Edwards PROMISED to stay in until the end. He BROKE that promise.

I have no need for a politician who breaks his promises.
I campaigned for John and donated to him several times.
He broke his promise to me. I will shed no tears for
a man who misleads me. How many times did he cry out
that he was "in it til the end"? More political bullshit.

It's just as well he didn't stay in if that's all his word
means. The only way I will forgive him is if he left
because of real threats to his family. That's the ONLY reason.

The debates can really sap you of strength. If you're going to drop out anyway, best to do it before performing poorly at a debate.

It's just why go through all of the preparation, blood, sweat and tears if you're just going to drop out and you know it...

That's the only thing that makes sense to me on the timing of his announcement.

Clearly they're out of money, and maybe couldn't have even afforded travel and expenses to the Super Tuesday states. I think it's likely he intended to pull out after South Carolina (there were rumors rampant that he would), but didn't want to step on the Obama news cycle, nor the Kennedys Endorse Obama news cycle that followed.

Since Florida doesn't count, the only thing I can think of is that he dropped out today to step on any kind of Clinton Wins Florida headline.

:hi:

It is also clear from polling data (old data I will admit, but I'm sure his own internal polling is better) that his supporters will break for Obama, the only other variable is his union endorsments if the go to Clinton Obama could be in trouble but otherwise he made Obama day today.

On tv they said a poll showed 40% of his supporters choose Hillary as their 2nd choice and 25% choose Obama. I hope that has changed.

You can say what you want about his hair, but the guy has always been the best debater of the bunch.

Even you have to chuckle a little bit.

Just confused. WTF??? I donated almost $1000 to him on the expectation that he'd stay in it until the convention. At the very least, he owes us a better explanation than we got today.

I'm sure many did dig deeper in their pockets to donate to his campaign just on his words of sticking to the end. It does smell like misrepresentation to me.
but then again, things change, and there may be some out of left field reason that he ducked out.

but still aggravates me a bit like Kerry promising to keep the vote honest in 2004, all lawyered up, donate donate for the integrity of elections, then slinks back in submission without hardly a word. that's was so low. and where did all that donation money go, the money that he sucked in by making gullibles believe he really meant...

aw nevermind,
I'm just so sick of this all.

sometimes I swear there're all a bunch of low down dirty rats of all stripes and parties just giggling their asses off over our ridiculous doe-eyed hopes and dreams of change.

And that big house doesn't clean itself, you know.

(Note: I supported Edwards and these are puns.)

if you know it's fruitless? He has young children and a wife suffering from cancer--maybe he wants to spend more time with them than scrounging for support and money full-time until the convention? He will almost certainly not be unemployed next year, and will be an important voice in this campaign.

I was in it to fight with him to the end.
He gave the impression that he was "fighting for the little guy"
and would be there til the convention. How many times did we
hear that?

also might not want the party to suffer from a damaging fight, forcing Obama and/or Hillary into spending their money until August to fend him off--maybe you can look upon his act as borne of selfless concern for his family and his party, instead of an act of weakness committed against his supporters.

He has a life outside of politics, and I think it's foolish to get angry with him for realizing that those priorities are more important than hanging onto a campaign that will suck his energy and lifeblood and mnoney.

understandable and no one would question it. However, since he didn't give any clue, even a hazy " for personal reasons," I can understand why you are upset. I assume we'll find out in good time.

So... whatever.

is going to get that worked up over a lie... or a promise.

GMAFB!

The idiocy around here is fucking astounding.

:eyes:

a major loon. What is your major malfunction?

a major loon. What is your major malfunction?

The day you are half as literate as redqueen, let me know.

Grow a pair, will you?

maybe Elizabeth is more ill than we know...Sometimes you can't keep a promise.

And , on a conference call, he says Elizabeth isn't ill.

I was concerned.

it when he said he was in the race for good. Something must have happened
that we don't know about yet.

Why don't we just give him a day or two, and see if he tells us?

he had to keep going until it was clear he needed to drop out.

I do understand how you feel though. I am extremely shocked that he didn't at least wait until after super Tuesday.

We wouldn't have any politicians left.

He had his reasons for getting out, and obviously they were greater than the reasons he had for staying in.

Give the guy a break. He fought the good fight, and will probably be back to fight again.

extremely important contributions. I think he was trying to be thoughtful of his contributors.

John Edwards is not going away.

Sigh...

I think there are only two things that would make him stop...either his wife is very sick and needs him or his family has been threatened. It crossed ny mind when his daughter was in that car "accident" a few weeks ago, that it wasn't an accident. The people that really control this country would think nothing of eliminating a member of the candidate's family if he wouldn't play ball.

We speculated about that when Kerry (but NOT Edwards) folded in 2004 after promising to have "every vote counted" - guess we'll never know. I wonder also if Elizabeth has taken a turn for the worse, and out of respect for her he decided not to make that public today. Rigged voting systems and the MSM rendering his campaign futile may also play into it, and that would be hard to admit/verbalize, in a concession speech. Did he not want to waste any more of the hard-earned money of his middle class supporters? There is also a possibility that he has been asked to be a running partner of one of the other candidates (likely, I think, Obama). But I am disappointed that he gave no reason for dropping out so abruptly, after promising to stay in the race until the convention. I guess I also expected him to say a bit more directly to his supporters today.

The guy did all he possibley could to stay in. We don't fully know the reasons for him pulling out, but I'm sure the stress on his family (namingly Elizabeth), the money, and lack of any reasonable amount of media coverage likely contributed. He faught a good fight, and I wish he hadn't of dropped out, but I hope to see more of him soon.

when all my friends said "don't waste your vote."

My attitude was, "ok, John, if you're willing fight
until the end -- I'm here with you."

Tons of bravado on the camapaign trail, then POOF. All gone.

I'm sick of this.

or able to do. I'm sure, deep down, he knew this was a very likely outcome. I wish he could have lasted until the end - it would have given a stronger leg up to the ensure campaign financing would be tackled as a serious issue once and for all. I hope that now, he's worked out some sort of deal - to help address that in the future.

then there is a lesson in this. Don't put your entire heart and soul into a primary candidate. Save it for the GE. You will feel much more sand and composed by the time a candidate is chosen, and you can be happy to support them against the Repubs.

I've never been an Edwards supporter but the man has conducted himself with dignity and passion in this campaign. I've always liked Elizabeth Edwards but the last few times I've seen her on TV, she has not looked well.

here's a guy whose wonderful, amazing wife has cancer currently considered incurable.

I don't know what his defining reason is, but I am going to bite down my disappointment, and listen to what he has to say.
And let me tell you, I am mondo freakin pissed that we have been put in this position in general, where we find ourselves hoping that our new candidate is a crypto-progressive. We need to line the old guard up against the wall asap.

let history happen"meaning he was in the way of a balck candidate or a woman? WTF is that? Weird.I think he was pressured or threatened but everyone will say i am wearing tinfiol.Something is not right.

I hope we know soon. I think we are owed at least that, maybe nothing more.

It is either Elizabeth's illness or something else that is personal. Hopefully we will eventually know.

On their 5:30 pm news, one of the networks said Elizabeth has Stage IV cancer.

Stage Four is pretty damned serious, I believe.

so that would not be news.

At least stay until Super Tuesday proves it cannot be won.

Although really, I would be even more P.O'd if he stayed in and then gave his delegates to Hillary. Really, there's probably nothing he could do, short of the absolute miracle of winning that would not enrage a large number of his supporters. Unless he did some kind of poll of his supporters (but how to determine who those are? Long time members of the One Corps perhaps?) and then split his delegates based on the results.

although I sold some at the dem convention in Wichita.

One thing about yard signs is - save the metal frame. Those are expensive and can be re-used by other candidates. But you should have gotten one of those tote bags. I have a duffel and a cloth shopping bag that I can still use, although they will always remind me of what might have been.

Like my "FIGHTING FOR US - Kerry (flag) Edwards" sign, looking at it now.

I'm just pissed.

"all the way to the convention." I Just wanted to have a chance to vote for someone who really spoke to the issues I care about.
In so far, why not at least ride through Super Tuesday? Hillary and Obama were successfully neutralizing each other, there WAS room for a third candidate.

Disappointment. So tired of being disappointed.

I know how it feels. This year, I finally get to vote for MY candidate in a primary. It's a first.

But no candidate is going to say "Well, I'll drop out in late January if things don't go well." That's just not how it's done.

Every candidate says they're going all the way, they say they're gonna win, they say "When I'm President".

Buck up - we still have two great candidates.

A part of me died today.

2000 selection...9/11...Iraq invasion...2004 steal... everything related and in between...now this.

:hug:

And that they are in it till the end. It has always been this way and always will be. Is this the first presidential primary you have ever paid attention to?

Sadly, I'll never make this mistake again.

The story read that Elizabeth has been out for several weeks,she did have a check up and everything was ok, they gave the reason for her being out as a Cold, which probably is correct


I was at Wake Forrest Medical Center today when he was on CNN. I really couldn't hear that well, but I did hear him say that Elizabeth is the reason he got into the race that was what she wanted to do, I will tell you that is probably right,she wanted to stay busy and the race and seeing him do what she wanted helped her pass the time when she was worried, speaking on this from experience...My daughte 49 had cancer that got from her female parts to her lungs, they gave her just a few weeks to live, She was a Sales person for a Food Broker knew many many people all over the state...Those people began senidng cards,until the walls were covered, then the flowers started, it looked like a florist.. I remember the first radium treatment, the nurse called down and told her to hurry back to her room there were 10 guys waiting for her all with white shirts and ties. She wasn't married nor had any kids , they kelp her so busy, would bring their dinner and have dinner with her. The time passed so quickly and many times she told me I didn't know how many friends I really had... I think it helped the family also, frankly I don't know how I would have taken it with out all of her her friends.

I am glad that John ran,for Elizabeth.

and you should also notice that he is still in the fight, today he threw a nasty elbow at Clinton and made sure her FL "win" never got a news cycle. John is a hero and you haven't seen the last of him.

political...she may have seen the terrain and just decided she wanted him HOME, for the family to be together for as long as she is around....Getting ignored by the media and getting his ideas stolen or the trouble didn't compute for her any more, I would think. God, just sliding around icy roads alone....I bet she wanted him home and alive...A couple of days ago he looked exhausted, which was rare for him. I think things just came together emotionally for them.

I'm disappointed but I can understand. Esp. since I really believe it when he said he almost changed his mind over the last few days. Whatever went on, there was a lot of soul-searching between the two of them....

This was a friend speaking from Chapel Hill.

If the friend had knowledge that John was home in NC this week end, I imagine that is how he came to the conclusion that this was when the decision was made. Kind of like putting two and two together.

My condolences to Edwards supporters, from one who knows what it feels like to have your only hope forced out of the race.

SO. Where have Rove and Rumsfeld been lately????

:shrug:

sudden move.

Not even John Edwards.

NPR reported this morning that someone in the campaign told them they pretty much knew he'd withdraw the night of SC, but decided to stay through FL to be sure.

Elizabeth Edwards is battling cancer...That HAS to be a consideration for him. He knows that at this point, his campaigning is taking up a lot of his time and energy...and sadly, his wife is sick.....I know you are hurt...please take some time to think about all he did give to this campaign despite the devastating news of Elizabeth's relapse....I'm sure he will use this time to devote to his wife.

Are they so arrogant (or something else?) as to think what they have to say to us is valuable? That their pearls of wisdom are beneficial or needed? The condescending tone, the advice, the "voices of reason" - spare us, please. Give us more than a few hours to figure out what we, individually, will do next.

because he is obviously distressed...he said he would only forgive John if there were threats to his family....and I wanted him to understand that what he is experiencing with Elizabeth is a real threat.

If you confuse compassion and understanding with arrogance, that speaks volumes about you.

I can't imagine anyone here is incapable of comprehending that Elizabeth Edwards's cancer is a very real threat, but perhaps I shouldn't have stepped into your dialogue with BigBear, rather made my point on a different thread with one of the many others who are helping and advising Edwards supporters.

:hug:

.