It's been an uphill climb all the way: And today, John Edwards signaled he's done.

Outspent by his opponents and crowded out of the media spotlight by the drama of the Clinton/Obama rivalry, the former senator from North Carolina calls it quits atoday at a New Orleans event billed as a speech on poverty.

Edwards has not won a single contest in the Democratic race for president, and lags behind front-runners Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton in public opinion polls.

Today, he's headed to New Orleans with his wife and three children for an appearance at the city's Musicians' Village, a Habitat for Humanity project providing housing for the city's displaced artists and performers.

New Orleans, the glaring symbol of how the poor have been marginalized in America over the past eight years, is a fitting place for Edwards to end his campaign for the presidency pegged to economic justice.

The Associated Press is reporting Edwards will not immediately endorse either candidate in what is now a two-person race. But now, all speculation will be on who he'll throw his support to. Given the levels of hostility between the Clinton and Obama camps, not only has the race lost a strong progressive voice, but a person of civility and passion.

Thanks, John.

Comments (9)

1. "Outspent and outshone in the media by Obama and Clinton..."

   MIKE HUCKABEE was "outspent and outshone by Romney"...and still won Iowa.

   Edwards had been living there for a year (had been there a mere 4 years early in 2003). He probably could name every man, woman, and child in Riverside and Ottumwa.

   He lost.

   The excuse is "the Media ignored him" or "he didn't have enough money". The MISSING part of that is that he was better known in Iowa than Obama was by miles...and again, Huckabee didn't have 1/10th the cash that Romney dumped in there.

   How about this theory....there was nothing that appealing about Edwards? His new "Populist John" was either not believed (given his previous votes and stances) or Dem voters in majority simply aren't as populist as the Edwards people think or thought?

   Posted by Mask at 01/30/2008 @ 10:38am

2. Thank you, John Edwards, for your courage, grace & honesty. Obama hit the right points squarely in his message to you.

   Now, Jimmy Carter, time for you to arise, before your endorsement has less meaning. Back Obama now.

   Posted by sloper at 01/30/2008 @ 11:39am

3. Edwards got squeezed out by:

   1) Hillary - the pro, the standard bearer, swimming in cash and

   2) Obama - a real phenomenon that Hillary (let alone Edwards) might not be able to stop ...

   ... Edwards' populist appeal does indeed resonate with a lot of Dems ... like I said, he got squeezed out this time.

   As for Huckabee: sure he won Iowa, and hasn't done anything since then. His base is way too narrow.

   So it's a 4-person race, eh?

   McCain-Clinton - (probable)

   McCain-Obama - (possible)

   Anything with Romney in it - (unlikely) ...

   Posted by EnviroVarmint at 01/30/2008 @ 11:59am

4. Mask,

   Please retire your moldy cadaver of an analogy. Romney was super rich but the least popular of the candidates, so Huckabee tapped into rural voters dissatisfied with all the other Republicans, in a state where intimate encounters leveled out the field some. Edwards was up against the most popular media-constructed political figure since JFK, who also had raised more money (along with the other super celeb Clinton) from corporations than anyone in political history, and outspent Edwards heavily. Obama has received by far the vast majority of favorable media coverage. Edwards was blacked out--except for the month of March when the media focused on his wife's cancer, or the pestering as to when he'd finally quit.

   Posted by Oustbush at 01/30/2008 @ 12:00pm

5. Does this mean I get my campaign contribution back?

   :)

   Posted by FritztheCat at 01/30/2008 @ 12:05pm

6. Posted by OUSTBUSH 01/30/2008 @ 12:00pm

   There is no EXCUSE (and that's the word, not "reason") for John Edwards losing, that can't be countered with SOMEBODY winning and having the same "strike" against them.

   Not just Huckabee...look at McCAIN. His campaign (even I thought) was declared DEAD just 4 months ago....and he's now the likely GOP nominee with Limbaugh and Fox pissed as hell about it.

   John Edwards and his message was not popular with the Democratic voters. Anything else is rationalizations by people who don't like to think that THEIR ideology isn't the majority view.

   Posted by Mask at 01/30/2008 @ 12:27pm

7. Does this mean I get my campaign contribution back? :)

   Posted by FRITZTHECAT 01/30/2008 @ 12:05pm

   already spent on mousse. ;o]

   Posted by frosty zoom at 01/30/2008 @ 12:30pm

8. > > already spent on mousse. ;o]

   And don't forget frivolous lawsuits over corporate malfeasance. Those darn trial lawyers, they're destroying a perfectly rigged legal system.

   Posted by cyrano at 01/30/2008 @ 1:12pm

9. Posted by CYRANO 01/30/2008 @ 1:12pm

   hey, don't be nosey.

   Posted by frosty zoom at 01/30/2008 @ 2:08pm