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Timing Is Everything (when seeking a cabinet post)

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May 15, 2008

On May 14, 2008, John Edwards stepped forward and endorsed Barack Obama as his choice for President.  This announcement came on the very day Hillary Clinton was celebrating a lopsided victory in West Virginia, a state with an abundance of residents who are too dumb to conceal their racism while being interviewed by television reporters.  The timing of Edwards’ announcement was carefully planned to upstage Hillary’s appearances on news programs to tout herself as “The Great White Hope”.  As the #3 candidate for the Democratic nomination, not only did Edwards steal her headlines, but with his own 19 pledged delegates, he basically negated Clinton’s 12-delegate advantage in the West Virginia primary.  (This assumes that at least 63% of Edwards’ pledged delegates will follow his request to support Obama.  At this point, five have agreed to do so.)  His endorsement of Obama will likely impact the decisions of some other superdelegates. He obviously timed his announcement to be an effective strike against the Clinton campaign and to curry favor with Obama for some reason.  What might that reason be?  Some speculate that he has his eyes on another shot at the Vice-Presidency.  Others have pointed out that as a lifelong admirer of Bobby Kennedy, he would like to be appointed Attorney General.  Indeed, he would be a good man to undo the damage to what is now called the Injustice Department, after the politicizing of that branch by Bush and Gonzalez managed to drive the nation’s top prosecutors into private practice.  The fact that Edwards was on a losing ticket in the last election wasn’t his fault.  It was Kerry’s election to lose.  (By the way: does anyone windsurf anymore?  With so many people kite-surfing now, the windsurfing craze seems to have gone the way of the leisure suit.)  Richard Wolffe of Newsweek has expressed the view that, having lost a debate to Dick Cheney (a non-attorney) Edwards will never get the opportunity to run as VP candidate again.  There is also the notion that having been on a defeated ticket, Edwards could bring a “loser stigma” to the current campaign.

On March 21, 2008, after abandoning his own bid for the Presidency, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson endorsed Barack Obama for President.  This announcement came by way of a press release, indicating that it went out at 3 a.m.  This was a direct rebuff to Hillary’s infamous “3 a.m. phone call” ad and was designed to pack a little sting.  Was this timing element designed to gain a few extra brownie points with Obama?  The fact that Bill Clinton went to New Mexico to watch the Super Bowl with Richardson and bring him on board with Hillary, made it extra painful for the Clinton camp.  After Richardson’s own 3 a.m. message to Hillary, many were speculating that he was vying for the Vice Presidential spot.  As former Energy Secretary and ambassador to the U.N. for Bill Clinton, Governor Richardson has all but guaranteed a cabinet position for himself in an Obama White House.  After what we have seen in West Virginia and other parts of rural America for the past few weeks, don’t expect to see Richardson named as the VP candidate.  The Democratic Party would have to worry about soundbite interview quotes from citizens, discussing how they could not support such a ticket because “them guys ain’t like us folk.  They’re too  … uh … different”.

We can expect another well-timed endorsement for Obama from whoever else is interested in the VP slot.  Will Ohio Governor Ted Strickland become Jim Carville’s next “Judas” and endorse Obama?  If he makes that announcement on the night before the Kentucky primary – watch out.  You could be looking at the ticket.

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