Letters to the Editor
BadgerBlue
Published Letters: 193 Editor's Choice: 7
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Very good link from Celia
[Read the article: Edwards endorsing Obama]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Not only did NARAL endorse Obama, they and Planned Parenthood both went public in debunking the dishonest flyers circulated by Clinton's campaign in New Hampshire just hours before that primary that falsified Obama's record on women's reproductive rights. The fact that the first woman candidate would allow herself to let her campaign willingly lie about an issue so central to women's rights just shows how low the depths were that Clinton was willing to sink to in this race. Contrary to some others here, I think Edwards timed his endorsement very well considering all the dynamics that were in play leading up to it from the time he pulled out of the race.
Timing is everything when the subject turns to endorsements and Edwards was smart to weigh in with this when he did and DEFINITELY not before. Had he gotten behind Obama at any point sooner, his endorsement would hardly have mattered in states like TX, OH, or PA as his blessing certainly wouldn't have had any impact on those outcomes and it's not as if Obama really needed him while shutting Clinton out during the entire month of February. While privately he might have preferred Obama over Clinton all along once he left the race himself, Edwards never tipped his hand publicly in an attempt to influence the electorate and was careful to offer praise to both candidates as the months went by. That wasn't an accident by any means. Edwards didn't get to where he is in life by being stupid. He had to have a pretty good idea once he left the race that there was an excellent chance the two remaining candidates and thier supporters would get embroiled into such a contentious fight that the threat of party division would be a real possibility.
It's a good bet that's why he re-emerged today. What better way for Edwards to enhance his position in the party by trying to bridge the divide? Last week after the IN and NC contests, he stated on the TODAY show that Clinton had really made a strong case for her candidacy in the past several weeks, but that the math dictated that she couldn't make up the difference. That clearly signaled the approach that he was taking and today just confirmed it. Edwards is the latest, and most likely not the last, in a growing line of high-ranking Democrats to deliver Clinton and her supporters the message as respectfully and kindly as possible that personal ambitions need to be put aside for the sake of party unity. Publicly, it's a good move for Edwards at a time where the call is very much needed since Clinton clearly hasn't picked up on the gentle hints from the likes of Diane Feinstein or the number of Superdelegates that have publicly switched from her over to Obama.
Privately, the message to Clinton, whether from Richardson, Dean, Edwards, Gore or maybe all of them and more will probably be much more blunt if she refuses to take the kind hints. That message will be a very simple one;party unity will be achieved with her now or without her later. Now is better for everyone including her and later might be very bad for all, but guaranteed to be extremely bad for her for sure. She's already $20 million-plus in debt. It's time she started digging out of her own mess instead of creating another mess for the rest of Democratic party.
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Joan Walsh makes a valid point here
[Read the article: What can Obama learn from Edwards?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I know many Obama supporters who have voiced much dismay all through OH, PA, and WV primaries with what they percieve as blue-collar voters being duped by Clinton's pandering. While that assertion may be true( I tend to agree to a large extent myself), it's up to Obama to at least acknowledge that these voters are out there in decent numbers and make a case that he can be an alternative. At some point, the "change" candidate should probably change at least one or two things in his stump speech in an effort to build out on the impressive coalition that's helped get him this far.
I'm sure he'll address this more as time goes on and it wouldn't hurt him much to at least try to incorporate some more working class themes in his pitch now in an effort to test what works and what doesn't with a crowd he may not have as natural of a feel for. He still has some time, though, to refine his message to the working folks. If Obama starts lifting Edwards's mill speech word for word at appearances all over Kentucky, he'd be sunk for sure. Better for him not to overcompensate just yet.