The Trail: A Daily Diary of Campaign 2008

EDWARDS: "I don't know how it started," he said. "I don't know when our party began to turn away from the cause of working people" It started when we were forced to choose between Hillary and Obama! Edwards epitomizes the democratic party and yet we are forced to address an obstruction of unification. Dam Hillary - Dam Bill! Edwards suspends his campaign... I apologize for not walking precincts all over the nation for this guy! I am forced to address the immediate ill, the Clinton ILL, a divisive polarization within the democratic party. Although I love Edwards, I am thankful for Obama. He personifies unification, eloquence, and democratic values! If we ever get past the primitive BS of polarization, perhaps we can progress towards issues like Universal Health Care and services for the poor. Obama, please bring on board Edwards. Please, please, please! We are ONE.

I think Edwards never made the case for his run. He talked about being about change, but not a clear picture on his final vision. And no candidate is really talking about our economy...which could really be about a solid energy program. My vote will likely go to Clinton, but "none of the above" would fare well this year.

With all due respect to Mr. Trippi,he is overrated. He couldn't get it done for Dean, and is playing the role of a victim. John Edwards should also sue his management team for malpractice. Why run as the advocate of the little guy, given three issues that he couldn't change:

*Lifestyle
His 28,000 square foot house, $400 haircuts, work for a hedge fund, (many of which short stocks and utilized complex derivative products which may be linked to subprime mortgages.)
*Vote in his unimpressive Senate Career
WTO - Outsourced jobs to China, made products less competitive, undermined currency, and did not protect our kids from lead in their toys
Bankrupcy - where was the fight!
The War Vote- where was the fight!
*Past Performance
Kerry beat Bush, but Cheney handed Edward his butt in the 2004 run. Biden or Clinton would have been a better VP that woudl have brought the fight to Cheney and won. In summary, Edwards was a weak candidate whose lifestyle and past votes didn't match the fighter that he portrayed himself to be on the stump. Legend in his own mind.

John Edwards never really resonated with us. Not sure why except perhaps he wanted the job too much (if thats possible).
I can never understand why Edwards would give up a Senate seat at a time when Congress needed progressives in the Senate.

I would have to say the Democrats ran a great field of candidates while the Republican slate seems restarded.

I think Ill have a easy choice pulling the switch for either Hillary or Barack though I prefer a woman for a change.

My apologies for the typo. The State of the Union address in 2005 was on February 2.

Launching an unprovoked attack against a totally defenseless country is hard to support, but Bush, Clinton, and Edwards all did it. Edwards, to his credit, recognized the mistake. Meanwhile, Clinton echoed the Bush line, sometimes almost word for word, for five years. Bush, State of the Union address, 2/21/05: "We will not set an artificial timetable for leaving Iraq, because that would embolden the terrorists and make them believe they can wait us out." Clinton, days later: "Setting a deadline just gives a green light to the terrorists, that if they just wait us out they can basically have the country." (Newsday, 2/21/05). It was only ten months ago that Clinton held her finger to the wind and finally changed her position. Can Edwards supporters really move to the Clinton camp? What will they say when she invades Iran?

Sorry to see Edwards go, but it just looked like there was no other way for him. I do hope he will throw his endorsement to Hillary. This guy Obama leaves a lot to be desired. Not to say he isnt smart, but to say he lacks in integrety and has a very shady background team. Something like the former (so Called) president, georgi, porgie, the dry drunk, but I'm certain not for long.

Lets just see what Act Two will be like, and who will make a surprise appearance!

Too bad that John Edwards dropped out. It is always good to have more than just 2 voices in the debate. While I appreciated very much the words that John had to say, I somehow found something missing - authenticity perhaps ? I feel the same way about Sen.Clinton. I am not sure that his dropping out will have a tangible impact on the competition between the remaining two. Chances are that Sen. Clinton will have a marginal edge in picking up Edwards' supporters, but only a marginal edge.

I am very sorry to see Edwards leave. He was my choice for candidate. I think the media has a h**d-on for Obama right now and that's all we are hearing about. The media made it all about Hillary and Obama....I would like to see more in depth reporting of the news instead of the media trying to make the news. My vote will now go to Hillary. I hope Edwards backs her.

His "two America" campaign theme and populist approach did not resonate well with democratic voters. After seven years of gross mismanagement and disastrous neo-con policies, democrats hunger for change, competency and unity.

http://toopolitical.blogspot.com

I like John and appreciated his campaign, but let's face it - after he lost as a VP candidate in 2004, he had an uphill battle in convincing the voters that he wasn't damaged goods.

Normally I do not tell political operatives how to do their job but Mr. Trippi seems to be crying out for help so I will offer some advice for a future Edwards run. I understand that I do have the advantage of hindsight.

First he should have expanded beyond the themes that he put forth in 2004. I felt like the 2008 campaign was just a rerun of the 2004 campaign.

For example, it might have shaken up the political world if Edwards had advocated eliminated all loopholes for the wealthy and corporations in exchange for a maximum tax rate of thirty percent on income. It would fit with his "two America's" because there are two tax systems--one for those who know the ins and outs of the tax code and one for the rest of us.

But Edwards never took any policy risks and tried to run his campaign as if he was the frontrunner on the same themes that he voiced in 2004. When that failed, he went back to the same old populist rhetoric.

They briefly tried to market Edwards as the candidate of specifics but it never got beyond the see my website for my detailed plan of (fill in the blank) I watched most of the debates and Edwards never publicy put forth any big plans.

Also, was it wise to repeat the bet the farm on Iowa strategy particular when faced with two well funded challengers. Even if Edwards would have won Iowa, he would have been playing short stacked against Clinton and Obama.

Maybe he should have skipped Iowa and New Hampshire and concentrated on South Carolina in an effort to build momentum for Super Tuesday. Mitt Romney could afford to contest those states and lose but Edwards could not.

It might have played out as Clinton and Obama roughing eachother up in Iowa and New Hampshire. Then Edwards could show up in South Carolina as a fresh face.

Edwards had enough money to run a more credible race had he used it more wisely.