My sympathies and message to all Edwards supporters.

Supporters of John Edwards,

I want to offer you my most sincere sympathy and support. Even though John Edwards was not my chosen candidate, I've admired him greatly. I have supported his message. After each triumph for Edwards, in many of the debates, I've offered my congratulatory remarks to you, and after each defeat I've sympathized with you.

I had hoped that this primary nomination process would come down to two people, John Edwards and Barack Obama. I've supported them both, and advocated for Edwards to stay in the race. His message is still important, and that was why I supported him, because he shined light on issues that our party and our country have left behind - issues that most would like to forget exist.

I believe that he has ultimately achieved a victory, though it may not seem like it today, he has managed to get both Obama and Clinton onto his message. Both Obama and Clinton have taken lines from Edwards, and even as I write they have both taken up his message.

Edwards had an uphill battle. He was shut out by the media, despite his great performances in most of the debates. He lacked the funds to properly get out his message. However, despite those two issues - things that would have crippled most candidates - he still managed to capture a large block of voters. He still managed to capture delegates. People still came to him, because he spoke to them - he cared about them.

I've been in your shoes before, so I have an idea of what you are going through. In 2004 I supported Howard Dean. I watched as he was unfairly butchered by the media. I watched as they distorted his message and ruined his reputation. I watched as his chances at receiving our nomination, let alone becoming President, went up in smoke. Howard is a good man, and even though the establishment - at the time controlled by the DLC - destroyed him, we came together and made him our chairman. We made him the head of the DNC and today he runs our national party. We have thrown out the DLC. He has proven that he is more than effective in that job.

I believe that we can do the same for John Edwards. His message is too important to be forgotten, too important to just be empty words, and I believe that there is still a place within our party for him. It may be as a Vice Presidential Candidate, it may be as a member of our nominees cabinet, it may be in Congress, or it may be somewhere else - but he deserves a place within our ranks. I want to work with the Edwards supporters here and everywhere else to ensure that those he represents are not forgotten.

Still, we cannot deny what is in front of us. Now that John Edwards has left the race, you have a great deal of power in this election. The race for our nomination is harshly fought between both Hillary and Obama and your vote will make a difference. Your participation in this process will make a difference. I know many of you want to give up. Some of you will refuse to vote at all in either the primary or the general election. I urge you to reconsider.

The fight was never about John Edwards. He was just the figurehead - the spokesman - what mattered were people like yourselves, without you Edwards might as well have stayed home and gave all his speeches to his wife, his children and family pets. No matter how bad you feel right now, our party will go on to choose a nominee and we will have a general election, and someone will take the White House. Do you want a voice in this process or not?

No one can replace John Edwards. I am not going to suggest a candidate to you, because I do not feel that it is my place. You need to make up your mind yourself. You should not let others influence your decision. You need to look at the issues, you need to look at voting records, and you need to look at candidates personality and ability to lead our party. You also need to look at our enemies.

We will likely face off against John McCain in the General Election. Who can take on McCain on the Iraq War, his strongest issue? Who has the best chance of defeating him? Who has the best chance of bringing out not only those within our party, but also those who have never voted before, and others who may cross over to our side? Who will demoralize the Republican Party and who will galvanize them into action? Moving forward, these are the questions you must ask yourself and many others.

You may be angry at John Edwards right now. You may feel betrayed. However, your vote was never a vote for John Edwards, just as my vote is not a vote for Barack Obama. It is a vote for myself. It is a vote for the future of our party and the future of our country. Your vote matters. To not vote, both now or in the general election, is to silence your voice. To give up a fundamental right that was hard fought and won. You owe it to yourself, your dreams and your ambitions to vote.

As I said, no one can replace John Edwards. However, it is up to you to make a strategic decision - your role is a critical one. Who best represents our party, moving forward, and who best represents our country? Who best speaks for your family, and who is closest to you on the issues? Who do you believe will work for you the most when they enter the White House? Ask yourself these questions, and the others above, and I implore you not to give up hope and to go out and vote.

I sincerely offer you my sympathies. I know what its like to have someone you believe in, someone you looked up to, drop out of a race. Do not let it discourage you, and do not let it defeat you. The hope and dream lives on so long as you continue to fight and make your voice heard. The day you go silent is the day it dies.

Best wishes, do not give up, and ultimately we will be victorious. :hug:

It's because it's all in past tense. Although, I guess there are some analogies to dying and losing a campaign. Sometimes the emotions you feel can be just as high as if someone had died. You invest so much of yourself in a campaign, that when it is over - and things haven't gone in your favor - you feel both depressed and angry. There is a grieving process involved. I know how I am going to feel if Obama doesn't win the nomination or the Presidency.

>>You may be angry at John Edwards right now. You may feel betrayed. However, your vote was never a vote for John Edwards, just as my vote is not a vote for Barack Obama. It is a vote for myself.

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Not a vote for John Edwards? That is exactly who I voted for the SC primary. And I voted that way because it WAS NOT a vote about me...

It was metaphorical. :eyes:

In other words: You should cast your vote for someone who represents you on the issues, best represents the party, and gives us the best chances in November. Among many other things. In that sense, it is a vote for yourself - your interests.

He wasn't my first choice, or even my second, or third. But all four have now gone belly up, before I even got to cast a vote. Obama is going down in flames, he doesn't have the vote of the Superdelegates, who are controlled by the DLC, unfortunately. So far, I haven't seen anything out of Hillary Clinton that would make me enthusiastic about voting for her.

As a note with the super delegates... well... that is an issue that is debatable. I think we are seeing a trend where the establishment is rallying around Obama. A good example are the Kennedy's. Ted is working hard to get more to endorse Obama.

A lot is going to be decided on February 5th. If Obama seems competitive he's still in the race. If he falls flat on his face, or loses momentum, the establishment will rally around Hillary.

Basically, what I am saying, we're dealing with politically opportunistic and fickle people. They are going to rally around whoever they think is going to win. Right now, it looks like Hillary has the best shot. However, if it looks like it is Obama, you'll see people switching their vote.

Once we have a clear front runner, you'll begin to notice the Super Delegates rally around that person, pushing them over the top.