From the 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'm guessing he will eventually endorse Obama.
Update: Edwards hasn't officially quit; he instead has suspended his campaign. That way he can keep his delegates and get the public matching funds so he can use that money to close down his campaign.



Comments (14)
Good riddance. He was just... (Below threshold)1. Posted by COgirl | January 30, 2008 9:36 AM | Score: 2 (6 votes cast)
Good riddance. He was just another pretty face.
Actually he was a prime example of a "say anything to get elected" candidate. He was also a hypocrite and fortunately the public (who can't even imagine $400 haircuts and 18,000 sq. ft homes) caught on very quickly. My only hope is that he is gone forever!
1. Posted by COgirl | January 30, 2008 9:36 AM |
Score: 2 (6 votes cast)
Posted on January 30, 2008 09:36
2. Posted by WildWillie | January 30, 2008 10:04 AM | Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
He will return to one of his America's. The rich one while we keep working keeping the country moving. Good riddance to bad trash. ww
2. Posted by WildWillie | January 30, 2008 10:04 AM |
Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
Posted on January 30, 2008 10:04
3. Posted by Chris G | January 30, 2008 10:12 AM | Score: 4 (6 votes cast)
To piggyback on COg, he also started the "non-profit" organization to "study poverty", that ended up being a slush fund to finance his campaign headquarters in Iowa for the last two years.
Thia was after his year of service at a hedge fund, in which he was compensated 500K for one year.
3. Posted by Chris G | January 30, 2008 10:12 AM |
Score: 4 (6 votes cast)
Posted on January 30, 2008 10:12
4. Posted by Pretzel_Logic | January 30, 2008 10:30 AM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Who?
4. Posted by Pretzel_Logic | January 30, 2008 10:30 AM |
Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Posted on January 30, 2008 10:30
5. Posted by Falze | January 30, 2008 11:19 AM | Score: 2 (4 votes cast)
I'll send him enough for another haircut if he admits that his 'status' as an ultraliberal white male made him unable to successfully pander to the dedicated Democratic base that votes in primaries when matched against an ultraliberal white female and ultraliberal black male.
5. Posted by Falze | January 30, 2008 11:19 AM |
Score: 2 (4 votes cast)
Posted on January 30, 2008 11:19
6. Posted by yetanotherjohn | January 30, 2008 11:54 AM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
If he endorses immediately, he will probably endorse Obama. If he waits, then who endorses will be based on two sets of calculations.
If he thinks he can run again in 4 years and win, he may endorse neither or endorse who he thinks will lose in '08.
If he doesn't think he can successfully run again in '12, then he probably sucks up to who he thinks will get the nomination after Tsunami Tuesday.
The key for him is what does he want to do. He doesn't have a fall back political job like Obama and Clinton. The reason he is pulling out is the reality that the democrats aren't flocking to him. He doesn't need to work, but can pull down some big bucks if he wants to (and has before).
So if he wants an ambassadorship, cabinet post or even a supreme court position, he will suck up to who he thinks will win. If he wants the oval office, he will hold out or try to push someone under the bus.
6. Posted by yetanotherjohn | January 30, 2008 11:54 AM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on January 30, 2008 11:54
7. Posted by BarneyG2000 | January 30, 2008 11:55 AM | Score: -4 (4 votes cast)
The always classy purveyor of prostitutes Dick Morris on H&C last night said Edward's dropping out of the race would not help either candidate because Edward's supporters wont vote for a black or a women.
7. Posted by BarneyG2000 | January 30, 2008 11:55 AM |
Score: -4 (4 votes cast)
Posted on January 30, 2008 11:55
8. Posted by Live@9 | January 30, 2008 12:02 PM | Score: -3 (5 votes cast)
Watch out corrupted corporate CEO, Attorney General John Edwards would like to have a talk with you.
How's that for the beginning of a right wing nightmare.
8. Posted by Live@9 | January 30, 2008 12:02 PM |
Score: -3 (5 votes cast)
Posted on January 30, 2008 12:02
9. Posted by BPG | January 30, 2008 12:58 PM | Score: 1 (3 votes cast)
Gee, that's too bad. When socialists lose, the people win!
9. Posted by BPG | January 30, 2008 12:58 PM |
Score: 1 (3 votes cast)
Posted on January 30, 2008 12:58
10. Posted by Jo | January 30, 2008 1:12 PM | Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
Barney admitting that ultra liberals in the democrat party won't vote for a black or a woman. Barney admitting extreme intolerance in his party! Gotta love it!
10. Posted by Jo | January 30, 2008 1:12 PM |
Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
Posted on January 30, 2008 13:12
11. Posted by mantis | January 30, 2008 1:33 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
He's already setting up offices for the 2012 race.
Feingold put it best:
"The one that is the most problematic is (John) Edwards, who voted for the Patriot Act, campaigns against it. Voted for No Child Left Behind, campaigns against it. Voted for the China trade deal, campaigns against it. Voted for the Iraq war ... He uses my voting record exactly as his platform, even though he had the opposite voting record."
11. Posted by mantis | January 30, 2008 1:33 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on January 30, 2008 13:33
12. Posted by TuckerdogNC | January 30, 2008 2:33 PM | Score: -4 (6 votes cast)
I just get so tired about the haircut and house crap. So, wealthy people can't help the poor? But you all want to be rich. But they're horrible people right? All of them. Yep. Give me the $9trillion deficit good ole poor bo' Dubya from Connecticut - I mean Texas. What a load of crap. So, FDR who was wealthy and Kennedy who was wealthy couldn't help people either. Let me ask you, with ONE BILLION DOLLARS being spent on this campaign, which of these candidates is the poor mouth? Huh?
12. Posted by TuckerdogNC | January 30, 2008 2:33 PM |
Score: -4 (6 votes cast)
Posted on January 30, 2008 14:33
13. Posted by WildWillie | January 30, 2008 3:16 PM | Score: 2 (4 votes cast)
Tucker, if you had the ability to pay attention to John Edwards, his main stump speech is "There are two America's" rich and priviledged and poor working class. Well, he is in the rich America. A liberal never supports anyone being successful. So, don't trumpet rich people now. ww
13. Posted by WildWillie | January 30, 2008 3:16 PM |
Score: 2 (4 votes cast)
Posted on January 30, 2008 15:16
14. Posted by marc | January 30, 2008 5:34 PM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
"The key for him is what does he want to do. He doesn't have a fall back political job like Obama and Clinton."
What... there's no cash to be had channeling dead kids?!
14. Posted by marc | January 30, 2008 5:34 PM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on January 30, 2008 17:34