Obama is endorsed by former candidate John Edwards
Both Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have been courting John Edwards’ support since he left the race for the Democratic Presidential nomination in January.
After months of waiting, Edwards’ endorsement goes to Obama, the Obama campaign announced yesterday.
The announcement is expected to happen at a campaign event tonight in Grand Rapids, Michigan, according to Obama’s campaign.
Edwards, who made a play for the White House as John Kerry’s running mate in 2004, told NBC last week that Obama’s is the Democratic Party’s likely nominee, adding that while it was fine for Clinton to continue making her case, he worried about the damage her campaign might do to the party come November.
Edwards made the focus of his campaign standing up for the “little guy”, giving a voice to people who typically weren’t heard in Washington.
Political analysts expect his endorsement might give Obama a boost among the blue-collar voters who typically lend their support to Clinton.
Clinton currently trails Obama’s delegate count by more than 100, despite a landslide victory earlier this week in the West Virginia primary.
Her campaign is also said to be bleeding cash, with some reports putting her at more than $20 million in debt.
Analysts predict Edwards’ endorsement could mean big things for the Illinois Senator.
In reaching out to the Clinton campaign for a statement, Chairman Terry McAuliffe said:
“We respect John Edwards, but as the voters of West Virginia showed last night, this thing is far from over.”
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