In Speech Endorsing Obama, Edwards Offers Effusive Praise Of Hillary
John Edwards' speech endorsing Obama, underway now in Grand Rapids, starts out on a very interesting note: Very lengthy and effusive praise of Hillary Clinton.
"I want to take a moment to say a word about my friend and your friend, Senator Hillary Clinton," Edwards said, eliciting scattered boos from the audience that Obama, sitting beside Edwards, quickly gestured for a stop to.
Edwards persisted, describing Hillary as a woman "of steel" who has reached her heights "not because of her husband, but because of what she has done," saying that Hillary has been a fighter for everything that everyone in that room believes in.
Tellingly, after pressing the point, Edwards ultimately succeeded in eliciting cheers on Hillary's behalf from the audience.
This suggests that Edwards clearly recognizes that a genuine gesture to Hillary supporters will be necessary to bring them into the fold if the party is going to be united -- and that he wants to be seen as a conciliatory figure, as a key promoter of party unity, even as he's choosing one of the two Dems.
More soon.
Comments (260)
He said that when the odds turned against Hillary she showed character, haha, well, I don't think he said "good" character, but she certainly did reveal something about her character.
May 14, 2008 6:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
Word up.
wonder what he's so damn scared of?
May 14, 2008 7:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, courage has'nt been the former Senator's strong suit this year.
May 14, 2008 9:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
Democratic Party to Hillary: IT'S OVER!
May 14, 2008 6:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
it's over, and VOTERS BE DAMNED !!!
(and f*k the states too!)
May 14, 2008 7:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
Voters be damned? Sorry, but Obama is ahead in the popular vote, even if you count every state. And Obama is ahead in pledged delegates, who are selected by voters.
May 14, 2008 8:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Clinton, Hillary Rodham 16,727,863 47.63%
Obama, Barack Hussein 16,710,233 47.58%
http://www.thegreenpapers.com/P08/D.phtml
To the popular vote victor SHOULD go the spoils.
I also think it's interesting that if you count Florida and Michigan, Hillary is behind by only 50 delegates. And yet somehow, for some reason, Obama is now being lionized and congratulated for disenfranchising millions of voters and losing the popular vote.
Misogyny? What else would you call it?
May 14, 2008 8:41 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Misogyny? What else would you call it?"
Um, the "rules". Although Obama does lead in the popular vote if you include MI/FL and caucus voters, the winner is determined by delegate count, where Obama leads as well. No way around it...Obama has won on every metric.
May 14, 2008 9:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
Total Popular Vote
Clinton, Hillary Rodham 16,727,863 47.63%
Obama, Barack Hussein 16,710,233 47.58%
http://www.thegreenpapers.com/P08/D.phtml
May 14, 2008 9:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
That's only true if you leave out all of the "Uncommitted" votes in Michigan. In other words, you're giving Senator Clinton votes when she had no viable opponent on the ballot and ignoring the response of the actual voters, who voted Uncommitted to signify their unhappiness with Clinton as a nominee. Holding Senator Obama's obediance to the directives of the DNC rules committee and Senator Clinton's violations of them against him and in favor of her is absolutely disgusting, not that it's unexpected at this point from Senator Clinton's supporters. Again, even if you include the weak "Uncommitted" voters in Michigan, Senator Obama is ahead in the popular vote. Stop lying, please.
May 14, 2008 9:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
You're the one who keeps lying, liar. There was no pledge to take their names off the Michigan ballot. Obama decided to do that on his own. That was his strategy. Then he illegally advertised and instructed his supporters to vote 'uncommitted.' But your misogyny is so huge that you blame Hillary even for the bungled strategy of Obama. Why don't we have do-over in states where Hillary's strategy fell short too? Why does only Obama get to disenfranchise voters? Why?
MISOGYNY - that's why!
But facts are still facts:
Total Popular Vote
Clinton, Hillary Rodham 16,727,863 47.63%
Obama, Barack Hussein 16,710,233 47.58%
http://www.thegreenpapers.com/P08/D.phtml
May 14, 2008 10:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
Love your avatar! Where can I get one?
May 14, 2008 10:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
Repeating it multiple times doesn't make it any more true.
May 14, 2008 10:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Citing my source is what makes it true. Citing nothing but your wishful thinking is what makes your opinion meaningless BS.
Total Popular Vote
Clinton, Hillary Rodham 16,727,863 47.63%
Obama, Barack Hussein 16,710,233 47.58%
http://www.thegreenpapers.com/P08/D.phtml
May 14, 2008 11:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
The source uses a flawed methodology. I could cite Olbermann, who is an NBC reporter, to counter you, but I don't think you deserve the effort.
May 14, 2008 11:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
Total Popular Vote
Clinton, Hillary Rodham 16,727,863 47.63%
Obama, Barack Hussein 16,710,233 47.58%
http://www.thegreenpapers.com/P08/D.phtml
May 14, 2008 11:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
Real Clear Politics:
Popular Vote Obama 49.3 million - Clinton 47.5 million = Obama +1.8
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/
May 15, 2008 12:21 AM | Reply | Permalink
Total Popular Vote
Clinton, Hillary Rodham 16,727,863 47.63%
Obama, Barack Hussein 16,710,233 47.58%
http://www.thegreenpapers.com/P08/D.phtml
May 15, 2008 2:01 AM | Reply | Permalink
I think we both know which of these 2 sites the superdelegates will trust more...
May 15, 2008 9:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
Total Popular Vote
Clinton, Hillary Rodham 16,727,863 47.63%
Obama, Barack Hussein 16,710,233 47.58%
http://www.thegreenpapers.com/P08/D.phtml
May 15, 2008 1:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
And the winner is:
Real Clear Politics:
Popular Vote Obama 49.3 million - Clinton 47.5 million = Obama +1.8
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/
May 15, 2008 6:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
TPM Golden Rule number 1
"Do NOT feed the Trolls!
May 15, 2008 8:21 AM | Reply | Permalink
But they're still his supporters, and if you're going to throw the rules adverse to Clinton out, why not any adverse to Obama?
May 14, 2008 11:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
Total yards gained: Hillary 168, Obama, 167
Total points: Obama 28, Hillary 17
May 15, 2008 2:21 AM | Reply | Permalink
rabbit,
How did you manage to respond directly to Present?
Some of us can't seem to make his "Reply" button to work. He has hacked the system somehow...
Are you using a Mac or a PC? I wonder how is it that you were able to post a comment attached to his.
Maybe I'll email TPM to make sure they are aware of Present's tricks.
May 14, 2008 9:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Why do you hate democracy?
May 14, 2008 8:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
Why do you hate enforcement of contracts? Clinton signed a pledge, and then broke it. She was the only candidate to campaign in FL (which she signed not to do) and the only candidate with her name on the ballot in MI, which make the voting in MI no more democratic than Iraq under Saddam.
May 14, 2008 9:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
#1 Hillary didn't break any pledge - Obama did. Obama cleverly paid for advertising in Northern Florida, claiming that it was directed at neighboring states. Hillary didn't come to Florida until after the polls had closed.
#2 Hillary didn't put her name on the ballot - the state of Michigan did. Obama took his name off the ballot and instructed his supporters to vote 'uncommitted,' which lost.
May 14, 2008 9:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
She held three rallies in Florida and justified her presence on the Michigan ballot by saying it wouldn't count!
And you now admit that all the voters who voted uncommitted were Obama supporters, so why do you use a count excluding voters who voted uncommitted?
May 14, 2008 9:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
#1 Hillary didn't hold any rallies in Florida until after the polls closed, so stop lying about it. Obama is the one who broke his pledge and spent advertising dollars in Florida.
#2 I never said that all the uncommitted were Obama supporters, I said that Obama instructed HIS supporters to vote 'uncommited.' He wanted to break his pledge and do some more illegal advertising and that was the only way he could get away with it. Unfortunately, his little scheme didn't work.
May 14, 2008 10:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Blah blah blah. Is there a reason we're still talking about this shit like it matters? It's over. Obama's FL ads were part of a national TV buy, from which you cannot just exclude 1 state. Hillary signed a pledge saying she wouldn't "campaign or participate" in the MI primary.
You can parse what "participate" means all you want, but the adults have a general election to get ready for.
May 14, 2008 10:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think you're confused - you must looking for Hitler's Fantasyland thread. This is the thread for people who love democracy and know that nobody is going to get the nomination until a candidate is nominated at the convention at Denver in August.
May 14, 2008 11:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think you hate the rule of law, namely contract law. A signature is a signature.
May 14, 2008 11:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm sure you must know what you're talking about because I don't. But if you're asking whether it's more important to honor a democratic election and count everyone's vote, more than it is to follow some stupid, ill-advised and dictatorial rules handed down from the 'Democratic' Party elites - then yes, it is infinitely more important to do the former.
May 15, 2008 12:00 AM | Reply | Permalink
D'oh! I wish you had told Clinton months ago that they were "stupid, ill-advised and dictatorial rules"! Surely, if she had known that in advance, she wouldn't have consented via her legally-binding signature to follow them. :-(
May 15, 2008 12:28 AM | Reply | Permalink
#1 Hillary didn't break any pledge - Obama did. Obama cleverly paid for advertising in Northern Florida, claiming that it was directed at neighboring states. Hillary didn't come to Florida until after the polls had closed.
#2 Hillary didn't put her name on the Michigan ballot - the state of Michigan did. Obama took his name off the ballot and instructed his supporters to vote 'uncommitted,' which lost.
#3 They only signed a pledge not to "campaign or participate" in the Michigan or Florida Democratic primaries. But they never promised to launch a campaign to disenfranchise the voters of Michigan and Florida. That's the doing of the fascist Team Obama, and it is shameful.
May 15, 2008 12:43 AM | Reply | Permalink
You still haven't directly answered my question: if the rules were bad, why did Clinton agree to them?
And of course the natural follow-up question is, why bother to agree to rules if you have no intention of following them?
The superdelegates are not stupid, they know this is not Soviet Russia. Elections have rules, and you follow them -- or you change the election rules beforehand. You can't have it both ways.
May 15, 2008 12:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
You're insane. Hillary never agreed to disenfranchise voters. That's Obama's fascist project. I piss on Howard Dean AND your fascist rules.
Long Live Democracy!
May 15, 2008 2:00 AM | Reply | Permalink
Long live the rule of law, not the rule of people, of Clinton. We've already explained that Obama could not have stopped those commercials, and having your name on the ballot is participating.
May 15, 2008 7:17 AM | Reply | Permalink
You just keep lying. If having your name on the ballot it participating than why did Obama have his name on the ballot in Florida? And as for your "rule of law" - Howard Dean is not the law and I piss on him and his fascist rules. Howard Dean is breaking the law by disenfranchising legal voters, and he should be prosecuted by the law and thrown into prison.
May 15, 2008 1:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
That remark shows a misunderstanding of the process. Political parties, by law, are free to set their own rules. So if Dean is merely following the DNC rules that both campaigns agreed on in advance, that is not breaking the law.
Oh, and you can't chastice posters like Phoebe yesterday for using "potty" language as you call it, and then use a word like "piss" yourself. No double standards (for bloggers or politicians)!
May 15, 2008 6:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
May 14, 2008 8:35 PM | Reply | Permalink
Booing bad, Obama supporters. Keep cool. It isn't about Hillary anymore. Think November. Keep the door open for Clinton supporters.
May 14, 2008 6:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree, part of me tingled, but yeah, you are on TV, don't boo. Not classy.
May 14, 2008 6:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Take your cue from Obama folks.
May 14, 2008 6:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
That should read "...Obama, folks." - note the comma. Different meaning.
May 14, 2008 6:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
isn't this the SECOND presidential run Edwards has lost?
PLUS he helped Kerry lose in '04?
My, my, his endorsement sure means a lot!
Let's see, other notables endorsing Barry:
Gary Hart, of the SS "Monkey Business",
Ted Kennedy, who swam away leaving his girlfriend to drown,
John Kerry, who let himself get swiftboated without a peep;
Bil Richardson, who owes his career to the man he stabbed in the back;
and every loser in this primary.
I can see why this upstanding bunch wouldn't want HRC as president.
May 14, 2008 7:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm still waiting for him to say as many nice things about Obama directly as he said about Hillary.
May 14, 2008 6:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
Unfortunately, it's Hillary that needs the platitudes at this point. She's the one that needs to be talked down from the ledge. Obama is fine.
May 14, 2008 7:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
67 - 28. that's quite a ledge.
BTW How much do you guys get paid for this?
May 14, 2008 7:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, I just figured out the "working class divide" Obama has. Edwards, a wealthy white son of a mill-worker turned lawyer can say something like "America is a bully" or "Guantanamo is a black mark for this country" or that "America is facing moral shame by failing it's poor" and get a bunch of cheers, while if the black guy with the funny sounding name says it, there's a certain group of people that start to look at him funny and wonder what team he's playing for. After all, that black guy had better be more than grateful for every opportunity that this country has seen fit to give to him, and any complaining just sounds...funny. And just where is his flag pin anyway.
Sometimes, it's not so much in the delivery as the deliverer. Too bad, but you can see that they're working on it as a campaign.
May 14, 2008 7:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
I believe the word you are looking for is "uppity," not "funny."
May 14, 2008 7:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
I didn't want to go there. I wanted to draw a picture of their mindset, but not too graphic a picture.
May 14, 2008 7:32 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think it would be nice if things were as simple as you seem to believe they are. Unfortuantely they are not. If Obama were talking about the issues you mention in the way you state it, people would respond, but he pretty much doesn't talk about them except in the most vague terms.
Like Dukakis and Kerry before him, Obama doesn't appear to "feel" it when he discusses the difficulties typical people face. Appear is the key word. Personally, I think it is not because he doesn't fully understand and empathize and care and so on. Like the other two, he intellectualizes far more than the average person and so while very concerned, doesn't convey that concern because he's just being too damn cerebral. He needs to change that or he'll have plenty of time to think about what went wrong back in the Senate.
May 14, 2008 7:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree with you about Obama being too cerebral and analytical, but that's just the way he is and he can't change even if he wanted to, which he doesn't.
May 14, 2008 8:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
He doesn't have to change. All he has to do is make it clear what he is feeling about the situation. It is in the inflection of a voice, the body language, etc... If he continues to be a robocandidate/brainiac constantly without letting people see that he feels what they feel he is going to suffer for it. It isn't even difficult to do.
Gore learned that lesson only after getting his ass handed to him after winning a nail biter. We cannot afford for Obama to be so hidebound that he is unable to demonstrate to regular people that he actually cares about them and understands what they are going through and in more than an academic way.
May 14, 2008 9:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
I guess that's why he packs those stadiums full of cheering crowds...all that dry cerebral stuff. The last thing America needs is a president who uses his brains. McCain 08!!!
May 14, 2008 9:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
He's able to pack stadiums because he's a much better writer than he is a speaker, making up for his impression.
May 14, 2008 9:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
He isn't packing stadiums full of people who aren't voting for him in places like West Virginia, etc... the point is you have to be open to legitimate and constructive criticism instead of fostering an atmosphere of groupthink where the leader cannot have any flaws or where he cannot and should not be improved.
Obama has glaring weaknesses in the electorate. Apart from having to overcome race, his weaknesses are quite similar to the weaknesses of other smart, intellectually inclined nominees in recent times---who have lost elections they should have won in part because they could not connect with lots of voters who they should have connected with. It isn't enough to appeal to the smartest people in the school for something like this: it is in large part a popularity contest based upon whether or not the annointed one understands the little people who vote and who decide the elections. People like us on this board are really not in play. Our votes are taken for granted. There isn't really any question about whether or not Obama will receive our votes. Our candidate has to have broader appeal in order to win in any Presidential contest, but especially this year. Not to admit it and work on improving our performance is stupid, arrogant and has been tried repeatedly in the past much to the chagrin of the brainy people who decided to take that path. They lost. I don't wanna see our guy lose this time.
May 15, 2008 12:18 AM | Reply | Permalink
O yeah - you have totally got it.
May 14, 2008 7:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
THIS...
May 14, 2008 7:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
IS
May 14, 2008 7:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
EXCELLENT
May 14, 2008 7:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
NEWS
May 14, 2008 7:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
FOR
May 14, 2008 7:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
HILLARY!!!!
May 14, 2008 7:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
!!!
May 14, 2008 7:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
NEWS,
May 14, 2008 7:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
NEWS
May 14, 2008 7:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
GREAT
May 14, 2008 7:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
I am brain dead today - completely. LOL!
May 14, 2008 7:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hey Edwards, you're LATE!
What are you angling for?
A cabinet position?
Interior, justice?
Veep?
Forget it you had your chance and you blew it.
Getting back at your wife?
What a bout those $400 dollar haircuts?
Snicker....
Hillary is toast....
Smear the butter and jam....
May 14, 2008 7:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Tena, we said we missed you on another thread...
Anyhow....as for the topic...yeah, that first five minutes as I posted somewhere else was nausiating.......Pat Buchanon is to on Msnbc.
Hillary showed character....puke!
May 14, 2008 7:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Aw thanks - missed all of you too.
Pat Buchanan said she showed character? Hell, that's like getting an endorsement from Zombie George Wallace.
May 14, 2008 7:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
coo..
Nah Edwards said that...Buchanon said that if hillary wins kentucky by a large margin this thing isnt over.......and the boys are picking on her.....you know...shit to keep her alive...lol
May 14, 2008 7:20 PM | Reply | Permalink
Pat is beside himself defending Hillary. He just doesn't know what to do.
May 14, 2008 7:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah kate....Im rolling over here......Matthews and Andrea Mitchell just laughed at something he said in such a pathetic way........Now this is news I can watch..fuuuunnnny!
May 14, 2008 7:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Gotalife - are you OK? I'm not seeing any posts.
I'm worried about you - call me.
May 14, 2008 7:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
You know, you have to wonder who would make a Christmas tree out of shit.
but not too much for too long - I'm not sure I want to know. ;)
May 14, 2008 7:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
Gotalife and I spent and entire weekend on this - he's truly a bullshit artist.
May 14, 2008 7:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
Tena, I see you still have'nt lost any of that sting..LOL
May 15, 2008 10:30 AM | Reply | Permalink
Totally noticeable, wasn't it?
Also, how was this an endorsement? Seemed like all he did was use Obama's microphone to babble on about his own platform and praise Hillary and oh, yeah, said he supports a president obama. Richardson's was a rousing endorsement.
May 14, 2008 7:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
The more effusive the praise, the more burnt the toast.
May 14, 2008 7:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's clear that we should not tempt the wrath of Zod.
May 14, 2008 7:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
I know nothing about High Lord Zod. Can you enlighten?
Although, I must say, his phrase, while cryptic, has multiple meanings. I will try to decipher.
May 14, 2008 7:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
Kneel before Zod!
May 14, 2008 8:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well done.
May 15, 2008 1:07 AM | Reply | Permalink
Way to comport yourselves in here Obama supporters! Nothing like sore winners. Pathetic. Sad. All of you. Barack Obama deserves better...he's a much bigger man...human...than you all. You small, small, small people.
May 14, 2008 7:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes loki....patronizing, thats the way to go...
May 14, 2008 7:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
You too.
May 14, 2008 7:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
Im just saying, play the guilt card to corner people into not showing how they feel...
May 14, 2008 7:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
True colors of the unhinged! heh-heh...like I said, pathetic.
May 14, 2008 7:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
Im trying to say you've been had.
It wont work because some of see past that game, no matter how you frame it. We know Thats a fake worm on that hook....
May 14, 2008 7:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
What I'm trying to say...pay close attention...is that you are a pathetic human being. It shows with each and every post.
A couple others have shown grace. You? Not so much. Be a man for chrisakes. An adult. A little less bitter. A lot less pathetic. You might live longer and healthier.
May 14, 2008 7:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
Just so you know...words have meaning...name calling you know....Too bad we are on the computer, if we were in person, I would whoop your ass for your name calling....
But so Im clear, I am gratious. Im just not going to let you diagram what gratious is....so for the third time, Im not going to play your game and argue with you about it.
May 14, 2008 7:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oohh. Tough guy! Oh...and not play the game? You already have/are. Talk about being had! Heh-heh.
And one last thing... G-r-a-c-i-o-u-s.
May 14, 2008 7:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
Not tough guy, just a Grown Man.....
Notice who is the only one calling people names here, and crying about civility. Others may let you prey off there trepidations, I however am comfortable enough with my stance on Hillary...and again you speak for your self.
May 14, 2008 7:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, threatening violence...that's another part of your "character" Obama would be proud of.
Pathetic.
May 14, 2008 8:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Your a Joke Loki...a hypocrite....be gone.
May 14, 2008 8:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
Are you going to beat me up if I stick around. You know how I love when you talk tough! Mmmmhhmmm! Love it!
May 14, 2008 8:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
More games.....something all Hillary supporters have in common,errrrr maybe DNA...
You understand our posts are in chronological order right.....nevermind....:)
May 14, 2008 8:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oh and one last thing Sean baby.