The Choice Narrows

It’s being reported that John Edwards will withdraw from the race for his party’s nomination for the presidency today:

DENVER – Democrat John Edwards is exiting the presidential race Wednesday, ending a scrappy underdog bid in which he steered his rivals toward progressive ideals while grappling with family hardship that roused voters’ sympathies, The Associated Press has learned.

The two-time White House candidate notified a close circle of senior advisers that he planned to make the announcement at a 1 p.m. EST event in New Orleans that had been billed as a speech on poverty, according to two aides. The decision came after Edwards lost the four states to hold nominating contests so far to rivals who stole the spotlight from the beginning — Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama.

The former North Carolina senator will not immediately endorse either candidate in what is now a two-person race for the Democratic nomination, said one adviser, who spoke on condition of anonymity in advance of the announcement. Both candidates would welcome Edwards’ backing and the support of the 56 delegates he had collected.

It’s surprised me that Edwards, who both in message and style seems to me much more in tune with Democratic activists than either Clinton or Obama, has failed to gain more traction. Still, I think that his absence will affect the results: the possibility of a brokered Democratic convention, always a long shot IMO, is even less likely now.

This won’t change my vote on Tuesday. I plan on voting for Obama.

It’s looking increasingly likely that there are only four prospective sets of opposing tickets: Clinton-Romney, Clinton-McCain, Obama-Romney, Obama-McCain.

If the choices were between Clinton and Romney, I’d probably prefer to go back to bed, assume the prenatal position, and turn the electric blanket up to 9. I honestly don’t know for whom I would vote. I’d support McCain over Clinton. I’d definitely vote for Obama over Romney.

Obama or McCain? Each candidate has his virtues. McCain’s military experience and training and sense of honor are significant. Is it better to trust our foreign policy to a relative newcomer like Obama? I like Obama’s style and intelligence and, honestly, I’d rather listen to him for four (or eight) years than any of the other candidates of either party. I might well think blue, count two and vote for Obama.

5 comments… add one
  • I can’t see myself ever voting for anyone who has actually said he wants to keep our troops in Iraq for another hundred years. While I would have to bite my tongue to vote for Hillary, after the Bush years, I would rather have (holding nose) Hillary Clinton in office than another Republican right now.

  • Robert, since all of the first-tier candidates of both parties have said they plan on leaving our troops in Iraq for the foreseeable future, the only alternatives you have is voting for someone who’s frank about it vs. someone trying desparately to leave an impression she’ll do something that she doesn’t intend to do or voting for someone who’s not going to win.

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