Edwards Endorses Obama
Former rival John Edwards endorsed Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination last evening.
The annoucement came at an Obama campaign appearance in Grand Rapids, Mich. According to a Bloomberg.com report, Edwards said Obama is the candidate who can unite Democrats for the ``fight of our lives'' in the November election.
"Edwards is a prominent Democrat who speaks on behalf of lunch bucket-carrying, hard hat-wearing, Dunkin' Donut-eating Democrats,'' said Chris Lehane, a Democratic strategist who worked on Al Gore's 2000 presidential campaign. Lehane told Bloomberg.com that Edwards can help Obama "counter the story line on whether he can or cannot win those particular voters."
From a practical standpoint, the endorsement means that the 19 pledged delegates won by Edwards in primaries earlier this year will likely go to Obama.
Citing an Associated Press count, the report said Obama leads Hillary Clinton in pledged delegates 1,598 to 1,446. Among superdelegates, Obama has the support of 289, compared with 275 for Clinton, according to lists and announcements from both campaigns.
Bloomberg.com reported that Obama is within 150 delegates of securing the 2,026 needed to clinch the Democratic nomination.
John Edwards' endorsement does not include the endorsement of his wife, Elizabeth, who has said she prefers Clinton's health care proposals over Obama's.