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Edwards to Drop Out of Race
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ShareJanuary 30, 2008 9:11 AM
ABC News' Raelyn Johnson and Ed O'Keefe Report: Former senator John Edwards, D-N.C., will drop out of the Democratic presidential race on Wednesday.
"It just became clear it wasn't going to happen," as senior Edwards advisor tells ABC News.
Edwards, who ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination in 2004 then joined Senator John Kerry, D-Mass., as his vice presidential candidate, had placed poorly in several early contests,lagging behind rivals Senator Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and Senator Barack Obama, D-Ill.
The former North Carolina senator will end his bid during a speech on poverty in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he began his White House campaign in December 2006. His family, including wife Elizabeth, who is battling a recurrence of cancer and has been absent from the campaign trail since New Hampshire, is expected to be present.
Edwards fought an uphill battle for the Democratic nomination, with a campaign focused on fighting poverty, uplifting the working middle class and guaranteeing universal healthcare for all Americans.
After being shut out of contests in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and his home state of South Carolina, Edwards was forced to defend continuing his campaign.
"I am in this through the convention and the White House," said Edwards in a recent interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos.
Those words became a standard line of defense.
But news of a decision to drop out of the race ends speculation that Edwards was aiming to be a kingmaker at the convention by collecting a significant amount of delegates to be able to have a say in who would become his party's nominee.
What Edwards lacked wins, he made up for in compassion. His populist message played well with working middle class families. He often touted himself as the candidate from rural America who inherently best understood issues facing rural voters.
His campaign almost came to a screeching halt last March when it was revealed his wife Elizabeth Edwards had suffered a reoccurrence of cancer. This time it was incurable but together they vowed to continue the campaign.
Edwards also struggled to match the message with the man at times.
His campaign paid for two $400 dollar haircuts, an instant source of mockery from rivals and the late night comics. In the interim between his first and second bids, Edwards also took a consultant job with the hedge fund Fortress Investment Group, earning close to a half a million dollar salary. While Edwards was employed, a sub prime lending division of Fortress moved to foreclose on homes of Katrina victims.
Edwards was able to hold on to a key group of voters: union members. He was endorsed by several state chapters of the nation's largest healthcare union, the Service Employees International Union as well as the Carpenters and Steelworkers.
Edwards has not publicly said who he will throw his support behind, though he has had private conversations with both Clinton and Obama in recent days.
In a recent interview with ABC News' David Muir, Edwards adamantly shot down any desire to again be a vice presidential candidate.
ABC News' Rick Klein contributed to this report.
January 30, 2008 in Clinton, Hillary | Permalink | User Comments (103)
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Here's hoping he throws his support behind Hillary, the only realistic candidate for President.
Posted by: Dee | Jan 30, 2008 9:18:22 AM
That's too bad, I liked him and would hope someone will pick him for their running mate.
Posted by: TimTom | Jan 30, 2008 9:20:43 AM
I am very sad to read of John Edwards dropping out. He is the one who could lead our great country into a state of healing. I was so hoping that super Tuesday would jet him into being the Democratic front runner.
If he could only hear my plea to stay in the race for all of us. What a loss.
Posted by: Sandra Walker | Jan 30, 2008 9:21:24 AM
Now that anti-Hillary vote won't be split, she should run for cover!! This is very bad news for Billary.
Posted by: Richard, Memphis, TN | Jan 30, 2008 9:21:42 AM
So, where do the Edwards voters go on Super Tuesday? Based on demos, it would seem more would trend to Obama, but would it be enough to stop the Clinton organization? When will new polls come out for Super T?
Posted by: Kevin | Jan 30, 2008 9:21:44 AM
Edwards supporting Hilarious? Any viable Democratic candidate supporting Hilarious? Hardly!! The best she can hope for is her husband agreeing to run with her as Vice-President, which is shockingly allowed under the 22nd Amendment. Can you imagine?! ANOTHER 4 YEARS OF CLINTON IN THE WHITE HOUSE?? That'd be nothing short of a national SitCom!!
Posted by: NamakoOH3 | Jan 30, 2008 9:22:28 AM
John Edwards exemplifies what is good in America and a champion for the downtrodden. We will not forget you John!
Posted by: DA | Jan 30, 2008 9:22:54 AM
With the animosity between Hillary and both Edwards and Obama, I suspect it's unlikely he'll endorse her. He hit it right on the head in the NH debate when he said, "She never went on the attack like this when she was ahead." He was right, and hopefully he won't compromise his integrity by supporting her venomous campaign.
Posted by: Jim | Jan 30, 2008 9:23:05 AM
I am sad to see John Edwards drop out. I live in wisconsin and didn't even get a chance to vote yet and he was the one I was going for. Now I am stuck looking at all the other people who are to busy putting each other down in stead of really talking about the plans they have for the country. We are at war how are you going to stop it. I don't care who voted for it or against it, we are there and now we need to look at the next step. I would hope John Edwards will maybe at least get a pick for vice pres.
Posted by: vanessa | Jan 30, 2008 9:23:47 AM
I agree Dee, it looks as though it is still a man's world. Obama has NO foreign policy experience, no experience really, yet people who hate to see a woman in office will vote for him. It's a world continuing to go mad. Absolutely NOTHING will ever surprise me again after these last horrific seven years.
Posted by: Mary | Jan 30, 2008 9:24:48 AM
Thank Goodness and good riddance. I think he realized he was becoming an embarrassment. All he was doing was blocking Obama and letting Billary run free.
Posted by: Richard, Memphis, TN | Jan 30, 2008 9:25:16 AM
What a shame... I believe he would have been a great candidate against the opposition... Now we are forced to go with either Obobo or Billary!! YIKES!!
Posted by: zee | Jan 30, 2008 9:26:43 AM
quit whining, mary--you sound like hillary.
Posted by: obamapublican | Jan 30, 2008 9:27:49 AM
Hopefully his voters go for Barack. Billary will only help out the baby boomers when elected, while us young folk get caught paying their bills. I am not sure if I can take another 8 years of wild Bill.
Get some guts and vote for Spock Obama!
Posted by: Greg McDonald | Jan 30, 2008 9:28:24 AM
Mary, people like you hiding behind gender actually hurt other women. We are not against a woman president. Only this witch. Get it??? or like one comedian said, "women win arguments because they don't need to make sense"??
Posted by: Richard, Memphis, TN | Jan 30, 2008 9:29:22 AM
No offense, Mary, but your candidate Hillary is the candidate with no viable experience. She was MARRIED to the president for 8 years. Hello! That's not experience. Warren Christopher and Madeline Albright were the face of foreign policy during the Clinton years, not Hillary. With his time in the Illinois legislature, Obama has just as much legislative experience as Hillary. And the best part - you can trust him.
Posted by: Jim | Jan 30, 2008 9:32:11 AM
Mary - Despite your sensitivity, the FL exit polls showed 18% felt U.S. not ready for female President and 28% felt not ready for an African-American. You're bemoaning the wrong bias. Compare the number of female governors, senators, etc. to the number of black legislators. Even the Speaker is a woman. The "glass ceiling" is really more of an awning at this point. Argue the experience factor if you want, but not the sexism.
Posted by: Kevin | Jan 30, 2008 9:33:12 AM
Edwards ran a great campaign. The media ignored his message and the important issues for our country, instead concentrating on nonsense, building a myth about Obama and spinning as much anti-Clinton venom they could muster. Edwards should have a key role in a new Democratic admin, if he'd be interested.Best wishes to Elizabeth Edwards for a long healthy life--she's amazing.
Posted by: PM | Jan 30, 2008 9:33:36 AM
The choice now: Republican or DLC Republican-lite. Government of, for, and by the Corporations.
Posted by: Robert Powell | Jan 30, 2008 9:33:44 AM
It's about time he realized he wasn't going to win. Now when is Huckabee going to do the same? I hope Edwards backs Hillary, & Not Obama!
But Seriously, I think he was bought out by Obama! They did meet & talk, it was even mentioned on the news last night! NOW WE WILL SEE WHO HE BACKS!
It all sounded pretty crooked to me, when I heard comments made on the news!
Posted by: Kathleen | Jan 30, 2008 9:34:05 AM
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