary would be a lot better than a Republican and I'd certainly vote for her if she is nominated, but her history with corporate representation, NAFTA, Wal-Mart etc. is an issue.

 

[b0mbrman]

Hmmm....

?Mrs. Edwards, her husband?s closest and most trusted adviser, has made it clear that she favors Mrs. Clinton; aides said she had recently tried to persuade Mr. Edwards to do the same.?

Text

 

[StageLeft]

04 showed me a guy who, regardless of time and experience, will never be a good president. He is simply not smart enough. Remember how he got manhandled by Cheney in the debates? It was embarrassing to watch. That should never have happened like it did, hopefully if he does indeed run again, people will drag those up and show what a lightweight he is. The US has done worse with Bush, but could do much better than Edwards.

 

[Craig234]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
04 showed me a guy who, regardless of time and experience, will never be a good president. He is simply not smart enough. Remember how he got manhandled by Cheney in the debates? It was embarrassing to watch. That should never have happened like it did, hopefully if he does indeed run again, people will drag those up and show what a lightweight he is. The US has done worse with Bush, but could do much better than Edwards.

I agree with some of the concerns about him, but weight them below the set of values and priorities he's adopted.