As the February 5 primaries approach, ABC News reminds us that battle isn't likely to be over even after 23 states vote that day. "Unlike November's winner-take-all system of electoral votes, Super Tuesday, the Feb. 5 nationwide battle for delegates, is largely proportional and allows multiple candidates within each party to win large swaths of delegates... It is no surprise, given a crowded field and competitive races on both sides that a candidate may not have collected enough delegates to secure the nomination by Feb. 5."
That's a major reason why John Edwards pledges to campaign all the way until the convention. He can still pick up many delegates.
Meanwhile, an aide to Edwards tells The Note that the campaign "is having a high-level meeting on Wednesday to plot Feb. 5 strategy, with
targets including California (by far the most delegate-rich state), Oklahoma, Kansas, North Dakota, Missouri, and Tennessee. It’s either pick up enough delegates to play kingmaker, or hope the dynamics change sufficiently for Edwards to get back in the game."
http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/01/23/edwards_plots_delegate_strategy.html