Blogged

Edwards = White people!

By Phil Barron ⋅ May 15, 2008 ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ Post a comment

So Barack Obama’s plan to address the perceived lack of “hard working white” interest in his candidacy looks something like this:

Step 1: Loudly announce John Edwards’ endorsement of his candidacy.

Step 2: ???

Step 3: Profit!

Well, I guess it’s good to actually have a plan.

Looking at a few takes on the announcement…

Ryan Tate at Gawker supplies the cynical view of Edwards’ motivations:

John Edwards endorsed Barack Obama tonight in a masterstroke of Clintonian gladhanding. The timing of the endorsement certainly shouldn’t improve Edwards’ reputation as a slick, ambulance-chasing lawyer. He waited until the Democratic presidential hopeful had a virtual lock on the nomination, but not so long that his endorsement would be totally useless. Thus, he preserved the chance to be a part of Hillary Clinton’s cabinet for as long as that looked possible, but still managed to score some points with Obama.

Quelle surprise! After all, politicians traditionally endorse for the most simon-pure and selfless of reasons. Er, right?

Greg Saunders at The Talent Show wonders why he did it now rather than earlier…or later:

Edwards endorsed Obama today, a story that’s also a month or two late. Endorsing now is like waiting until the bottom of the 9th to bet on a baseball game. I’m glad he did it, but if he was going to wait this long, why not wait another week or two and announce so that his pledged delegates are what pushes Obama over the finish line?

Setting aside the real possibility that Edwards hadn’t actually decided which candidate to endorse, it seems that the timing of the endorsement couldn’t be better for Obama, coming as it does right after a shellacking in West Virginia that Hillary Clinton will present as evidence that Obama can’t close the deal with those prized hard-working white voters. What better moment to maximize the value of a stamp of approval from the only white populist around? Obama knows that, and you’d have to imagine that Edwards does too. The delegate situation is settled, whether Clinton acknowledges it or not; Obama is playing a longer game now, and the Edwards endorsement is part of that strategy. Think of it as an Appalachian inoculation.

Melissa McEwan at Shakesville wishes that Edwards hadn’t endorsed either of the two Dems standing:

Well, quite honestly, I’m disappointed. Not that he endorsed Obama, but that he endorsed at all. I know there will be people who don’t believe I’d say the same thing if he’d endorsed Clinton, but the truth is, I would.

I was actually hoping he would withhold an endorsement altogether, and then vociferously support the eventual nominee, which is a position, in my opinion, better suited to a party’s elder statesman.

I can certainly understand Liss’ viewpoint here, because I expressed similar sentiments a while back. Indeed, I had figured that the value of an Edwards endorsement was spoiling faster than room temperature milk. That was back when Obama seemed less a candidate than a force of nature, of course. Times have changed, and Obama now seems to need the help.

Should Edwards have given it? Well, it’s his right, and he’s young yet. That is, there’s still plenty of time for him to become a relatively non-partisan elder stateman. What’s the quid pro quo? My thinking earlier was that Edwards should devote himself to anti-poverty policy outside of public office, not unlike Al Gore and global warming. I still think that, but Edwards hasn’t asked my opinion. People are suggesting for him the office of attorney general in an Obama administration, and even a running mate role is being floated. I think it’s very risky for Edwards as he’s gone down that path before with poor results - and he very recently felt the same way - but time and chance and all that. Unlike during his previous stint as John Kerry’s partner, Edwards might actually have a difference-making quality to bring to the campaign table this time around. As he said last month on The Colbert Report:

“No white male vote is being courted more vigorously than this one,” Edwards joked.

For good reason, apparently.

Obama told reporters on his Chicago-bound campaign plane that Edwards can be “extremely helpful to us campaigning in every demographic,” but he noted that he has particular credibility on “issues of poverty and the plight of working people.”

“Hopefully his endorsement will help some of those supporters who haven’t already joined my campaign take a look at my campaign,” Obama said. “We’ll take any help that he can give us.”

…oh, almost forgot this bowl of sour persimmons from Clinton supporter Big Tent Democrat at TalkLeft:

Party unity is one thing and it could have waited three weeks.

Let’s go back, oh, five weeks:

I think the nominee of the Party must demonstrate leadership on all issues, including leading us to unity inside the Party. In my view, this is Barack Obama’s responsibility. It is time for him to step up and meet this responsibility. In fact, contrary to Meteor Blades’ statement, this is not Clinton’s moment - it is Barack Obama’s moment. It is the moment to be a leader.

Timing is everything…depending on whose stopwatch you’re using.

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