The sad story about John Edwards’ wife’s health prompting a possible withdrawal is all over the US blogosphere today. I’m inclined to agree with Henry at Crooked Timber:
I’m very sorry if this is so; Edwards is the candidate whom I would have voted for, if I had a vote. He’s as close to being a Social Democrat as can reasonably be expected of anyone in the mainstream of US politics, and seems as a person and candidate to be deeply smart, serious, and committed to making hard choices in order to right some of the economic inequalities that have become pervasive in this country. I’m even sorrier because of the circumstances. From all accounts, Elizabeth Edwards is an extraordinary force in her own right, combining a tough intelligence with a fundamental sense of decency. I wish them well.
As I was saying recently, Edwards would get my vote above Obama and Clinton any day. Perhaps we can hope that another candidate with similar passion and positions will enter the race (Gore?) and Edwards, in the happy event that his wife recovers, could serve as Veep.
Henry’s spot on about Elizabeth Edwards. She’s a dedicated activist in her own right, and has been a long term commenter on a lot of US liberal blogs. There’s a nice tribute from Pam at Pandagon too.
John Edwards has vowed to press ahead with his campaign for the Democratic US presidential nomination despite a serious setback in his wife’s battle with cancer.
It is sad news if it is true.
It will leave a massive gap between Hilbama and the rest. It makes room for another candidate though, Gore is looking more and more likely.
It’s still not too late to draft Oprah/Letterman. Hands on experience in running multimillion dollar enterprises, superb communication and negoiation skills, not a whiff of serious scandal, v. artful at avoiding hard questions and major brand recognition. Hmm, perhaps they’re overqualified for the ticket.
It’s good that he has withdrawn. His foreign policy was disastrous. He was advocating invading Iran.
http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/story?id=2905550&page=1
Edwards is the ultimate empty suit, devoid of any ideas and, with the possible exception of Joe Biden and Al Gore, the dumbest candidate in the past two decades. He had his head handed to him by Cheney in the last debates. That said, all best wishes go out for his wife’s wellbeing.
Maybe, but least he didn’t have be wired up like poor old Dubya before taking the debate podium. And I reckon they they forgot to remove the box and some prankish intern just left its direct feed open to the Colbert Report.
Wonkette is reporting that Edwards will not quit his campaign but will rather suspend it. [link]
Well, that goes to show that you shouldn’t trust blogs too much. Edwards has just announced that he will continue campaigning as will his wife. [link]
Wow, those two just won the award for the toughest challengers in the Democrat primary. I can’t imagine how hard that is going to be for Elizabeth Edwards and her family. I really wish them luck.
Both Edwardses said the cancer was treatable and that they would stick with their plans to campaign vigorously for the nomination.
“The campaign goes on. The campaign goes on strongly,” said Edwards, who argued, “other than sitting around feeling sorry for ourselves, there was no reason to stop.”
Wade E. Byrd, a Fayetteville, N.C. lawyer and one of Edwards’ chief fundraisers, said the Edwardses sounded optimistic enough that he didn’t think donors would be wary “right now” about him abandoning the campaign to be with his wife.
“I wouldn’t have been shocked _ although I would have been disappointed in a major way _ if he had gotten out of the campaign,” Byrd said. “I’m not surprised at all that Elizabeth was more than likely the one saying, ‘You will not get out of this campaign.’”
[LINK]
Edwards hasn’t withdrawn yet – but out of curiosity – has he indicated who he’d run with? Poor buggers, poor us.
He should just dump her and shack up with a younger trophy wife.
Worked for Newt. Sort of.
Edwards is a dead white man walking. He makes John Flipper Kerry look decisive.
He is a sell-out, honky cracker-bread, Vichy piece-of-shit that most of us can smell from here. His sick wife should take over his lamer loser waste-of-space campaign because America itself has cancer in its bones.
Al Sharpton and Barbara Lee in 08 – accept no substitutes
“He should just dump her and shack up with a younger trophy wife”
I KNOW that was just a ‘throwaway’ remark,
but in case any budding candidates anywhere,
think it’s a viable option
(and let’s face it, everyone in the business of politics knows that focussing on a ballot paper automatically disengages the brain of most people)
his advisors,
knowing that more women vote than men,
would only dissuade him from alienating that demographic.
Love the poetry Sam. Reading that I couldn’t help but hear a Greek chorus.