How much of Edwards' problems so far are because he is white?

And before everyone goes apeshit, I don't mean to suggest he is the victim of racism or anything like that...

What I mean is, how much can be attributable to the fact that for the first time in our history the Democratic Party has an African American candidate and a woman candidate who are both truly viable in the general election...how much is excitement in the party over the possibility that we could be the Party that breaks the barrier to the highest office that has so far only produced white men...

Personally, I am supporting Hillary based on my assessment of her qualifications, temperament, positions, and my judgment on how she would perform both in the general election campaign and as President...but I have to admit, when I think forward to 2009 and the possibility that the person in the Oval Office will be referred to as Madame President...it makes me smile a bit.

When I think of Obama in the same situation, I think of those racists living and dead who have tried to keep African Americans as subclass citizens, and what the look on their faces would be to see one taking the oath of office...and I get the same feeling...

So how much of that is factoring into their support right now?

to cover the 'horserace' between Clinton/Obama. And that decision to not cover Edwards has little to do with any of aforementioned candidates' abilities.

Edwards gets lots of attention in the media, considering he is a third-place runner at the moment. He and Elizabeth are on Hardball every few weeks. Today's Chicago Tribune had a front-page story on his poverty tour. I see no dearth of media coverage, pro and con, just like the others. It's the Richardsons and Bidens et al. who get no coverage.

He's the most vocal supporter of Organized Labor and support for the poor, so Corporate execs hate him, and therefore their corporations hate him. He's not getting the corporate donations, and the corporate media are taking every oportunity to either ignore him or shoot him down.

Edwards gets more than his share of coverage, including positive coverage.

Since it is historic that a woman or black may win a major nomination he may have a disadvantage.

He got nailed by the media and the haircut. over and over again. they won't let it drop.
I think Edwards seems more of the been there done that not so much because he's white as he ran before with this being an election focused on change.
Edwards made a series of serious missteps.
I really like Edwards and admire and respect him. I hate to see him struggling.
I do think part is because Edwards and Obama are splitting the anti Hillary vote. This has dented both campaigns as they are splitting the same voters.
the way elizabeth has come lately, this may kick start him again.

:apeshit:

Blame it on the media...the nature of the modern media is certainly not a secret...campaigns need to adapt to it...some do it better than others...

I'm not saying it's right, but it does make sense. The media and pundits want someone or something new to talk about. He offers neither.

His support base seems to be well-off whites, who can see themselves living as he lives, if only in their dreams, but they can see some sort of reflection of their strivings. I think other income groups, not only the poor but the working and middle class, don't find him quite real or his model attainable. This is because of lifestyle choices he's made with amazingly bad timing, which have played into the media's fun and games, but also play into a certain distaste Americans have for ostentation, unless you're a Hollywood star or super model. This isn't to say the other candidates aren't wealthy, of course they are, but Edwards' poverty ID offers a starker contrast between the way he lives and the way ordinary people do. And I don't care what anybody says, the extraordinary imbalance of wealth distribution and limited opportunity today is the greatest anxiety in the electorate after the war. No matter how much he talks about these things, he's not coming across as a breakout president who will change that. The Edwards campaign allowed his image to run out of his control and there is something not forthright in how they come across in response. They're always backtracking, running sideways, spinning, explaining, or apologizing every time there is some new uproar. "This is what I really meant" only can go so far before people stop believing you. The issue of believability factors into his current position far more than race or gender, I think.