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Thursday 24 July 2008

With Edwards going for Obama, another door closes for Hillary

John Edwards endorsing Barack Obama is another sign that this Democratic race—barring some political earthquake—is over. A possible Edwards endorsement had been one of those potentially game-changing events that Clinton supporters have clung to as they looked for ways to come from behind. But less than 24 hours after her big win in West Virginia, Edwards has thrown his weight behind Obama. (His wife, though, notably hasn’t.)

Edwards has had a significant impact on this race. He has dragged the field leftwards on both trade and Iraq while his commitment to fighting poverty has pushed the issue up the agenda. During the primary process, Edwards was scathing about Hillary. But towards the end, he seemed to come round more to Hillary’s way of thinking.

Ironically, Obama might have wrapped this whole thing up much faster if it hadn’t been for Edwards. During the final Democratic debate in New Hampshire, at a time when the Clinton campaign was on the ropes following Obama’s in Iowa and their third place finish, Edwards joined Obama in tag-teaming Hillary. It was the sight of these two males going after Hillary so hard that triggered the female backlash that propelled her to a surprise win there.

There will now, inevitably be, speculation about a possible Obama-Edwards ticket. Superficially, the idea is appealing. A Mid-Westerner and a Southerner is a geographically balanced ticket while pairing Obama with a Southern male would emphasise the extent to which an Obama presidency would help America move past its racial issues. But one of the big criticisms of Obama is going to be his thin legislative record and lack of executive and national security experience. Edwards would do nothing to address these weaknesses.

PS If Obama is to unify the Democratic party once this race is done, then his supporters are going to have to learn to be a bit more magnanimous. Their booing when John Edwards began to pay tribute to Hillary is hardly going to encourage Hillary and her supporters to bury the hatchet once this is over.

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