The day after Hillary Clinton trounced Obama in West Virginia (41 points!), John Edwards decided (with a little help from Axelrod) that it was time to accede to the wishes of the party elders and endorse Obama. Harry and Louise will be overjoyed.
The timing was meant to unify exactly who? Because the timing was, in fact, a snide and divisive tactic, the kind of tactic one would expect from an inconsiderate bully. But we're so glad that Mr. Hope is practicing the New Politics.
On cue, as John Edwards addressed the crowd, Obama's supporters were accorded their usual Two Minutes Hate ritual as they erupted into angry loud boos at the name of their most mortal and hateful enemy, Hillary Clinton.
Gawker's take:
The timing of the endorsement certainly shouldn't improve Edwards' reputation as a slick, ambulance-chasing lawyer. He waited until the Democratic presidential hopeful had a virtual lock on the nomination, but not so long that his endorsement would be totally useless. Thus, he preserved the chance to be a part of Hillary Clinton's cabinet for as long as that looked possible, but still managed to score some points with Obama.
Or as Edwards' aides admit, the man wants a job, vice president, attorney general, cabinet position, but first, Edwards must pose for some working-class Kentucky tv ads. I suppose an endorsement of Hillary by Elizabeth Edwards is too much to hope for. Do the wives of politicians ever speak their own minds?
Photo of Obama as Messiah from an actual Oregon newspaper endorsement! Update: Okay, so it appears to be satire but who can tell in these pigs-flying days? Speaking of Oregon, Obama ads are reportedly running at a rate of 4 per hour.
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