Edwards and Kucinich ???

[The Sushi Bandit]

from http://www.kucinich.us

"As part of my strategy in the Iowa caucuses, I worked out an arrangement with Senator Edwards that may have allowed each of us to pick up a few more delegates. Our supporters, of course, ultimately chose their own courses of action. But none were left with their only strategic choice being leaving their caucus and going home. John and I are friends and I wish him the best. But we have 49 states left to go, and we're each on our own."

What is your read on this?

[youngred]

1. thread number 4,000 on this topic

Kucinich went with a way to get himself some votes and get some votes to a candidate with similar views on the economy, education, health and class. He played a smart political move with the only candidate receptive to him and who didn't treat him poorly

[The Sushi Bandit]

2. IOWA CAUCUS STRATEGY EXPLANATION

from: http:www.kucinich.us

Caucus goers in Iowa precincts elect delegates to larger caucuses. In each precinct a certain percentage of the caucus goers must back a candidate in order to elect a delegate. The smallest percentage required in any caucus to elect a single delegate is 15 percent. This means that if 14 percent of the people in a caucus supported Kucinich, they elected zero delegates and accomplished nothing - unless supporters of another campaign moved into the Kucinich column.

Because of the way these caucuses work, campaigns can arrange to encourage their supporters in precincts where they do not reach the threshold to support another candidate. The Kucinich campaign may very well have been strong in some urban areas where Senator Edwards' campaign was not viable. Senator Edward's campaign may have been stronger in some rural areas where Kucinich's campaign was not viable. By encouraging voters in these particular precincts to go with each other's campaigns, both candidates hoped to, and probably did, emerge from Iowa stronger.

The Dennis Kucinich for President campaign focused on turning out Iowans to caucus for Kucinich. Senator John Edwards' campaign focused on turning out Iowans to caucus for Edwards. Neither campaign is dropping out or endorsing the other. The arrangement they worked out was only for Iowa, not for the other 49 states.

In precincts where one or both campaigns were not viable (did not have the minimum number of supporters to elect one delegate), the Kucinich and Edwards campaigns encouraged their supporters to join forces. In these precincts only, caucus goers in whichever of these two groups was smaller were asked to move to the other campaign. Ultimately, of course, this decision was up to each individual participant.

Congressman Kucinich and Senator Edwards are friends and share a positive and optimistic approach to this election.