Will this Obama & McClurkin fiasco be a boost for Edwards?

[NobleCynic]

Obama has landed himself in a whole mess of trouble with this latest McClurkin fiasco. It truly is sad, because his only real hope of overthrowing the anointed Hillary was a surge of support from the die hard supporters, the left wing of the Democratic Party and the activist core. He entered into the national spotlight after giving a truly moving antiwar speech in 2004. A surge of support from the left has brought Obama to where he is today. But oversights like this may cripple his campaign. Playing up to the far right and the bigoted might be a valid, if shortsighted, general election tactic. But to emphasize, this is not a general election. Yet. Obama has to win in the primary before he can be concerned about the general election. Hillary already has the centrist/right wing of the Democratic Party solidly in her camp. His only hope is to stake out a solid following in the left. This isn't helping. The truth of the matter is that in order to take the primary, Obama has to hedge out Edwards.

However, missteps like this make it more likely that the reverse will happen. Hillary will take the centrist and right Democrats. Edwards will take the left. Obama is left without a solid constituency. The question here is whether or not Edwards can capitalize on this mistake well enough to usurp the anybody but Hillary and left wing supporters of Obama.

The next move Edwards takes here should be fairly simple. The push to take out Hillary has to come from the left of the party. Obama is rapidly losing support on the left for pandering like this. Edwards needs to take this opportunity and make it clear that he will have the best chance to knock out Hillary. Believing that to defeat Hillary, you have to push yourself farther right than her is the same kind of self-destructive behavior that got us the Rahm Emanuels and other Republican-lite corporatists. It also ignores that the centrists are Hillary's strongest supporters. The anybody but Hillary camp needs to coalesce around Edwards. But can he get that message through?

[Bluebear]

1. The message is becoming clearer in New Hampshire, at least.

I won't vote for Hillary, Obama is now off my list so I think Edwards it is.

[NobleCynic]

2. Considering how Obama got his start

his fear of being seen as left irks me. It's primary season, you're supposed to play to the base. Our candidates pushing center before the general makes me concerned. Just look at the Republican candidates. They're playing it up to the base every way the can.

I am disappointed Edwards pulled his campaign staff out of the Nevada caucus though. He better do well in New Hampshire and Iowa.

[zalinda]

3. Hey, he doesn't have the big money

he has to spend his money wisely. He's not getting the press the other 2 are, so he's on his own. He even got bumped off the Ellen show because of a dog. But, I have never seen a guy work so hard for the nomination in my life. Damn, he's even going to high school's to talk, do you think our other 2 front runners would do that? I'd say, for not getting the big money, he's doing a hell of a job. If he can pull this off, I think he could rival JFK as greatest dem President. He certainly does want this.

zalinda

[NobleCynic]

4. I know that

Can't help but be disappointed though. It is an uphill battle, and Nevada doesn't yet have the prominence of New Hampshire and Iowa. Limited resources have to be spent wisely.