If John Edwards Endorses Clinton He's A Hypocrite

I understand via email that John Edwards is going to annouce that he's endorsing Hillary Clinton for President rather than Barack Obama. If this is true, then John Edwards is a massive hypocrite who very likely did fool around on his wife with Rielle Hunter.

Such a move would call Edwards' character into question, and rightly so.

John Edwards ran a campaign very similar to that of Senator Barack Obama: both populist and both grass-roots. But Edwards, as I wrote before, does not come off as presidential. He allows himself to get into battles with Anne Coulter and rather than walk in a strike with kitchen restaurant workers or hotel workers, Edwards seeks the Hollywood spotlight by walking with the striking movie and television writers -- all to get his face before a TV camera.

Edwards -- to me and to Mother Jones -- never seemed to be a real populist, so it's no surprise to me that he's going to back another fake-populist, Hillary Clinton.

Edwards invested vast amounts of time bashing Clinton on her ties to lobbyists as was the case at the YearlyKos Convention, only to turn around -- or is it turn-coat -- and stand with Clinton and the lobbyists, leaving Barack Obama the lone candidate who does not have lobbyist backing.

Edwards also accused Clinton of being part of the old Washington -- which means that if he backs her, he too is part of the old Washington and no better than she. It also means that Edwards supports a campaign strategy that's seen by many as just plain racist.

It also plays into the racist campaign that Clinton's running -- have the white guy who was one of the last three candidates come out for her, rather than the more logical choice, Barack Obama.

Standing with Clinton would diminish Edwards value and render him nothing more than a cruel joke played on American politics. He can forget about running again, because no one will listen to him anymore. Edwards will be remembered as just another old-style politician who so wanted the spotlight he'd do anything to get it, from painting himself as a populist to standing with African Americans, only to abandon them to endorse a candidate who plays the "race-issue" in a failed effort to win a campaign.

Edwards would also be seen as abandoning his own supporters, who by a vast majority, as we saw in Iowa today, back Obama

His only choice is to back Obama, or stay out of the picture.

Barack Obama Endorsed By MoveOn.Org | Obama Wins In Landslide!

Senator Barack Obama won the endorsement of the liberal activist group MoveOn.org and by a landslide. And in the process became the standard bearer of John Edwards' agenda. Eli Pariser, the Executive Director of MoveOn.org, wrote this email that I just received:

Dear MoveOn member,

With hundreds of thousands of ballots cast across the country, for the first time in MoveOn's history, we've voted together to endorse a presidential candidate in the primary. That candidate is Barack Obama.

Something big is clearly happening. A few weeks ago, MoveOn members we surveyed were split. But with John Edwards bowing out, progressives are coming together. Obama won over 70% of the vote yesterday, and he's moving up in polls nationwide.1 As comments poured in from MoveOn members across the country, the sense of hope was inspiring. Here's how Christine Y. in New Jersey put it:

"I've never felt so strongly about any one candidate in my entire life. He's truly an inspiration to all of us—especially the younger generation. I will stand by him 100% for as long as he's willing to stand up and fight for this country!"

What does MoveOn's endorsement mean? People-power. Together, we are 3.2 million Americans who care about our country and want change. Half of us live in states with primaries or caucuses this coming "Super Tuesday."

We know how to roll up our sleeves and win elections, and if we all pitch in together between now and Tuesday, we can help Sen. Obama win the biggest primary day in American history. Think about it: volunteering during the next four days could mean four years of a progressive president. Can you sign up right now to volunteer for Obama's campaign? Click here:

http://pol.moveon.org/volunteerforobama/?id=12015-8429903-L.Zt9K&t=535

There are lots of ways to help. You can call voters from home, go door-to-door with others in your community, travel to "Super Tuesday" states, donate, put up a yard sign, volunteer in a campaign office, or join a local meetup. Senator Obama is running a grassroots campaign, and there's a role for everyone.

Many of us feel like change is within reach for the first time in years. Here's some more of what MoveOn members see in Obama:

"This country needs real, progressive transformation. Barack Obama is the candidate who gives us the best hope of uniting and inspiring the nation to move in that direction, while also restoring America's dignity and standing as a member of the global community."—James M., Connecticut

"While I'm impressed with Clinton and believe she would make a very good president, I'm actually MOVED by Obama. In the end, I believe if Obama is elected he has the potential to bring the country together behind him."—Patricia S., Wisconsin

"He was right on the biggest question of the era—opposing the war from the start."—Jacob S., Washington, D.C.

"I support Barack Obama for the same reasons I support MoveOn.org: the more people are inspired to get involved, the better the outcome for our country. Senator Obama has demonstrated a unique capacity to inspire participation and to make public service 'cool' again. He is also sound on all the issues that matter to me and my family."—Liz B., New York

"I live in a red state, and I see my conservative neighbors and friends showing a positive interest in Barack. They like him. They are ready to be swayed. And I see my Democratic friends and family members getting excited like never before...With Barack as our candidate, I am convinced that we can win in a landslide in 2008 and usher in a new era of progressive politics."—Desirina B., Georgia

To be clear, we won't always agree with all of Obama's positions. And MoveOn members said overwhelmingly that, regardless of who wins the Democratic nomination, we'll work hard to win the White House in 2008. Whatever happens in the primary, we'll push the Democratic nominee to campaign progressively and then we'll push them to fulfill their promises after they win.

The building of a progressive consensus around Senator Obama is tangible. Earlier this week, John F. Kennedy's daughter Caroline Kennedy said Obama is the first presidential candidate to be as inspirational as her father.2 Yesterday, progressive magazine The Nation said that electing Obama is "a chance we can't pass up."3 And then DailyKos.com, the most widely read progressive blog, announced Obama won 76% in a reader poll this week.4

It's time to get to work electing a president who is inspiring a nation and is talking about big, progressive change. Click here to volunteer in these next crucial days:

http://pol.moveon.org/volunteerforobama/?id=12015-8429903-L.Zt9K&t=536

This is just the beginning of a long road to victory in November. Thanks for all you do, and will do to change our country for the better in 2008.

–Eli, Wes, Joan, Justin, Adam G., Adam R., Ilyse, Karin, Nita, Noah, Marika, Laura, Peter, Anna, Matt, Daniel, Carrie, Tanya, and the MoveOn.org Political Action Team
Friday, February 1st, 2008

P.S. As we were about to click "send" we received the following response from Senator Obama. We wanted to share it with you: "In just a few years, the members of MoveOn have once again demonstrated that real change comes not from the top-down, but from the bottom-up. From their principled opposition to the Iraq war—a war I also opposed from the start—to their strong support for a number of progressive causes, MoveOn shows what Americans can achieve when we come together in a grassroots movement for change. I thank them for their support and look forward to working with their members in the weeks and months ahead."

John Edwards To Drop Out Of Presidential Race At 1 PM EST Today

Wow. On the eve of Super Tuesday and Thursday's Democratic Presidential Debate we have this new bombshell: former Senator John Edwards is reportedly going to annouce that he's dropping out of the Democratic Presidential Race according to the Associated Press and the Washingon Post.

This move comes as a surprise as Edwards vowed to take his effort and his 53 delegates all the way to the Democratic Natonal Convention. It also effectively tosses out the polls taken of how candidates may perform on Super Tuesday and really gives Senator Barack Obama -- the person who's approach and policies were more closely matched with Edwards -- a clear and possible shot at beating Senator Clinton for the nomination.

The next question is this: will Edwards endorse Senator Obama for President? It seems the next logical move. It can also be considered as throwing a total monkey wrench into Senator Clinton's plans, because now there's no candidate to split the full anti-war vote. Obama stands alone.

Obama Up By 16 - Clinton Losing Support to Edwards In South Carolina Poll

According to Taegan Goddard's Political Wire , the latest South Carolina poll shows that Senator Barack Obama is still the favorite, but this time by 16 points over Senator Clinton, 45 percent to 29 percent, with former Senator Edwards at 22 percent. This new poll is the first to reflect a shift of votes from Clinton to Edwards, as Obama remains steady above 40 percent.

Hillary Clinton Gets BOOED! Clinton Is Nasty In Behavior

I'm watching the CNN Debate in South Carolina with Senator Obama, Senator Edwards and Senator Clinton. I place Hillary Clinton last because in this debate she came off as a mean and calculating person who does not deserve to be President. She was so nasty toward Senator Obama, that the crowd just booed her.

Hillary Clinton was terrible, and it looked like her entire approach was to bring out any dirt she could think of, but it made her look like the worst person in the World.

For his part, Senator Obama looked presidential, but also really focused on showing the "real Hillary" and he did; she played right along.

Clinton and Obama Split Nevada; Hillary Votes, Barack Delegates

After a bitter battle, Senator Hillary Clinton and Senator Barack Obama split Nevada, with Clinton winning the popular vote by a small margin, and Obama winning the deligate count, again, by a small margin.

How?

Here's the totals:

Hillary Clinton 5,355 51% 12
Barack Obama 4,773 45% 13
John Edwards 396 4% 0
Uncommitted 31 0%
Dennis Kucinich 5 0% 0
Bill Richardson 0 0% 0

Note that Obama won the deligate battle. According to MSNBC: But hold on, folks. The Nevada Democratic Party just issued this clarification (emphasis is ours): "No national convention delegates were awarded. That said, if the delegate preferences remain unchanged between now and April 2008, the calculations of national convention delegates being circulated by the Associated Press are correct. We look forward to our county and state conventions where we will choose the delegates for the nominee that Nevadans support."

What does this mean? It looks like the Obama camp's math (as well as the AP's and NBC's) is correct.

Thus, regardless of the Clinton camp's claim , Obama has won the deligate count.

Something else is clear: John Edwards should drop out of the race.

Barack Obama Before SF Chronicle Editorial Board - Does Well But Chron's Questions and Intent Are Suspect

Senator Barack Obama appeared before the San Francisco Chronicle's Editorial Board today and as this video shows he performed well. He answered questions in incredible detail and showed great thought on the issues of the day. Senator Obama has particularly clear command of the matter of the security industry problem and the politics behind the heath care issue as well as energy policy.

I think where he seemed to confuse SF Chronicle Chief Phil Bronstein is in the statement that he "generally uses the truth" where Obama was explaining that he's not going to say something that makes a Democratic collegue look bad.

It seeme to me that Phil was more looking for weakness in what Obama said than paying attention to context and words. For example, Obama -- on the issue of how to exact change in the health care system -- said that it was necessary to use (not his exact words) some shame, by having a more open process so that one can hear if a legislator was on the side of the insurance providers, or not.

But Bronstein seemed to focus on just the use of the term "shame" and took that out of context to apply it in a general sense but forgetting the orginal conversation. That's what ones does when they seek weakness -- they don't see that the weakness is not there because the desire to be "right" in their search overwhelms any sensible thought and consideration.

I'm also very surprised that in the Internet capital of the United States there was no question regarding technology! How the Chronicle coule miss that is beyond me.

Also, Senator Obama, after the questions were over, said "Maybe we should adress this off the record," in a conversation about "experience" but the camera kept going. That was when Phil Bronstein tried to zero in on the way that Washington is caused to change in policy response. You know, the "shame" conversation. At that point, I expected the camera to be turned off, but that didn't happen. That's not right in my view. Off the record is off the record. Period.

I'm also interested in why the SF Chronicle made the video public so that Senator Obama's opponents -- who did not go before the editorial board, yet -- can see the cast and base their responses on it. The only way to blunt this obvious development is to have a nearly totally different set of questions. Otherwise, the process is not fair at all.

Let's keep an eye on what the Chronicle does.