And later:
One thing is clear… whichever candidate does get the nomination, his or her chance of victory will rest largely on the ideas Mr. Edwards brought to the campaign.
There’s much discussion going on about who the Edwards people are going to vote for now. As an Edwards supporter, I’d like to comment:
First, I urge everyone to unite behind the Democratic nominee in November, no matter who he or she may be.
But in the primary on February 5th, I urge you to vote your conscience: if you believe in Edwards, be true to that. Join voters across the country and vote for him as a way to honor the work he and his wife Elizabeth so unselfishly began.
If we want to uphold grassroots democracy, it’s important to show the money, the media, the party, and especially the candidates, where we stand and what we expect from them as we go forward:
the ideas, ideals and passion John and Elizabeth Edwards brought to a failing system and a failing party.
This is our chance and this the way we can do it. So if you believe in John Edwards and what he stands for, please give him your vote on Tuesday.
If Edwards wanted you to vote for him on Feb 5, he would have stayed in the race for another week. But he didn’t — instead, he chose to “suspend” (whatever that means) his campaign. So what does voting for Edwards accomplish, when the candidate himself has bailed?
and neither of the remaining candidates offer an acceptable alternative
The point is, David, we supported Edwards’ ideas and his vision for this country. Even though Edwards is out, his ideas aren’t, his vision is still here, and he is too.
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p>We need to show that even more now – without him in the race. The other candidates have pledged to honor his platform. But did you see them last night. So Cozy. Together they could turn their back on his progressive ideals unless we hold their feet to the fire.
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p>We need to shore up what he stands for. We need to show Hillary and Obama that WE — John’s supporters — are still strong and, even though he’s not in the race, WE will hold them to their promise to him.
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p>He’s no longer the candidate. But he, and those of us who believe in his ideals, are still voters in this election.
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p>We need to be heard. Not for John or ourselves or any ego thing. As my grandmother once said, “We’re doing it for the country.”
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p>Thanks for your question, David.
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p>Peace out.
I can’t tell from your response (especially your “Peace out”) whether you realize that. In any event, thanks for your response. I disagree with your reasoning, but that’s what makes blogs interesting.
Your question was well spoked and honest. I appreciated being able to respond and, hopefully, clarify. I picked up “peace out” in LA 🙂 Sorry if it seemed snarkey. I just meant I do respect you opinion.
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p>Peace ? 🙂
I’ve seen “peace out” used at the end of posts or comments either bidding farewell to a blog that the author no longer wishes to frequent, or as a way of signaling that an argument has become pointless so that the author no longer wishes to participate. Maybe its meaning has changed, though — it’s so hard to keep up with what the young people are saying these days! 🙂
Reminds me of Pat Condell. My fave is this one on Romney:
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… it’s gangsta rap. I had to research it for a screenplay. I think it’s like “peace” + “over and out.” I’ll check it out for you. “Check this out” means “look” 🙂 Would you believe this stuff is on the internet! It’s actually very Shakespearean if you really get into it.
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p>Peace out, brother 🙂
I’m an Edwards supporter and I did hear the soft echo of his message in the other candidates’ words but it seemed more like lip service than real conviction.
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p>Take an issue that is very important to me – universal health care. I didn’t hear enough about how either Obama or Clinton intended to push through any significant healthcare measures with all the heavyweight corporate money that is going to be flowing into the coffers of Congress and media advertising departments pushing very hard in the opposite direction. Neither candidate seemed to make it their highest priority.
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p>Although Hillary has adopted Edwards’ healthcare plan (without giving him credit for it), I truly doubt she will fight for it any harder than she fought for her own in the 90s. Once the big guns came out, she folded like a beach chair. I think that if she does get any healthcare legislation passed it will become an unrecognizable monstrosity which will have no path to a single payer system. Clinton (and her husband) have both settled for half-measures no matter what they have promised. Think: Don’t ask, don’t tell; Hillary’s votes on the Iraq War Resolution, the Patriot Act, Kyl-Lieberman, etc. They feel your pain and hand you a band-aid or tell you to move on.
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p>Obama’s plan is the inferior one by far. He said nothing last night that would make me think that it would be any more than a patchwork of existing programs along with a hodge-podge of sketchy, private, cheapo-cheapo policies that cover only worst-case situations for the peasants who can’t afford good health insurance. It’s not even a mandatory program so we will still have people, who play the odds or opt out because they can’t afford the “affordable” private insurance, using ERs for hit-and-run care with our taxes footing the bill. Hideous plan. Healthcare didn’t even seem like much of a priority for him. In fact, his only priorities seem to be the ill-defined “change” and “hope.” He “hopes” that the insurance companies will work with him to “change” the healthcare system from one where they walk away with huge profits to one that reduces their profits but provides quality healthcare for every American. What are the chances?
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p>If I can’t sort things out by Tuesday, I may still vote for Edwards. Hey, it’s better than not voting at all. Isn’t it?
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p>Lip service but no real conviction. And them all chummy. It gave me the creeps realizing these two could unite and just spin the wheel for 7 months to decide who gets VP and who gets POTUS; then they don’t need Edwards votes at all.
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p>And there was this strange smile both had throughout the night, like young lovers after a secret tryst. Especially Hillary.
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p>Talk about coin toss. It’s a real coin toss what Edwards has done and he may have to come back in and fight — if they unite and toss his platform aside, then, together, they can run their little power trip for the next 16 years. Yikes!
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p>I’m rambling and being paranoid. Enough!
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p>Anyway, there is a movement to vote for him nationwide — big in Missouri and California. I read his campaign had asked to be taken off the ballot in R.I., then called today or yesterday and asked to be put back on. (I guess they weren’t printed yet.) So the cat-bird hasn’t sung… or something like that.
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p>Anyway, it says something is up. Stay tuned and don’t close out his options.
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p>VOTE FOR JOHN ON SUPER TUESDAY!
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p>Thanks!
… I seem to remember hearing on the radio that the “suspend” term was significant in some way having to do with his matching funds.
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p>Don’t know the details.
It’s the way Dems end their campaigns so the matching funds can continue to trickle in. However if they really mean to end them, they’ll endorse someone else. JRE hasn’t done that and he uses words differently from others – so chances are he’s playing on the double meaning of ‘suspend.’ Trial lawyers!!!
I really have no preference between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. I will work for whichever is nominated. I am not finished grieving the end of John Edward’s campaign, either. Some things just don’t turnoff like lightbulbs!
I was ready to vote for Edwards, because he sounded the most real and the most authentic, plus he was the only one of the candidates who talked about fighting against poverty in this country, and he had concrete ideas. Also, the fact that he has a long history of standing up to corporate excesses is what makes Edwards qualified, also.
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p>Somehow, I knew he’d drop out, and yet hoped he’d stay around. Obama sounds the most committed on setting a timeframe for us to get out of Iraq and to have no permanent occupation bases there, so that’s a good sign.
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p>I’m tempted to vote for Edwards just as a protest, though i don’t know what I’ll do yet at this point. The fact that Kennedy and Kerry endorsed Obama’s a good sign, though.