Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Edwards Out; Who Benefits?

Much to my surprise, former North Carolina Senator, John Edwards, ended his presidential ambitions today in New Orleans, the same place where he announced his '08 candidacy.  This was shocking to say the least.  I had expected Edwards to stay in the race until the convention.  After all, what does he have to lose?  Or more importantly, what else can he do?  He has been, for the last 5 years, a professional Presidential candidate.  

Despite the shock and surprise of this drop-out, the media has already begun speculating on whom Edwards will endorse.  As I've stated in the past, I'm not sure how much endorsements matter.  I know several Edwards supporters and they have already made up their mind on who they will vote for now that he's out.  Some say Clinton; others Obama.  They assure me that whomever Edwards endorses is no more likely to get their vote than that person was before that potential endorsement.  

With that said, the Edwards vote is really split in my mind.  You have those Edwards supporters who are low-income, white, mostly rural voters.  Those voters are pretty much exactly how one would describe Clinton voters, minus the rural part.  You also have the labor unions, which, in some states, are heavily hispanic.  Those votes would also vote for Clinton, although the Kennedy endorsement might help slightly with latinos.  

Then there are those liberal "change" voters, whatever the hell that means.  They are Daily-Kos and Huffington Post Democrats, who support Edwards simply because of his far-left positions on some of the issues.  Those are, clearly, Obama voters.  

So the question should not be who Edwards will endorse, although it is more than likely to be Obama, considering all his anti-Clinton talk as of late, but who Edwards voters will break for.  Right now, my estimation is a 50-50 split, which leaves this race just as dead-locked as before Edwards got out. 

4 comments :

Anonymous said...

Edward's position on most of the issues are closer to Clinton than Obama. Also the issues themselves are more defined by Edwards and Clinton than Obama. I think when you talk about the vote on Super Tuesday and beyond, Clinton will be the one who receives the greatest benefit. I still think Clinton articulate's the issues better than Obama.

Anonymous said...

Then there are those liberal "change" voters, whatever the hell that means. They are Daily-Kos and Huffington Post Democrats, who support Edwards simply because of his far-left positions on some of the issues.

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Liberal "change" voters? Far-left? It's rhetoric such as that that turns off the core of the democratic party. The problem with the Clinton democrats is that they've forgot the core values of the democratic party. You can't put them in a bag with republicans and tell which is which. From taking the conservatives route on issues of personal freedom, selling out our country's workers with NAFTA and Free Trade with Peru, universal health Care run by the same HMOs that are screwing us now and refusing to give a timetable for ending the war in Iraq, Hillary is nothing more than Dubya-lite and her supporters are being duped down the conservative trail because she's a Clinton and a democrat.

Anonymous said...

This is one core democrat who believes the Clinton supporters are better off supporing Clinton than any Republican. Thats a slam dunk.

Anonymous said...

Interestingly, right wing nut job Ann Coulter said she'd support Hillary Clinton before she'd support John McCain because "Hillary is more conservative". Hillary is a democrat in name alone. She's controlled by the same big money interests that control the current administration. Myself, I'll vote for a democrat for president again when they can put another moderate or progressive on the ballot. I MIGHT consider Obama.