Edwards endorses Obama

Posted: Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:20 PM by Domenico Montanaro
Filed Under: Lee Cowan

From NBC's Lee Cowan
NBC NEWS has confirmed that John Edwards will endorse Sen. Barack Obama. Obama's event in Grand Rapids, Mich., is scheduled to begin at 6:15pET, notes NBC's Mark Hudspeth. Obama is expected to introduce Edwards at the event. [UPDATE: "Realistically," Obama is likely taking the stage at 6:35 p.m.]

NBC’s Domenico Montanaro adds...
Edwards has 18 pledged delegates, according to the NBC NEWS count.

Even if all of those people voted for Obama, and there's no guarantee they would, it wouldn't quite give Obama a majority in pledged delegates, but it would get him close. Edwards' people are really loyal and might not vote for Obama or Hillary or whoever -- even if Edwards tells them to.

Here's the math...

- The total number for DNC is 4,051 (as number needed is 2,026).
- There are 797 superdelegates.
- So 3,254 total possible pledged delegates
- Therefore, 1,627 is the number needed for majority.
- Obama has 1,599 pledged delegates.
- So that would mean he needs 28 pledged delegates for a majority.
- Edwards' 18 -- even if they all voted for Obama -- would leave the Illinois senator 10 short.
- That's a number Obama would certainly pick up May 20th. Between the contests in Kentucky and Oregon there are a total of 103 delegates are at stake.

(NOTE: Edwards got 7% last night in West Virginia.)

*** UPDATE *** NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports that NBC NEWS has learned that Edwards called Clinton to give her advance notice of his impending endorsement.

One source close to Clinton pointed out "unlike Bill Richardson," reflecting the better relations she has always enjoyed with Edwards. [UPDATE: The source was actually referencing that Richardson didn't call BILL Clinton. Hillary and Richardson had a "tense" conversation. The Clinton camp will not forgive Richardson for not calling Bill Clinton to give him a heads up of his Obama endorsement -- after promising he wouldnt endorse.]

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Comments

YAY for the "Fill in the blank candidate"

thanks JohnBoy (Sent Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:39 PM)

To "The Truth Hurts",

It really hurts in PR where their votes mean almost nothing because they can't vote in the general unless they fly to NYC, Miami, LA, or Chicago - and register there. They have no electoral college votes, so the PR vote is purely cosmetic. With BO in the White House this might change. PR voters should have full citizens' rights or we should cut them loose. Their choice, our obligation.

Gunnar,Salem, Oregon (Sent Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:39 PM)

THIS GUY DOMENICO IS MAD ABOUT SEN OBAMA GETTING SEN EDWARDS DELEGALES LOOK JUST REPORT THE NEWS DON'T THROW YOUR TWO CENTS IN THE MIX IT IS NOT HELP.YOU PEOPLE ARE THE WORSE.

SANDRA (Sent Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:39 PM)

Guess he didn't want to sing with the fat lady....

Jules (Sent Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:39 PM)

This is fantastic news, the party needs to come together around Barack and it will. I have always felt the healthcare mandate aside John Edwards was far more like Barack Obama than Clinton. Mostly I think they share a class and a grace that Hillary Clintons Ego does not allow for. I can not wait to watch the speech and all of the replays.

Dianna - Owasso, Oklahoma (Sent Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:39 PM)

YEEEEEEHAWWWWWW!!!!!!!

fortuna, Houston, TX (Sent Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:39 PM)

Does patty,sd,ca just post the same thing no matter what the context is?

Rich, Pittsburgh PA (Sent Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:40 PM)

Two comments -

1) 1,627 is half, not the majority
2) even though Edwards got 7% of the WV vote, I thought the delegates were apportioned only to Clinton and Obama 20/8, so there'd be no additional pickup

Still happy!

ujw, ny (Sent Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:40 PM)

HEY PATTY:

Even Hillary said it would be a "terrible mistake" to pick McCain over Obama. You wouldn't defy your BFF Hillary would you? Or are you really that narrow minded??

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/05/14/clinton/index.html

Reality Check (Sent Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:40 PM)

John Edwards would make an excellent attorney general.

N. Parr (Sent Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:40 PM)

It's over! Obama has won the nomination WHY do you pundits keep on helping the Clinton and Mc Cain campaigns play the race card?Please if you really are the eyes and ears of the American people than stop helping this all together UN-AMERICAN reporting!

Gordon Surrette, Worcester, Ma (Sent Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:40 PM)

rove vs wade? Really, patty? Who's the Republican?

fortuna, Houston, TX (Sent Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:40 PM)

Yes! Thank you Sen. Edwards.

Bruce, Madison, Wis. (Sent Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:41 PM)

Hey Chuck, you haven't counted the OK superdelegate (Mike Morgan) that just endorsed Obama. Please announce and update your totals, thanks!

KP, California (Sent Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:41 PM)

Oh Yeah, Welcome John Edwards to the winning ticket. Edwards endorsing Obama is far better than a win in WVA. I'm sure glad that the Edwards supporters that voted yesterday were actually voting for Obama now that we have Edwards endorsing Obama.

Go Obama 08/12!

Eric, Salinas, CA (Sent Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:42 PM)

Edwards merely waited on who will win so he can be in the VP ticket. And will definitely run once Obama is finished in the White House.

Hey, if you can't win the nomination, get a free ride. Goes to show just keep trying...does his wife agree?

Dan (Sent Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:42 PM)

More likely he was waiting for the better cabinet position. I remember hearing something about a poverty czar in the Obama White House???
Margaret, Columbus, Ohio (Sent Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:30 PM)

Uhhh...that was YOUR girl, Hil-liar-y, pandering to Edwards to get his endorsement when SDs still mattered to her.

MI Chick (Sent Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:42 PM)

that drip is now a SPLAT!!

Hillary is done, stick a fork in her. As for Puerto Rico...

yeah, popular vote? They don't count in the general... the DNC will laugh when McAuliffe tries to bring that up.

She got spanked. What did her in, they thought they would have the nomination wrapped up after Super Tuesday and he stomped Hillary in winning 12 contests in a row.

ya know (Sent Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:43 PM)

To patty,sd,ca

Clinton Republicans for McCain.

McCain 08

Obama supporters please stop the fear mongering about the Supreme court and rove vs wade being overturned.

It only makes you look Republican.

******************************************************

It's Rowe vs Wade, Rove is somebody else...

ujw, ny (Sent Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:43 PM)

Edwards just drove a stake into the Clintons' campaign.

A hollow victory yesterday.

Gobama

BobE, Buffalo Grove, Illinois (Sent Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:43 PM)

Edwards for AG, not VP. His talents are in the courts. That is where he can help us.

Sebelius for VP
Edwards AG
Richardson Sec. of State
Webb Sec. of Defense

Besides we have to continue the trend of having candidates that have names that no one can spell or pronounce. That is America.

My name is Gunnar Bjorn (mis-spelled and mis-pronounced in multiple ways throughout my lifetime) and I endorsed this message.

Gunnar,Salem, Oregon (Sent Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:44 PM)

Patty,sd,ca why are you even posting on dem party stories? You have just declared yourself a McCain Republican, go over to the right wing web sites and blather on over there.

MK, Los Angeles, CA (Sent Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:44 PM)

Really--what is going on here? No sooner do I see the headline that Edwards is endorsing Obama, and then comes an email from none other than John Edwards. He is asking for contribution for some charity giving scholarships to students in North Carolina. At the bottom of the email, it says "Paid for by John Edwards for President." Can somebody please tell me what's going on?

Karen, Newtown, CT (Sent Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:45 PM)

John Edwards, Awesome!!

Obama 08

Lisa in WA St. (Sent Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:45 PM)

I am sooooooooo disappointed in Edwards. How hypocritical of him. If he wanted to endorse Obama, he should have announced his decision prior to North Carolinas primary. What he just did, and I might say with intent----was to intentionally minimize Hillary’s overwhelming win in WA. He is playing politics---as usually do to suit his needs. I respected Edwards for his work on behalf of the middle class, however I see now, he’d rather pad his own personal political aspirations rather than stand by his principals, how very appauling.

Mary (Sent Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:45 PM)

Time has come today
Young hearts can go their way
Can't put it off another day
I don't care what others say
They say we don't listen anyway
Time has come today
(Hey)

Gobama/Edwards

Gary Schear, Bozeman Montana (Sent Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:46 PM)

Edwards opinion means no more to me, and any other person who makes up their own minds, any more than the media and the pundits. People keep posting that the Democrats are going to come together in November or that Hillary will want to run as VP on an Obama ticket. Wrong on both counts. With their Hillary hatred they are misjudging our loyalty to her. We are committed to Hillary because she is the best suited to be president and Obama has nothing to offer this country and we believe him to be dangerous. It will be McCain in November.

lee,sarasota (Sent Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:46 PM)

I wished Senator Edward's endorsement would have come sooner, however, I'm no less thankful. I hope his supporters follow suit.

This is excellent news for Senator Obama's campaign. Still, I fully expect Howard Wolfson and Terry McAuliffe to try to spin this to make it seem insignificant all while knowing it is and wishing that Senator Edwards would have come out for Hillary instead.

Now..., it's Vice President Gore's turn.

Obama 08'

TD, Wilmington DE (Sent Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:46 PM)

John Edwards is a coward and a panderer. The glass ceiling is fully intact--the boys are so scared she'll pull a rabbit out of a hat that they've banded together to make sure it doesn't happen. Banded together to make the announcement at the exact hour a significant interview with Clinton was to air on CNN. Could they not have just let the whole thing play out? Can't wait to see what Edwards gets out of this. Obama/Edwards ticket? That will turn even more Democrats away from the party. Good going guys! Way to alienate 50% of the Democratic party! Obama's no more about change than anyone else in our political system, AND he has no idea what he's up against.

Unhappy Democrat, Falmouth MA (Sent Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:46 PM)

Jim W,

It is OK. Some people need a larger security blanket than others.

With all that he has gone/is going through, I think it is worth give JE the benefit of the doubt even if we feel it is too late.

Gunnar,Salem, Oregon (Sent Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:46 PM)

Excuse me - popular vote does not win her the nomination - only delegates. Read your Poli Sci books from grade school.

Pat - it is you who sounds like a Republican - abandoning the party because your candidate may not win the nomination - that is despicable.

dan colorado (Sent Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:47 PM)

Perfect timing, actually. It makes a WHOLE lotta sense... Thanks, John!

Spreadin' the Cool-Aid (Sent Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:47 PM)

Jim Whittaker -- did you know Aesop wrote a fable about you...? = )

Robin Michael, Seattle, WA (Sent Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:47 PM)

To Truth Hurts: How exactly does a win in Puerto Rico enable Hilary to win? Just asking. Because I try not to buy into all the hype, and go by the metric that will be used at the convention. The delegate count. At this point in time we do not yet have a solution for FL and MI , the number sits at 2025. (we can argue the 2209 later if and when the FL and MI delegetes get seated). With that in mind, and at the current moment Obama appears to have a lead in both both pledged and supers, how does Puerto Rico put Clinton over the top? I really want to understand. I just don't see how the math works.

clueless in colorado (Sent Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:47 PM)

Mr Edwards - Thank you for your endorsement. Although the timing could be a little better, I think I understand why you waited.

Time to shore up the Democratic party and focus our efforts on John McCain and the Republican party.

DJ in TX (Sent Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:47 PM)

yeah baby!!!!!!!! obama/ edwards 08

mike ca (Sent Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:47 PM)

A day late and a dollar short if you ask me. He clearly wanted to make sure he backed the eventual nominee so he could increase his chances of getting a spot in the White House. I would have preferred that he took more of a risk and showed more faith in Obama. But we'll take him...welcome to the winning team! :-)

Young Democrat (Sent Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:48 PM)

Whoop Tee Doo!!!

Hillary will win the popular vote with Puerto Rico and will thus win the nomination in Denver.
The Truth Hurts (Sent Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:26 PM)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hate to break it to you sweetie, but the TRUTH is this:

HRC will NOT have the popular vote after Puerto Rico, but it doesn't matter AT ALL, because the election is NOT decided upon by popular vote.

It is ALL about the delegates.

And we all already know that HRC CANNOT catch up in delegates.

And just because she is a Clinton and is demanding that the rules changed just to benefit her, THEY WONT.

Yes, the TRUTH DOES HURT DOESN'T IT.

DUH

Jessica (Sent Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:48 PM)

Here we go! Watch the rest follow and finally we can begin on a winning strategy for the general election. The future is bright America, we should be proud!

Paul, Irvine CA (Sent Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:48 PM)

I hope all good loyal John Edwards pledged delegates will make the choice to follow his courageous lead. It's about time that some of the big namers started coming off the fence for Obama.

Go Obama 08/12!

Eric, Salinas, CA (Sent Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:48 PM)

I believe the term is "boo yah"

Would have been nice to get this nomination BEFORE Indiana... but this is still good.

Obama '08

Ryan, OR (Sent Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:49 PM)

Happy days are here again.Thank johnny!Now,will someone please tell that professional lier to go home.

David,los angeles,ca. (Sent Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:50 PM)

To those that believe that Obama is not electable, reconsider base on the following:
1)Obama has helped democrats win 3 special elections in republican districts in LA, MS and IL. If his name is on the top of the ticket, democrats will win both the house and senate in the fall.

2) Obama is changing the electoral map. Colorado, Missouri, Minessota, New Mexico, Virgina and Iowa come to play. Plus, Georgia, North Carolina, Lousiana, South Carolina and Mississippi may come to play. Even if we don't win the deep south, it forces the republicans to campaign there. We know that the OH, PA and FL plan does not work. Democrats lost two elections base on the big state plan. If Kerry and Gore won either colorado and virgina they would have been president.

3) he has register millions of new voters which expands the democratic party and help us in winning the election.
These are a few things to think about.

voter (Sent Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:50 PM)

patty,sc,ca - get over it. How someone can go from Hillary to McCain is beyond me. They have two things in common: they voted for the war and they are white. If you support the war, please join the effort and fight overseas. If you want a white candidate, just say so.

Jeff, Highland CA (Sent Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:50 PM)

Thank you. This is the most perfect timing. Had it been before NC it would of been looked at as he only won because of Edwards he won on his own merits.

OBAMA 08

Single Mother for Obama, Renton,Washington (Sent Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:50 PM)

The Truth Hurts Wrote:
"Hillary will win the popular vote with Puerto Rico and will thus win the nomination in Denver."

Yes, the truth does hurt because popular vote is not the common denominator metric used to nominate. It's the pledged delegates. If you only count the popular vote, you're disenfranchising voters in the caucus states that didn't have a popular vote count. Also, Puerto Rico does get to vote in the primary, but they don't get to vote in the general election.

susan,grand prairie, tx (Sent Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:50 PM)

I was an Edwards supporter and I think this endorsement will be a great boost to Obama. I have nothing against Senator Clinton, but I do think she should withdraw from the race--the handwriting is clearly on the wall.

Judith, LA (Sent Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:50 PM)

If not for Edwards dropping out just before Super Tuesday Barack Obama would never have caught and surpassed "Desperate" Hillary. By turning it into a two candidate race Edwards allowed Obama to expand his base of supporters.

Go Obama 08/12!

Eric, Salinas, CA (Sent Wednesday, May 14, 2008 5:51 PM)

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