Reply #34: You also missed that Kerry endorsed Obama, but praised HRC and Edwards

[karynnj]

as qualified to be President and said they would move the country in the right direction.

Read why Kerry said he endorsed Obama - it was because he would bring people together to jointly find solutions. Remember that Edwards said that both he and Obama were for change - he thought confrontation was needed - and said that Obama would negotiate. Kerry, the son of a diplomat, has always been on the negotiate side - not confrontation. Edwards' own words show that he is not what Kerry says is needed. (You can disagree and say Kerry is wrong - but, Kerry's view here is consistent with things he has always said.)

This is not a grudge - unless you are convinced that Kerry really thinks that Edwards would be a better candidate. I see no way to make that case - and picking him for VP doesn't mean he thought that - a VP is often chosen to balance the strengths of the President.

Not to mention that Edwards entire strategy depended on winning Iowa and he lost by 8 points to Obama. Edwards had already lost Iowa - where he spent a huge amount of time and he did poorly in NH when Kerry endorsed. I know YOU think Edwards the best candidate - but I, quite independent of anything related to Kerry didn't. At the point Kerry endorsed, there was not a single state where Edwards was polling ahead, he was a very clear third in national polls and he was not getting enough contributions to really run through SuperTuesday.

I have read and seen most things Kerry has said publicly about the Edwards - and he has NEVER said one negative thing. Kerry is a very disciplined person and obviously learned as a kid if you can't say something nice, say nothing. The best case you have is that he never praised him - but given the NYT story that directly quoted Edwards (Kerry was unavailable because he was in South Africa seeing the AIDS work that he and Frist wrote the legislation to pass) - he has reason to be angry. What you should take from that story is that Edwards - three years later doesn't get that he was wrong - he volunteered this as part of his criticism of Kerry's campaign.

Why is Kerry endorsing Obama "backstabbing", while Edwards' steady stream of attacks on the Kerry campaign acceptable? As the VP didn't he owe Kerry any loyalty?