Edwards to drop out
John Edwards is expected to end his Presidential campaign this afternoon. He'll make the announcement in a speech in New Orleans, where he announced his candidacy last year. CNN reports that he is not dropping out due to his wife's health. He will endorse neither Obama not HIllary at this time.
Edwards came in a distance third (again) in Florida yesterday. He hasn't been able to break about 15% since his second place finish in Iowa. Edwards was also the only of the three major Democratic candidates to accept federal matching funds and has been at a considerable financial disadvantage. The overloading of next week's "Super" (or is it "stupid?") Tuesday primaries (22 states this time around) makes it particularly hard to mount and effective campaign with a so-limited coffer.
Edwards has cast himself as a liberal and themed his campaign around the concept of two Americas, promising to end poverty, rewrite the tax code, fix education, get out of Iraq, etc... [insert populism]. His other major theme seemed to be how he was wrong on everything in the past and regrets it (Iraq, bankruptcy bill, Yucca Mountain).
As a Louisianian, I've been thankful for his efforts to bring continuing attention to the struggles of New Orleans and other Corp of Engineers- and FEMA-ravaged communities. He called the Crescent City: "a living, breathing example of the heart of my message, what I'm talking about," Edwards said. "...it's the failure of government to be there when people need it. It's a perfect indication of the conditions of poverty that exist in America."
Edwards, drop out, new orleans, populism, regrets
