Why I’m (Still) Voting for Edwards

[Nutmegger]

First let me say what this essay is not: it’s neither some desperate idealistic lunge at lost hope, nor is it sour grapes. Ironically, my stubbornly lingering support for Senator John Edwards is oddly pragmatic: it’s the only way I can think to register support for progressive ideas in the Super Tuesday sweepstakes, thus presenting a principled obstacle to messrs Obama and Clinton. Sound funky? Read on.

Politics is about negotiation, leverage, power - and, yes, ideas. In my estimation, Senators Obama and Clinton have failed to exhibit a strong consistent commitment to progressive ideas, and need to be pressured and held as accountable as possible to ideas such as universal healthcare, strong sturdy anti-war policies, and economic justice. The only sensible way to express that sentiment on Super Tuesday is to vote for Senator Edwards — and make the two would-be nominees fight harder for his endorsement and delegates. A vote for Edwards will also remind them that even if his candidacy is dead, the principles - and constituencies - his campaign represented are not.

Neither candidate has been clear and consistent on the war and when/how to end it (not even Obama, who has since voted for war payments). Both candidates’ Iraq pull-out statements remain fuzzy and ultimately non-committal. Neither candidate has taken a strong clear stand on a universal healthcare plan that truly breaks the insurance industry’s hold over America’s healthcare system. (Check out Paul Krugman’s astute critique of Obama’s healthcare plan versus that of Clinton, in which he points out: “the big difference is mandates: the Clinton plan requires that everyone have insurance; the Obama plan doesn’t.” Not exactly what I’d call “progressive.”) To the extent that either has mentioned issues of poverty and workers’ rights, and corporate greed/power (which is to say hardly at all), it has been by virtue of pressure from Edwards’ candidacy.

This is not an anti-Obama or anti-Clinton appeal; ultimately I’ll line up like a good soldier behind either nominee to bring an end to this particularly vicious and damaging era of Republican executive power. Rather, I encourage voting for Edwards tomorrow on the basis of representing progressive ideas in the electorate, and sending as many delegates his way as possible, in the hopes that he will be that much more empowered to exact some pledges for his endorsement of either candidate. Otherwise, progessives who wanted a candidate who stands strongly on a range of key domestic and international issues will have no electoral means of registering their opinion.

Full article: http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/02/05/6860/

[MrCoffee]

1. 1st Rec!

"A vote for Edwards will also remind them that even if his candidacy is dead, the principles - and constituencies - his campaign represented are not."

Hear Hear!

[smokey nj]

2. Thanks for this Nutmegger!

It felt GREAT to vote for John today!!

[Ninga]

3. Once again, a clear headed, thoughtful essay....NAILS IT!!!!!!

:hi:

[mzmolly]

4. Good to consider:

"...sending as many delegates his way as possible, in the hopes that he will be that much more empowered to exact some pledges for his endorsement of either candidate..."

[waiting for hope]

5. Spot on:

"I encourage voting for Edwards tomorrow on the basis of representing progressive ideas in the electorate, and sending as many delegates his way as possible, in the hopes that he will be that much more empowered to exact some pledges for his endorsement of either candidate."

He still has my vote. K&R!

[midnight]

6. He is getting my vote too.

Thank you John and Elizabeth.

[Yael]

7. Great pic!!

:woohoo:

Lets get this message to Denver, damnit.

[redqueen]

8. Thanks...

*sigh*

[Kali]

9. I'm probably going to do it too.

Damn. I think he would be a good president.

[Kurovski]

10. K&R. (nt)

[Bongo Prophet]

11. Your choice is considered, thoughtful and strategic. Let no one dis you for that.

I consider it a valid and principled stand.
Today we can celebrate the right of those of you ST states to choose nominees to take on "BombIran" McCain.

[cascadiance]

12. This is also EXACTLY why I voted for Edwards today...

I'm leaning to supporting Obama more than Clinton, and was looking the last few days for SOME strong indicator of where Obama was taking a risky position that put himself out on a limb where his contributors might have a problem with him, but the people in the country should not. I couldn't find that. I found a LOT of "Rah, rah!" chant style messages, which to me just turn me off if there isn't substance to back up what's being "rah rah"'d about. And having to go through all of those extra posts to find anything of substance I was looking for was also a turnoff. At some point I just gave up.

I felt that since he hadn't crossed that bridge yet that Edwards has on many occasions of appealing to us on risky positions of substance to help the common man, that at this point I had to support Edwards, and hopefully if enough of us do so, it will send a message that in the remaining primaries that if he really wants to take support and run the risk of losing, his campaign needs to give us something more than "rah, rah" platitudes.

Excitement isn't just generated through "marketing" to me. There has to be a reason for me to be excited. I'm still waiting to see that reason, which I lost when Edwards pulled out.

[mzmolly]

13. Edwards was still on my ballot, and I cast my vote for him.

This, in hopes that he'll have a say in the platform. :hi:

[Kat45]

18. I did the same thing.

I was doing research online all day trying to figure out who to vote for. Since nothing grabbed me regarding the two front-runners, I went with Edwards for the same reasons articulated in this thread.

[RayOfHope]

14. We cast our vote for him too n/t

[Nutmegger]

15. KICK ...

For Edwards!

[sellitman]

16. Good luck with that but no thanks

I don't want anyone else deciding who wins.

If John wanted my vote he wouldnt have dropped out.

[MaryRN]

32. Then you already did let MSM decide for you.

[sellitman]

35. Bullshit.

I voted for one of the only viable candidates.

Get your head out of the clouds my dear.

[cynthia]

17. kick

:kick:

[Phred42]

19. I voted for Edwards Yesterday - Illinois Results:

In Illinois yesterday Edwards still received 2% of the Vote = 37,835 votes

[postulater]

20. I vote in 2 weeks

and it will be for Edwards for the same reasons.

[postulater]

21. So far I haven't heard any suggestion from the Edwards

group NOT to vote for him. And I haven't heard him endorse anyone else.

So he's still my way of voicing my opinion to the others.

[Pappy]

22. With hair like that, how could he loose?

[Donnachaidh]

23. get your talking points from Faux Noise?

That hair meme is soooooo over. :eyes:

[BringBigDogBack]

24. At this point, it doesn't matter.

You'll be voting for either Hillary or Obama when it counts.


Or you could vote for one or the other now, while you still have some semblance of choice.

Just being honest. A vote for Edwards at this point goes completely unnoticed. Sorry. :(

[MaryRN]

33. Not by conscience.

[MissDeeds]

46. Good for you, MaryRN

Conscience will direct my vote too, not pressure. I will proudly vote for John Edwards. :hi:

[lastliberalintexas]

45. Possibly, but if we don't care who wins between

Obama and Clinton, then it's just as well we "waste" our vote.

[MilesColtrane]

25. The only flaw in this way of thinking is that, out of the 16 states voting on Super Tuesday...

...Edwards received no additional delegates with which to "hold accountable" either of the two left in the race.

Now, he may still, be able to influence who gets the nomination and what their policies are with only the 26 delegates pledged to him.
I happen to believe that it's going to be that close going into the convention.

But there's too many variables to count on Edwards' endorsement being the deciding factor.

There's the whole, who will win the battle to seat, or exclude the Florida and Michigan delegations.

There is also the massive influence of the super delegates in deciding the outcome.
They probably wield the most power of anybody to determine the eventual nominee, and something tells me they won't stand by and let Edwards be a king maker.

I have a very different perspective on what it means to hold a candidate accountable.
This is because for the first time in 25 years or so there has been no anointed candidate by the time my state's primary rolled around.

The most direct way I can hold someone to account for bad policies, and bad past voting history, is to deny them the nomination and attempt to block them by voting for their opponent.

I'm sure most of us are used to employing this strategy in the general election, but since we've got a dead heat here in the primaries, and since my vote will mean something this time, it only makes sense to me.

Since John Edwards won't be our next president, I'll do all I can to ensure that the Democratic nominee, is the one who I think has a better chance of beating McCain.

And if the winner turns out to NOT be that person, I'll STILL vote for them in the general election.

[jaybeat]

26. You also lose your chance to voice a preference bewteen BO and HC

At least, that's how Thom Hartman explained it. In most (all?) states, if a candidate doesn't receive 15% of the vote, then those votes are added to the votes of the candidate who got the most votes, when figuring out how to apportion the state's delegates.

So, if you vote for Edwards, but would prefer BO to HC (or the other way around), but HC wins the state, then your vote is counted as a vote for HC, when determining how many delegates she gets.

So, I guess, if you really are not decided between the two, or don't think there's much difference between them, then an Edwards vote might make sense. But unless 15% of your state's Democratic primary voters also vote for JE (unlikely, without any active campaigning, advertising, etc.), your vote won't help decide who gets your state's delegates.

<sigh>

[unapatriciated]

36. I voted for Edwards because

1. I had no preference for Clinton or Obama.
2. I do have a preference for Edwards message.


So to me my vote counted. I will vote Dem in the GE but until then it is my vote not the party's vote.

[earth mom]

27. K & R! nt

[Seabiscuit]

28. I was one of over 180K who proudly voted for Edwards in CA.

I also just gave you a 4th star on the Greatest Threads page. :)

[Brazenly Liberal]

29. Yup, that's why we voted for Edwards

And we feel great about it. Our votes were not wasted. Obama was a gimme in this state and, in fact, got 65% of the vote. We can live comfortably with him getting the nom. His candidacy and presidency would mean something important on their own. But our votes for Edwards sent a strong message. They said, "Yeah, we hear you two paying a lot of lip service to John and what he represents, but we're here to let you know we expect whichever one of you takes the oath a year from now to MEAN it and act on it. If not, we'll do what we can to see it's one and done for you."

[Elspeth]

30. kick from another Edwards fan

:kick:

[MaryRN]

31. K & R...Truth is truth. Neither candidate represents it.

[Gloria]

34. I have new found respect for OK--10% for Edwards!

and me in NM!

[unapatriciated]

37. both lame54 and I voted for Edwards in the Georgia primaries

[drmeow]

38. I voted for him in AZ

wish he'd gotten more of the votes :(

[troubleinwinter]

44. I did too!

[peacock]

39. I voted absentee for Edwards in TX

the day before yesterday. I would vote for JRE any day!

I will vote for whomever gets the Democratic Party´s nomination, but I voted for JRE in the TX primary because he is the candidate who best addresses my concerns. By doing so, I hope that he can continue to push our nominee to a more progressive platform.

[onehandle]

40. I'm not voting for Edwards anymore.

I voted for him yesterday.

:)

[pauldg0]

49. I'm not even voting for O or H.

Two empty heads...........

[vanbean]

41. Voted for him yesterday in nm

;)

[Haole Girl]

42. k&r

I'm tempted to do the same, but I only vote for candidates actually running. Still, I admire your convictions.

[Fox Mulder]

43. I voted for him in the MN caucus yesterday.

:)

[MissDeeds]

47. K & R

Kick for John Edwards! :kick:

[pjt7]

48. A protest vote is the last thing the democrats need (imo)

Get John to pick a team & a position inside that candidate & work towards beating the Republicans.

Divided you fall, together you prevail.