Following are excerpts from Keith Olbermann's interview with John Edwards on “Countdown” Friday evening:
“The two change candidates won and the status quo was rejected.”
“I think they’ll see this as a change primary and they’ll have the difference between Senator Obama and myself as the two change candidates. Senator Obama – he’s a good man – but he has a more philosophical and academic approach, and I think we have a battle on our hands against these entrenched powers like the oil companies and drug companies.”
“I just told you senator Obama is a change candidate, by any measure, and so am I.”
Not a word of criticism for Obama, unless you count “he has a more philosophical and academic approach”.
Is Edwards endorsing Obama as the next best choice? Is it team Obama/Edwards from here on out? Is John Edwards now running for VP? If Edwards fails to win any of the early primaries, will he get out before Super-Tuesday and back Obama? If Obama wins the primary, is an Obama/Edwards ticket a foregone conclusion? Would Obama/Edwards be the right ticket?
Robert Sargent is co-owner of a Washington State commercial printing company with operations in Seattle and Redmond. He has an Economics degree from the University of Washington and occasionally plays alto sax with the Husky alumni band. An amateur economist, investor and photographer, and fiscally conservative moderate at heart, Robert has been a "yellow-dog Democrat" since the Bush administration "began screwing up the world beyond repair". Active in local and national political races, Mr. Sargent ("Sarge") was a delegate for John Kerry and is now supporting Barack Obama. A news and politics junkie and occasional workaholic, his non-work time is spent (not in order) with his wife of 17 years and 2 kids, blogging in front of the TV, reading, cooking, spectator sports (NCAA hoops & football, MLB, NFL) taking pictures, and participating in a famously progressive Presbyterian church.
Robert I've been voting since my first primary in 1972 when I voted for Shirley Chisholm. In 84 and 88 I voted for Jesse Jackson. I can't remember when or if I ever voted for the person wh actually became the nominee.
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Gregory Wonderwheel (3 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 99 comments)
on Sunday, January 6, 2008 at 7:54:49 PM
I think Edwards has made a political calculation here. He sees Obama is catching people's interest. By praising Obama, he is associating with the feeling of the plurality, and then he is saying that he can deliver what Obama promises better than Obama can. I think that's too sophisticated an argument to get over to the voters, but I understand where he's coming from. He is criticizing Obama, but in the context of praise. He understands that a more direct attack on Obama isn't going to get him anywhere.
His message, said more directly, would be "Obama promises, but Edwards can deliver." Read what he said again, and see if you don't agree with that summary. He doesn't say it so baldly because he realizes coming across as attacking Obama isn't going to help him.
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Bill Samuel (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 180 comments)
on Sunday, January 6, 2008 at 2:07:30 PM
I agree with Bill Samuel, above, that it's a [good] political calculation. I think Edwards is "going with his opponent's energy," so he can then use Obama's momentum against him, sending him "to the mat" in a less harmful way--for either of them.
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jf (0 articles, 3 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 9 comments)
on Sunday, January 6, 2008 at 5:21:10 PM
If Ombama becomes our nex president (which I much prefer over Clinton) then I hope John Edwards could be the Attorney General rather then the Vice President.
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Gregory Wonderwheel (3 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 99 comments)
on Sunday, January 6, 2008 at 7:51:20 PM
