What, there was a choice?

John Edwards is endorsing Barack Obama, an act which would seem to be wholly redundant and unnecessary unless ... wait, there's someone else besides Obama and McCain still running for president? Oh yeah, forgot about that other candidate. But hey, isn't Ron Paul running as a Republican this time? Whatever. NYT, WaPo, AP

Comments

[Zeke]

Hey bring me a T-Shirt from Denver Please. I guess only big city insiders blogger like you get to go, huh?
ZekeSaysSo.com

[texexnv@gmail.com]

Is that what this is about? Looks like John Elizabeth Edwards for V.P. part deux.

[theo]

That John Edwards, so gutsy and brave! Way to take a stand, champ!

[Kickboxermomma]

Edwards was my candidate but it's almost too little too late. Hope he can work to heal the party.

[MikeZ]

thanks John, how about endorsing clean air, and thoughtful people and self-cleaning diapers now too?

WTF were you when we needed you?

AG is a very, very long shot now, when 90 days ago, both candidates were promising him that. Maybe that was the deal. Pre OH and Pa is when we needed you cupcake. I was wedded to this guy in 2004...now I wonder what he brings to the table.

Big prize ow is Gore. He is BO, but the when should come b4 6/3/2008.

He is a catagory killer. The Clinton's will collapse in an emotiional tirade when he does.

[texexnv@gmail.com]

More importantly this also means Obama picks up Edwards 19 delegates which erases Hillbutt's 16 from W.VA. last night.

This is what is meant by timing.

[Pedro]

Coming to a tax skirting Pure nightclub near you.

[HR]

I'm tired of the gratuitous Hillary-bashing in the MSM and especially in the blogsphere, which is heavy with the Obama demographic.

Right now, if you count Florida, Obama is just 0.8 percent ahead in the popular vote, and most of his pledged delegate lead comes from the caucus states that had very low voter turnout -- about a million votes -- compared to the tens of millions of voters in the primaries.

The Obama supporters here and elsewhere who loath Hillary Clinton will expect her to campaign really hard anyway for Obama, who is going to have a big problem with swing voters -- now called Hillary Democrats -- in the midwest, south and northeast.

The Obama people are saying in effect, "Screw you Hillary, but you better campaign hard for us."

I hate to say it, but I hope Obama -- this unqualified, professional campaigner -- loses, and Hillary runs against McCain in 2012.

[Richard]

Hillary easily beat Obama way before the West Virginia primary.

"Barack Obama swept to a convincing victory in North Carolina" and "Clinton ekes out Indiana win." Wow, one would think Obama has the nomination all sewn up! Now Hillary annihilates Obama in West Virginia. Hey wait just a second, iffy national polls aside, who might just win a real national election? Would the small minority of black voters still be inclined to vote 90% in favor or Obama? Perhaps, but what about those white more conservative Democrat, Independent and Republican voters, Obama, Hillary or McCain? Choices, choices everywhere but none more convincing than that age old standby in presidential elections, the Electoral College. As it stands today, if it were Hillary vs. Obama, it's Hillary by a landslide. If Obama were to win every state from now until the Democrat convention the Electoral Collage vote would be Hillary 300 and Obama 238. Only 270 electoral votes are needed to win the presidency. Ok, so I counted Michigan and Florida. But Florida and Michigan are no brainer wins for Hillary. So just like the Democrat leadership did, take these two states out of the equation and Hillary still wins the total electoral vote 256 to Obama's, at best, 238.

HR Hillary has run a racist campaign. She did not care about the party she cared for herself. The press has taken a pass on Clinton.While most Dems don't give a rat's behind about what goes on in someone elses bedroom Republican America does. The Republicans are salivating with the anticipation of exposing Bill's latest exploits and you know there are numerous ones. The man has a problem with keeping his zipper shut.

I expect her to campaign for Obama because of the destruction she has wreaked. She owes the Party.

[twitter]

HR would like to include Florida. Well, isn't that precious! The Celtics would like to include the baskets they made during the pregame warm-up BEFORE the other team was playing defense or offense.

HR, get a reality check before coming back. Cheaters are cheaters. The FL people knew the rules and they said fuck you, now they want back in the game; sorry, you were ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct.

NEXT!

[kickboxermomma]

Face it boys and girls. Obama is on the road to victory. 30 superdelegates in a week , Hillary 4. If Hillary doesn't make nicey it is extremely damaging for her whether Obama wins or loses.

[MikeZ]

Florida is not ours this year and those thinking MI is, are fooling themselves. We have zero chance in Fl, and a minimal chance in MI this year.

The longer this goes on , the longer the distance HRC is from any semblance of power in DC.

When her own NYT is slamming her daily, her political goose is cooked. She is moments away from pariah status with 60% of the party.

As per, it is OH, MO and PA, and many of those HRC Dems will come home, but we may only get one of the three. CO, NV and NC & VA will make up for it.

[Pedro]

Thank you Richard for those incredibly worthless and irrelevant factoids.

[KidFromVegas]

Let's all just take a VERY VERY deep breath, and rally round the nominee of the party. 4 MORE YEARS of GOP rule is out of the question. I'm sorry her lose affects many fine Democrats... with a true pain.

You've got till November to repair your feelings.

[texexnv@gmail.com]

Earth to Richard: Hillbutt will not/can not get a single electoral vote because she will NOT be the Dem Presidential nominee. Or the Dem V.P. nominee. Or anything but a political outlaw within a month.

So start getting over it, suck your thumb, or go pout in the corner. The presidential election is going on without Hillbutt.

[Hillary but not Clinton]

Did anyone on this blog listen to Edwards' speech? He went out of his way to praise HRC and IMHO lit the path for her to come back to the fold to heal the divisions within the party. Brilliantly done! And absolutely no doubt in my mind that this was well-planned by Obama and Edwards together to help her exit gracefully.

Being a regular reader of this blog, I often find MZ's comments interesting, provocative, even erudite, although too often he can be negative, sometimes downright vicious and/or delusional. Today, I adamantly disagree with MZ's comment above regarding Edwards' timing, aspirations and potential status with an Obama administration.

Seems to me the timing is excellent, and as stated, it appears that Edwards is taking on the mantle of conciliator between HRC and BO. Bravo! And as far as whether he has aspirations to be AG or anything else, how can you be so sure that is what he wants? Or that a place in the Obama administration isn't going to be offered to him? Apparently, along with your extensive political knowledge, you have the power to read minds and see into the future.

As to Richard and HR, let me acquaint you with some phrases that sum things up quite well: "traitor to the cause" "snowball's chance in hell" and "sore loser".

Anyone on this blog who is so bitter they would vote for McSame over Obama cannot possibly identify themselves as a progressive. FOAD!

[texexnv@gmail.com]

HR 5:10, do you - you personally - even pay any attention to what Hillary says?

"I'm going to work my heart out for whoever our nominee is. Obviously, I'm still hoping to be that nominee, but I'm going to do everything I can to make sure that anyone who supported me ... understands what a grave error it would be not to vote for Sen. Obama." (emphasis added)

Just like usual Zahara thinks he is better than someone else. This time its John Edwards.

[A dose of reality]

Obama has clearly won by the rules of the game. Congratulations to him and to his supporters. Now please, as a lifeling Democrat, I ask you all to WAKE UP.

Right now, his supporters are deluding themselves into thinking that this very narrow victory is some sort of overwhelming mandate and repudiation of the Clintons. It is not. It was a very, very narrow victory delivered by an outstanding political team that beat the Clinton team by tactically outmaneuvering them. By about one point.

In their exuberance, the Obama supporters - and perhaps Obama himself - are ignoring the reality that a one-point win within a party that is clearly divided has the potential of giving us President McCain.

An Obama-Clinton ticket wins in a landslide. Almost any other ticket cedes Florida, Michigan, Missouri, Pennsylvania and Ohio. A Democrat cannot win without AT LEAST one of those states, AND by pretty much running the table on the supposed states Obama will somehow convert to Blue (NV, NC, CO, etc).

Do the math: http://www.270towin.com/

Once again, congratulations. Now please sober up.

[kickboxermomma]

The Republican party is demoralized. Republicans are having a hard time getting behind McCain. In every caucus and primary the Dmocrats have overwhelmingly outpolled the Republicans. Three defeats in a row in Republican controlled districts. We are seeing the domino effect. Edwards is already being seen as helping mend the wounds inflicted by Hillary. Barack is now supporting some Edwards poulist poverty planks. Now if only he would adopt Edwards healthcare plan which was the best one out there. Edwards can attract the low and middle income. Obama is looking stronger and more presidential.

No McCain, Not Now, Not ever

[he ain't presidential]

i'm a HRC supporter and won't vote for obama. just will sit this one out.

[MikeZ]

I've said here and elsewhere that 2008 will be no cakewalk for us and very, very difficult whomever our nominee would be. Again, it will not be HRC.

Just looking at McCain's 'Mother's Day' ad, which frankly was brilliant, and should send shivers down the spine of any Democrat wishing to capture the WH in 2008.

Sometimes we Dems vote counter-intuitive to our stated goals. I think there will be surprise Blue and Red state flips, and unfortunately, I think we're looking at another 51% winner again either way. The VP picks may have more weight this year with voters.

I trust Obama will continue to run a stand-up campaign and today, I hope that is enough to win in Nov--but we have a lot of work to do here in NV, and no cash on hand for GOTV efforts. We have spent like drunken sailors.

We are totally dependent on the BO campaign in this regard now, and they have been gracious enough toward us to fund NV efforts.

Those throwing tantrums stating they will not vote for Obama should consider the Supreme Court and which man's nominee would be better for the nation.

MikeZ is right, they do voter counter-intuative and Reagan proved.

EC Map: The Kerry states plus NV, CO and NM add up to 271. The Mountain West is the key to winning without Ohio. That's of course why we got the early caucus and Denver got the convention. That is very narrow, but MO, VA and IA are also in play. Florida is probably hopeless.
I understand that Clinton supporters believe that Obama can't carry PA and MI, and that may be true if Clinton activists in those states refuse to support the ticket. Let the healing begin.