Edwards On His Candidate: I Already Voted For Him?

John Edwards appeared on Morning Joe today to talk about the state of the race, which means he spent most of his time defending questions about why he has not endorsed yet. But a few people are saying he slipped in his stonewalling, accidentally suggesting that he voted for Obama.

Edwards acknowledged that he voted in the North Carolina primary, and that he would likely support that candidate. He then said, "I already voted for him."

Or did he? With that North Carolina accent, it might have been "I already voted for 'em." Ben Smith thinks it's the latter; Mark Halperin is undecided.

The whole interview is worth a watch, as Edwards talks about what motivates a person to run a presidential campaign. Watch the whole thing, or jump to about to 9:45 hear Edwards' comments on who he voted for:

Comments

[AlishaNareen]

What is more telling to me is that when John Edwards said Obama didn't need his endorsement to win, he said he is winning without my endorsement. That combined with the "him" and I conclude, he is for Obama.

Plus he was tag teaming Hilary with Obama when he was still in the race.

[DustyT]

Everytime I see John Edwards speak - I think to myself I wish he were my president.

I was a JE supporter and I'm glad he has not endorsed. As someone said above - he trusted his supporters to make up their own minds and not influence between two good viable candidates. Classy and Democratic.

[juangault]

I listened to the moment of indiscretion, at 10:00 in the interview, and I heard the best mix of "R" and "M" in the English language possible.

[rzan]

He talks as if Hillary's damaging of the Democratic Party is a future possibility if she doesn't focus on herself rather than Barack. It's too late. She has done, in my opinion, irreparable damage to the Democratic party.

[Boadicea]

Listened three times. Everything I heard (and saw) leads me to conclude that he voted for Obama.

Don't care who he voted for, though. He's got a right to vote his conscience, like everyone else. And he has a right to be quiet about it, too.

[Alessan]

I thought you Obamabots didn't care who John Edwards endorsed, why the big deal, besides he is
getting behind the winner, okay. Leave John Edwards alone, unless you want to help on his latest poverty project mentioned on the interviews.

[the964kid]

Hey John Edwards: everybody else knows that Obama is the nominee. Why are you bothering to be all mysterious. This is a joke. I'm glad Edwards didn't get close to the nomination, and I hope Obama doesn't give Edwards any kinda cabinet position when he's elected president.

[NightRider]

My theory, and it is only a theory, is that Edwards voted for Hillary. He could not and cannot endorse her because of the what the NC polls were showing and now we know the result. Just imagine, the political implication for him if he had stated publicly that he was endorsing Hillary? The NC voters, by extension, would have also rejected him. The perception of that rejection would be political suicide for Edwards.

I can't think of another reason.

[mlaiuppa]

I think he voted for Obama.

I also think he and his wife agreed not to give an endorsement because they cannot agree on a candidate. She likes Hillary's healthcare plan. He likes Obama.

In the end it doesn't matter. John Edwards endorsement doesn't hold much sway. If he waits too long his delegates won't make much difference either.

[TheAdviceWeAllNeed]

But he does have the delegate he could give away

[colhendricks]

Spineless coy pu*sy. Who cares who the pompous piece of sh*t voted for?

[Ariesjill]

I don't think he's pompous. I think: he has trouble conveying integrated affect; is not entirely at home in is own skin extemporaneously, and I think he has the voice of a failed country singer. and I ain't even a fan of the male superstar country singers much. OK, maybe Vince Gill. But it served him well in ligitation, no question. Don't kid yourself, voices matter. Pitch, cadence, resonance, presence. They comprise"the music" often making the lyrics moot. tho our responses are oftne unwitting.

Sure is true for both Barack and Hillary. Obfuscated many terrible things in Reagan who people still think was a great President.. OMG.

[Alessan]

colhendricks, comments sound personal, what did he ever do to you.

[Camco]

Does it really matter what John Edwards thinks? The guy betrayed his supporters after he dropped out of the race by remaining so cagey and silent. He should have come out strongly for Obama prior to the first Super Tuesday. Now, he's completely irrelevant.

[ema]

John Edwards was the best of the "viable" candidates. He was the first to address the widening economic gap in this country. He was also the first to come out for universal health care. And the only one to address the failure of our government to protect us against unregulated corporate greed. He didn't just talk about "change" and "hope", he pointed out the ills of our society and had specific remedies for them. Obama and Clinton used a lot of his ideas when they saw how popular and right they were. He was the closest thing to a true progressive candidate.

I was not at all disappointed when he didn't endorse. He was allowing the democratic process to unfold. And he wasn't hedging his bets so that he could get a job in the future admin. Endorsements are bs. Free thinking Edwards supporters can make up our own minds without big daddy telling us what to do.

[Heartlander]

ema: Nice post.

[Dee123]

I agree with you. Why does anything he say matters? I'm an Obama candidate and think if he were going to say or endorse Obama, it should have been immediately after he dropped out of the race. At this point, he is irrevelant to Obama's candidacy. I believe the American people are smart enough to know who is running the better campaign as well as who is the better candidate interms of becoming the next President of the United States of America.

Therefore if you ask me, Edward is a big dissappointment for those who did vote for him. He dropped out and never acknowledged anyone. So, who cares now?????????

[momofsix]

It matters because he controls 18 pledged delegates.

[Heartlander]

I was a Edwards partisan, and though I was disappointed when he stopped campaigning, I was glad that he did not endorse either Obama or Clinton at that time, and that he has not done so since. Former Edwards supporters are able to decide for themselves who they want to support, and at least some of us appreciated his respect for our intelligence.

[jean22]

This woman doesn't cease to amaze me. Just when I think I have reached my limit of disdain. She takes me to a whole new level. She constantly puts her feet in her mouth. Hard working Americans are only "white americans"? What a racist thing to imply. African Americans have been hard working Americans for at practically 400 years FREE LABOR. And then to suggest that African Americans will vote for her if she is the nominee. She's crazy!

[Alessan]

Jean 22, They would vote for HC, McSame is the other choice, wake up. Obama isn't going to help
any African American, colored person, black person at all, he will continue to pander to white people
by not speaking about what he is knows is wrong with country while saying the country is in a
post-racist time. What a laugh, his Rev. Wright, wanted him to speak truth to power, but he won't, even if he gets the Presidency, because the people responsible for raising him to the heights of first black
nominee, corporate america and the super powerful delegates aren't going to allow him to do anything. He will be a puppet token black person sitting in a White House.

[LBM]

She was quoting the AP article, blame them for the racist comment. It's just the facts from the exit polls. That's how they ask the questions. Her term "hard working" was to differentiate between working class and the upper class of all races, since he has that "elite" demographic.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CAMPAIGN_EXIT_POLL?SITE=AZTUS&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[TheInsomniac]

Us elites with college degrees never work hard, huh?

[Alessan]

Rarely. You give the orders and sit down and watch, LOL.

[PatrickforO]

I sure don't... I enjoy a daily nap in the kneehole of my desk. Not!

[SpawnOfJerry]

It's not very hard to sip a latte, right?

Except for those on the either end of the economic spectrum, who doesn't work hard? Her use of the term "hard working" in place of "working class" is a slap in the face to those of us who work hard but may not be considered working class.

[bentenrai]

Either you concede Clinton is racist, or you concede she's stupid, or you concede she's conceited. Which one is it? Can there be any other explanation? Oh yeah... she misspoke! Again!

[JadedAggie]

Yeah she just said it in a ridiculously stupid way. To be honest since the press and pollsters use so much time splitting us up into tiny groups I'm not sure that Hillary does lead among the working class. Clearly she leads among working class whites, but Senator Obama virtually has a monopoly on the black vote so when race is ignored it is likely pretty close.

[LBM]

Edwards praised Hillary in this interview and was very supportive of her continuing in the race. He said it showed her strength and he truly admires her. Stop trying to twist his words. It doesn't matter who he voted for, he supports both candidates.

[DennyCrane]

It's simple. He voted for Obama because he knows Hillary is in the pocket of corporate lobbyists. His wife voted for Hillary cause she thinks her health care plan is better. His endorsement now would be meaningless. At first I thought he was holding out for something in exchange for his endorsement. But now I realize why he didn't endorse Obama. He didn't want to do so and then have his wife come out for Hillary. They probably agreed that neither should endorse.

[spiritualized]

you're right on..

[LoneStarLori]

Just go head and come out of the closet John!

An Obama endorsement before West Virginia primary would seal the deal for Obama and sway Clinton's supporters before they all head to McCain. This country needs to get on with the issues that need to be addressed so badly. So lets get this nomination over.

[CjAzure]

There was no "him" there. Oh ho hum!!!!

[RaraAvis17]

He talked a lot about Clinton in a way to throw everyone off in thinking he voted for her, but I really believe he is an intellligent man and that he voted for Obama. At least I hope he did. I want him to also endorse Obama and become his Vice President. He is an asset this country cannot pass up.

[LoneStarLori]

Obama and Edwards would not only clinch the general election, they would be an awesome team. Young, aware and ready to shake things up.

[Raymondf]

Yes, he wants the VP chair.

[Alessan]

Edwards was already the VP, in 2004, Kerry lost. and if Obama asks I doubt he'd accept. Obama should pick Hillary Clinton, then he doesn't have to worry about the white working class men, whose votes he lost in Pa. and NC. Why not let the Dems sweep the election this time, and leave no doubts for the neo-cons.

[jeplanet]

I'm Canadian and therefore, I don't usually pay close attention to US politics. But the more I saw of Barack Obama, the more interested I became and I'm now completely obsessed with your presidential
race. Can I make a couple of points?
1. Congatulations for a democratic race between 2 intelligent, strong, committed people. I hope you know how lucky you are to have politicians that can inspire people and make them feel hopeful.
2. I can't believe it, and I get a bit freaked out, when I see polls that show McCain would be almost tied with the democratic nominee. Do Americans not understand how much their standing in the worldwide community has fallen in the last 8 years under republican rule; do they just not care?
3. I really got to like John Edwards, and was sad when he dropped out. Why does he not seem to be a consideration for VP? It seems like an Obama/Edwards ticket would be pretty powerful.
4. Please keep Bill O'Reilly and Rush Limbau on YOUR side of the border!!!

Good Luck you guys. Peace

[rzan]

He already has been a vice presidential candidate, and I don't think he wants to re-visit that. He was running for president this time around, not vice president.

[brooklyncitizen]

"Do Americans not understand how much their standing in the worldwide community has fallen in the last 8 years under republican rule; do they just not care?"

The latter; AMericans don't care. Really very few even travel. The scale and the geography of the nation is part of it but there has been a long standing cultural idea that all that is needed is right here so why go anywhere else?

Strange notion indeed. When I do travel I go abroad, not particularly intersted in discovering America (most graetful for Brooklyn).

[PatrickforO]

I'm sorry but I must completely disagree with the assertion that Americans don't care about how much our standing in the world has fallen the last seven years. I was born in 1958, and while we "educated white male voters" are fully aware that America has never been perfect, we've always tried to be the good guys - until W, Cheney and the rest of the neocon war criminals. Now, here we are emasculating the Bill of Rights (might as well use it as TP now, it's been so diluted and ignored), and TORTURING people. This isn't the nation I love and believe in. Not under neocon control. But there's still hope - the voters in IN and NC repudiated the stupid gas tax holiday because they actually thought about it. Maybe we are better than that...maybe we'll not fall prey AGAIN to fearmongering and pandering...maybe we WON'T fall prey to red herrings like the gay marriage issue that keep us from looking at the big picture. I WANT MY COUNTRY BACK, and I want us to be considered the light and hope of the whole world once again. That's why I'm for Obama.