Edwards' long-sought endorsement goes to Obama

BY GLENN THRUSH | glenn.thrush@newsday.com

May 15, 2008

WASHINGTON - Former presidential hopeful John Edwards endorsed Barack Obama yesterday, giving him a boost with blue-collar voters - and delivering what Obama hopes will be a coup de grace to Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign.

The Edwards announcement, which followed intense lobbying by Obama and Clinton, is geared to helping the Illinois senator overcome increasing problems attracting skeptical working-class whites.

"It will be over soon," Edwards said of the nomination contest during a surprise appearance at an Obama rally in Grand Rapids, Mich. As he strode to the microphone, 12,000 ecstatic Obama backers began chanting both politicians' names.

Earlier, Clinton suffered another shock when the pro-choice NARAL endorsed Obama, sparking outrage from several women's groups close to Clinton, including Emily's List.

"The Democratic voters in America have made their choice and so have I," said Edwards as Obama smiled from a stool a few feet away. "There is one man who knows and understands this is the time for bold leadership ... and that man is Barack Obama."

The timing was aimed at halting Clinton's momentum following her 41-point win in West Virginia. Edwards and Obama, who jointly portrayed Clinton as beholden to the Washington establishment, had been talking for months. They sealed the deal only after the magnitude of Obama's defeat became apparent Tuesday night, an Obama campaign official said.

Edwards, who quit the race himself in January, still managed to draw 7 percent of the vote in the Mountain State, evidence of his lingering populist appeal.

The endorsement kicked off immediate speculation that Edwards - and not Clinton - may be offered the vice-presidential slot this fall. "I don't know if he has any interest in doing it again, but he could certainly be on the short list," said Bob Shrum, a top adviser to John Kerry in 2004.

Clinton broke the news to supporters during a cocktail reception for about 50 top donors in the living room of her Washington mansion last night. "She said that it was not unexpected and it wouldn't have any impact," said top fundraiser Hassan Nemazee.

Clinton campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe, who spent the day rallying donors at a Washington hotel, said in a statement: "We respect John Edwards, but this thing is far from over."

Still, the Edwards endorsement is far more than symbolic. His 19 pledged delegates are now likely to back Obama, although they could theoretically support Clinton.

Edwards seemed almost apologetic about his choice, praising Clinton more than Obama during his speech.

"She is a woman who, in my judgment, is made of steel," Edwards said. "[She] is a leader in this country not because of what her husband has done but because of what she has done ... It is very, very hard to get up every day to do what she's done when the odds turn against you."

It's not clear if his wife, Elizabeth Edwards, who has been battling cancer, will also endorse Obama after praising Clinton's universal health care initiative in recent weeks.

The Barack-vs.-Hillary battle has given way to a pair of divergent storylines - Clinton's refusal to quit and Obama's inability to gain traction with working-class whites. Edwards' endorsement could play a role in resolving both plots.

"For Obama, it reinforces the reality that the race is over and helps him in the tactical sense, giving him a new ability to reach out to white voters he hasn't reached," Shrum said.

For Clinton, it could be a final momentum killer, robbing her of a much-needed bump after her West Virginia landslide.

During her rally-the-troops meeting yesterday, Clinton's aides and donors outlined a potential path to the nomination dependent on her beating Obama in the popular vote by maximizing turnout in the five remaining contests.

"We are not naive," Nemazee said. "We recognize it's a difficult path. But it's an urban myth that she is going to pull out after having won resoundingly in West Virginia."

The candidate herself echoed that sentiment yesterday, telling CNN, "You don't walk off the court until the buzzer sounds. You never know. You may get a three-point shot at the end."