Edwards Will Endorse Obama Today
Obama spokesperson Tommy Vietor confirms that Edwards will indeed endorse Obama today.
Edwards couldn't have picked a safer time to endorse -- he did it after it became obvious that the nomination was largely a foregone conclusion. And he did it after Obama lost big in West Virginia, among just the sort of voters Edwards is supposed to have sway among.
While it's true that his endorsement could make a difference in Kentucky, the fact that he waited this long -- and did it after dropping repeated public hints that he would stay neutral -- suggests that this was less than a profile in courage on Edwards' part.
Late Update: On the other hand, if the Obama campaign held this to roll out after the West Virginia loss, which seems probable, the timing in some ways was shrewd.
Late Update: Tracy Russo, the online suprema of the Edwards campaign (when it was in existence), weighs in with a few thoughts on the Edwards announcement, notably asking whether Edwards will end up campaigning for Obama between now and the end of the race. Take a look.
Late Update: The New York Times reports that Edwards had another reason for waiting so long before endorsing Obama: According to his aides, he was expecting Hillary to win, and wanted a position in the administration...
And he had another consideration: how to position himself for a job in the next president's administration. As Mr. Edwards saw it, aides said, Mrs. Clinton seemed to be more likely than Mr. Obama to win the nomination.
Edwards appeared to change his mind after Feb. 5th and Obama's subsequent victories, the paper reports, so this doesn't fully explain why Edwards waited until now.
Late Update: Here's the uncharacteristically lackluster and terse statement on Edwards' endorsement from Hillary campaign chair Terry McAuliffe:
"We respect John Edwards, but as the voters of West Virginia showed last night, this thing is far from over."
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