Edwards Drops Out

John Edwards will end his presidential bid today in the city that symbolizes the animating impulse behind his message, New Orleans.

His staff was notified of the decision early this morning. As of last night, spokesfolks denied "rumors."

Edwards will be joined on stage by Elizabeth Edwards and his three children.

After the speech, he and his staff will work together on a New Orleans Habitat for Humanity project.

He does not plan to endorse any presidential candidate in the near future, advisers said.

Advisers say he worries that Obama isn't ready to be president and that Hillary Clinton represents too much the old way of doing business... and both concerns weigh heavily.

By dropping out in NOLA, he hopes to force his rivals to take up the mantle of anti-poverty efforts that he began his race by talking about.

Comments

>>Advisers say he worries that Obama isn't ready to be president>>

Edwards had exactly TWO MORE years experience when he ran for President in 2004. Those two years must have been something.

Posted by noho | January 30, 2008 10:33 AM

Edwards didn't hold a state office before his term as a Senator either.

Posted by Matt | January 30, 2008 10:36 AM

Yea, I think Edwards will get beat up about that quote pretty bad if it gets more attention. Trial lawyer + running for president twice = Qualified to be president?

Posted by Ben | January 30, 2008 10:36 AM

I think the "worried about not being ready for President" is a fake-out from the advisers to make the endorsement seem more suspenseful than it really is. As a commenter above pointed out, Edwards' experience when he first ran was arguably just as thin.

Posted by Benjamin | January 30, 2008 10:39 AM

You know, there's just no way that Edwards can actually believe Obama isn't ready. He thought himself ready with no more a record of public service than Obama had. He may, however, legitimately fear the Clintons and, absent an administration post, his tenure in Democratic Party politics is over. Certainly he would made a tremendous asset to any administration and the Obama people would no doubt love to give him AG or Sec. Labor if he'd want it. But he can read the writing on the wall and there's no doubt Clinton has the power.

Still, imagine the 1-2-3 endorsements of Edwards-Richardson-Gore. If the three of them did it, it might actually be enough to tip the balance. Heck, it'd be an amazing rebuke to the Clintons. Just don't expect it, I suppose...

Posted by V. | January 30, 2008 10:39 AM

Yeah, WTF John? Shame on his advisers for spreading the Clinton message. Edwards was in no way more ready to be President than Barack, not by any stretch of the imagination.

Posted by Hatch | January 30, 2008 10:40 AM

Still, imagine the 1-2-3 endorsements of Edwards-Richardson-Gore.

3 figures not exactly renowned for their poitical courage. Not gonna happen. HRC is still the odds-on favorite. Why piss her off?, I'm sure those 3 think.

Posted by Ban Johnson | January 30, 2008 10:45 AM

3 figures not exactly renowned for their poitical courage. Not gonna happen. HRC is still the odds-on favorite. Why piss her off?, I'm sure those 3 think.

That's generally right for Richardson and Edwards who still hope for a possible Cabinet appointment in an HRC administration. I don't think it's right for Gore - who has his own independent base of support.

Posted by Nate | January 30, 2008 10:53 AM

bad news for Obama :(

Posted by Mark from NY | January 30, 2008 10:56 AM

An Edwards source also said he wouldn't endorse immediately but might before Feb. 5. I don't see him endorsing HRC, especially after those negative robocalls in South Carolina. Given the high praise Obama had last night, after he already knew of Edwards decision, I wouldn't be surprised if Edwards doesn't endorse before Tues.

Posted by Bill R. | January 30, 2008 10:56 AM

Yeah, this is just for suspense. Either he endorses Obama or nobody.

Clinton represents everything that Edwards was fighting against with lobbyists.

Posted by Chris | January 30, 2008 10:58 AM

Well, there's at least one silver lining in this dark cloud for Obama - this should push "the snub" off of center-stage. Has there ever been a sillier, less-consequential story dominating a presidential primary?

Posted by Cynic | January 30, 2008 11:01 AM

Still, imagine the 1-2-3 endorsements of Edwards-Richardson-Gore.

With Bill Clinton making a stop in New Mexico tomorrow, I'd more expect a Richardson endorsement in the other direction.

Posted by jbryan | January 30, 2008 11:15 AM

Supposedly Obama is going to New Mexico this week as well, so don't get too confident. Bill could just be going there to campaign.

Posted by Hatch | January 30, 2008 11:18 AM

This Edwards family in California will now vote for Obama.

Any Edwards' supporters who head to Hillary haven't been paying attention.

Time to turn the page.

Posted by Joe Justice | January 30, 2008 11:21 AM

Obama should show up at tomorrow's debate with flowers, chocolates or at least a nice gesture for Hillary - seriously. He's got to get this stupid non-snub "snub" story off the press and off "The View" where it works like magic for HRC.

Posted by Nate | January 30, 2008 11:21 AM

I think tomorrow at the debate Obama needs to make a grand statement right off the bat saying something like "No more process oriented questions. This is the last debate and while once the nomination is won by either of us we will definitely need to have a private talk about some of the things that have been said during this campaign, tonight is about who can help with Iraq, health care, poverty, etc. Enough about the petty non sense and accusations"
It will make him look presidential, magnanimous, focused on the "beef" and certainly convince Edwards to throw his support behind him.

Posted by Benjamin | January 30, 2008 11:26 AM

Richardson has a great resume largely as a result of the foresightedness of Bill Clinton who recognized talent and appointed him to high office.

His whole campaign was based upon competence and he had pointed criticisms for Obama for being all talk no action.

If he does not endorse Hillary Clinton, who he knows well and likes, it would be a great surpise.

Posted by ken | January 30, 2008 11:27 AM

Obama should show up at tomorrow's debate with flowers, chocolates or at least a nice gesture for Hillary - seriously.

Perhaps he could start the debate with a firm handshake, for example.

Assuming McCain does get the nod, and assuming the CW is right that Obama clobbers McCain with his change message and McCain fights a long war with the Clintons about "experience" that Hillary doesn't actually have, this debate, more than any other, now seems immediately instrumental in determining our next President.

Posted by V. | January 30, 2008 11:31 AM

Back on topic:

John Edwards is not the only person who thinks that Obama is not ready for the challenges facing the nation.

Posted by ken | January 30, 2008 11:33 AM

Back on topic:

John Edwards is not the only person who thinks that Obama is not ready for the challenges facing the nation.

Posted by ken | January 30, 2008 11:33 AM

How could Florida result waked up Mr.Edward, and most people still are in dream? Wake up! Republicans do whatever they can to promote Mr. Obama, because only one thing ---- McCain can beat him! Race card is no no for Democrats, but is yes yes to Republicans, just remember that! It's not time for minority to be President yet, just not yet!

Posted by tiffany | January 30, 2008 11:53 AM

What a shame. He would have made the best choice for America...

http://www.theweeklydonut.com/index.php/2008/01/23/americas-best-choice-for-president/

Posted by jim albertson | January 30, 2008 11:58 AM

"There is a difference in the political reality: fairly or unfairly, a healthy chunk of the national political press corps doesn't like John Edwards.

Fairly or unfairly, there's also a difference in narrative timing: when the first quarter ended, the press was trying to bury Edwards."

-Marc Ambinder, July 17, 2007

Mission accomplished.

Our system is badly, badly broken.

Posted by drfranklives | January 30, 2008 12:05 PM

Hillarys tells YearlyKos lobbyists represent real people:
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0108/Clinton_robocalls_hit_Edwards.html

Hillary robocalls hit Edwards:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24pDGQF6UW8

Posted by yiannis | January 30, 2008 12:06 PM

Marc, you're being played for a sucker again, same as with the Kennedy endorsement.

Look, Edwards is not going to endorse anyone today. If he does, then the news become strictly about the endorsement, not about him dropping out of the race, which means he doesn't even get to enjoy his last minute in the sun. So there's got to be a respectful waiting period between the announcement and the endorsement.

But if he's not going to endorse, why drop out now. It's not like he suddenly woke up yesterday and thought, "You know what? I never realized this before, but I've got no chance of winning." If he wanted to, he certainly could have held on through Super Tuesday, even campaigning perfunctorily with minimal ad buys, picked up some delegates (hell, he than 15 percent of the vote in Florida, where he didn't even campaign), and then call it quits.

The only reason to drop out now is to swing Super Tuesday to one side or another. (Well, there's another reason, which is that Elizabeth's health has deteriorated, and I hope it's not that.)

They asked Obama this morning about Edwards' endorsement, and he just smiled. The same reaction he had when he was asked about Kennedy's endorsement. Either he's a pretty good poker player, or he knows something that we don't yet.

Posted by Fred App | January 30, 2008 12:09 PM

Topic revisited: Hillary's the only candidate who can unite this country. To my mind, she's like a combination of Joan of Arc and Golda Meir.

Posted by ken | January 30, 2008 12:10 PM

ken,

Best laugh I've had in a long time. I seriously almost spit coffee on my laptop when I read that one. Hillary's the only candidate who can unite this country? I think you mean she's the only candidate who can unite the REPUBLICAN PARTY.

Thanks for playing.

Posted by JBS | January 30, 2008 12:21 PM

"With Bill Clinton making a stop in New Mexico tomorrow, I'd more expect a Richardson endorsement in the other direction."

A Richardson endorsement of *Bill*?

Posted by BR | January 30, 2008 12:25 PM

MY - By dropping out in NOLA, he hopes to force his rivals to take up the mantle of anti-poverty efforts that he began his race by talking about.

The clout of a trial lawyer with one undistinguished term as a Senator, in a state which he couldn't have been reelected from again? With his phony new ideas campaign of 2004 and Edwards 2.0 as a hedge fund populist? He ain't gonna force his rivals to do anything. He lacks the delegates, votes given him, and the credibility to force anything on Obama or Hillary.

ken - Topic revisited: Hillary's the only candidate who can unite this country.

Yeah, she and Bill were doing all sorts of reuniting work in Nevada and S Carolina.

ken- To my mind, she's like a combination of Joan of Arc and Golda Meir.

Don't forget to add Madame LaFarge, Llse, She-Wolf of the SS, and Rosa Luxemburg.

Posted by Chris Ford | January 30, 2008 12:26 PM

A Richardson endorsement of *Bill*?

Sure, why not? Isn't Bill running for president?

Posted by jbryan | January 30, 2008 12:36 PM

Edwards' reasons to refrain from making an endorsement sound reasonable to me. Edwards has said himself that he doesn't think he was ready to be president when he ran in 2004. Remember, that was then, this is now. I share his concerns about the shortcomings of the remaining two candidates. We'll get a chance to see how they present themselves in the California debate. As Alexander the Great said, the race now belongs "to the strongest" (if not the best, in my opinion). I can't help thinking that my party has lost its best opportunity to elect a great president, one concerned to fight for the interests of working people of all backgrounds.

Posted by edwardian | January 30, 2008 1:12 PM

"Advisers say he worries that Obama isn't ready to be president"

That's rich, seeing that Obama is very clearly more qualified to be President than Edwards is.

Posted by Korha | January 30, 2008 1:17 PM

Chris, remind me to throttle you, slowly, if we ever met.

Posted by drfranklives | January 30, 2008 1:18 PM

Hillary's statement on John Edwards

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0108/Clinton_robocalls_hit_Edwards.html

Hello, This is the Hillary Clinton for President Campaign.

Before you vote on Saturday, you should know that John Edwards voted for permanent trade relations with China. That’s right, John Edwards voted for the bill that cost thousands of jobs. Like the ones in the textile mills he talks about so much down here.

You should also know that John Edwards made nearly a half a million dollars working for a Wall Street investment fund. A fund that’s been profiting on foreclosing on the homes of families; including 100 homes right here in South Carolina. That’s according to The State newspaper. Here in South Carolina, Edwards says he’s one of us, but up on Wall Street he was just another one of them.

Can you trust John Edwards?"

Posted by yiannis | January 30, 2008 1:28 PM

This does not look good for Obama, unless of course it becomes Obama/Edwards. This little piece below goes into the "Edwards Factor":

Super Tuesday Analysis -
The Democrats Web Battle
Google Trend & Web Hits Reports

http://newsusa.myfeedportal.com/viewarticle.php?articleid=43

Posted by David | January 30, 2008 1:32 PM

Ambinder, anytime now you can stop reporting unsourced rumors attributed to "advisors." If they told you something and you think its true, report to us why you think its true. If you just heard it at the bar last night or read it someone else's blog, use some editorial judgement.

Posted by Gus | January 30, 2008 2:03 PM

"Topic revisited: Hillary's the only candidate who can unite this country. To my mind, she's like a combination of Joan of Arc and Golda Meir."

Is this a joke, or do you mean to imply that HRC's a short schizophrenic warmonger? Seriously, this is like me saying Obama's a combination of MLK and Jesus.

Posted by socraticsilence | January 30, 2008 5:40 PM

HRC's a short schizophrenic warmonger

No joke. That sounds about right.

Posted by ken | January 30, 2008 6:57 PM