John Edwards Withdraws from Presidential Race

Senator John Edwards has withdrawn from the presidential race. He had run as the Vice Presidential nominee with Senator John Kerry in the previous presidential election. They were defeated by President Bush and Vice President Richard Cheney. During that campaign, Edwards sounded populist themes which would become much more prominent in his recent run for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Edwards was considered the most liberal of the viable candidates, though Dennis Kucinich had more liberal views, most notably advocating a single-payer health care system. Edwards' decision to run as a progressive is consistent with the rise of the more progressive wing of the Democratic party which has occurred during the Bush years following the defeats of moderate candidates Kerry and former Vice President Al Gore.

Though Edwards seemed to adroitly predict the mood of the Democratic party during the current nomination process, his candidacy was hindered by a number of factors. Both Senator Hillary Clinton and Senator Barack Obama have run campaigns promoting policies that are not as progressive as those of Edwards, but that are substantially more progressive than those pursued by the administration of former President Bill Clinton.

Further, he suffered from being a white male in a competition with the prospect of the first African American nominee from a major party and the first such nomination of a woman. His candidacy was met with disapproval by many pundits who complained that his campaign was to confrontational for a country that, in their judgment, has become too partisan.

Despite his strong pro-union rhetoric, he faced strong competition for union support from Clinton, who benefited from a superior organization and ties to unions dating back to the presidency of her husband. former President Bill Clinton. Also, the lack of a win in either a primary or a caucus made Edwards campaign seem somewhat quixotic.

Though the impact of his withdrawal remains to be seen, some trends are evident already. Firstly, it is clear that the Democratic party will nominate an establishment figure. Hillary Clinton, despite running to the left of ex-President Clinton, still represents the interest of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), the moderate to conservative group that rose to prominence in the Democratic party with the election of Bill Clinton. Members of the Kennedy family, including daughter of President John F. Kennedy, Caroline Kennedy, and her uncle, Senator Edward Kennedy, have endorsed Obama. This endorsement is notable because the Kennedy family has represented the more liberal part of the Democratic party, and Obama is arguably the most conservative candidate for the nomination as he was the only candidate against individual mandates in his plan for universal health care.

Edwards' departure from the race could presage a movement to the right by both Obama and Clinton. Both candidates seemed to propose more liberal polices only in response to Edward's proposals. The remaining candidates may want to start positioning themselves to attract independent and conservative voters in the general election.