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Audacity of Truth
His Royal Phoniness drops out of the presidential race
Good news for Obama supporters? (h/t: ST reader Dana Pico):
DENVER (AP) – Democrat John Edwards is exiting the presidential race Wednesday, ending a scrappy underdog bid in which he steered his rivals toward progressive ideals while grappling with family hardship that roused voters’ sympathies but never diverted his campaign, The Associated Press has learned.
The two-time White House candidate notified a close circle of senior advisers that he planned to make the announcement at a 1 p.m. EST event in New Orleans that had been billed as a speech on poverty, according to two of his advisers. The decision came after Edwards lost the four states to hold nominating contests so far to rivals who stole the spotlight from the beginning—Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama.
The former North Carolina senator will not immediately endorse either candidate in what is now a two-person race for the Democratic nomination, said one adviser, who spoke on a condition of anonymity in advance of the announcement.
I question whether or not this is truly good news for Obama supporters because, for example, the entrance/exit polls that came out of Nevada showed that if Edwards dropped out of the race that 4 in 10 of his supporters would back Obama over Hillary. There are some contests that could be close enough to where Edwards support could put Obama over the top over Hillary. But it may not be as cut and dry as that, as we learn from The Fix blog (emphasis added):
Edwards’ departure also throws open the debate over whether his supporters will flock to Obama or Clinton.
Opinions differed in the moments after the decision became public.
Charlie Cook, a political analyst and publisher of the Cook Political Report, said that the racial divisions apparent in early votes could impact where Edwards’ supporters ultimately wind up.
“While one can plausibly argue that Edwards withdrawal may unite the anti-Clinton vote, one can also argue that Edwards overwhelmingly white block of supporters come loose and might behave much as other white Democrats have done in the contests after Iowa, not vote for Obama,” Cook said. “I don’t know which of those arguments will prevail.”
Carter Eskew, a senior Democratic strategist unaffiliated in this contest, offered a contrary opinion. He argued that “on balance” Edwards’ departure will help Obama more than Clinton. “The Edwards voter profile is closer to her voters, but if they weren’t for her before, not sure they will switch now,” he said.
Exit polling conducted yesterday in Florida suggests that Edwards supporters are equally inclined to back Obama and Clinton. Forty seven percent of Edwards backers in Florida said they would be “satisfied” with Clinton as the nominee with 13 percent saying they would be “very satisfied”. A similar 47 percent said they would be “satisfied” with Obama as the party’s standard bearer with 19 percent saying they would be “very satisfied”. Those trends were affirmed by exit poll data from South Carolina’s primary on Jan. 26 as more than six in 10 Edwards supporters said they would be satisfied with either Clinton or Obama as the nominee.
Edwards may be out of the race, but he may not be out of the running for something else – let’s not forget the rumor Robert Novak posted about Barack Obama considering asking Edwards to be his AG. I don’t even want to think about it, but I do believe it’s a real possibility.
One thing I’m looking forward to seeing in addition to tonight’s Republican debate at the Reagan Library, where sparks are sure to fly between McCain and Romney? Tomorrow night’s one on one debate between Barack and Hillary, which Jim Geraghty quips is “the Super Bowl for Democrats.”
Grab the popcorn! 
Update: Ben Smith reports that the Obama and Clinton camps have been actively seeking Edwards’ endorsement today.
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11 Responses to “His Royal Phoniness drops out of the presidential race”
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Brian came up with the best line of the day:
Yet another candidate who is running for Veep spot. I can see the gears, ohhh sorry the gear, in Johnny’s head spinning, “who is going to offer the Veep to me, get’s my support”.
Also, how corny that he went all the way back to New Orleans to say Buh Bye. I am sorry but this guy is so programmed and polished that he should think about living in Hollywood. – Lorica
The only thing that’s surprised me about The Breck Girl’s candidacy is that he stayed in this long.
Hey, I want to see a video posted of ST doing a happy dance that Silky is gone.
Check out my take on the Edwards exit. Whom am I for now? I’m at http://peoplepowergranny.blogspot.com. I also am asking folks their opinion on what Edwards will do now other than get a nice haircut.
Nice to see the AP hasn’t lost its taste for advocacy journalism. ‘Progressive ideals’? Like what? Putting a lid on free speech? Raising taxes on those who work the hardest? Sucking the money out of the medical professions for more embryo channeling?
And ’scrappy’? Were they watching the same candidate as the rest of us?
Benning: “Scrappy” is the self-esteem-building adjective used to describe the loser.
Lorica said:
Well, you’ve got to wonder: which remaining candidate would want him? After all, he proved his value as John Kerry’s running mate by losing his home state.
Dana,
Poor John, thrown aside like an unwanted Ken doll. – Lorica
Let me rethink what I said earlier. It is not like he brings ANYTHING to the other candidates. It is not like his supports are suddenly going to vote Republican.
At first I was amused by Mr Edwards dropping out of the race. Then I got this comment from Gretchen, who lives in Oklahoma:
You know, the more I think about Gretchen’s comment, the more pissed off I get. John Edwards was running as the progressive, the man complaining that under George Bush there were “two Americas” for the haves and the have nots, and he portrayed himself as the champion of the poor and the downtrodden — despite clearly living in the wealthy America with his mega-mansion on the hill and his $400 haircuts — yet here he was, at a time when he damned well knew he was going to drop out (his spokesman said that the decision had been taken within the last 48 hours), collecting just a few more bucks from those working people who live in the “other America” that he talks about, but doesn’t inhabit.
Sis, your former senator is a scumbag.
Yep.
It doesn’t surprise me he raised money on the eve of dropping out of the race. A man who would try to raise money on the back of his wife’s announcement that her cancer had returned will pretty much say and do anything.