TOP STORY

The Final Stretch?

By Thomas Jeffrey

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Article Posted: Sunday February 3, 2008

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This year’s primaries and caucuses have definitely been one for the history books. With more twists and turns than a Cedar Point roller coaster, the nation is still no where near knowing who will be either the Democratic or Republican nominee for president. But with the field of contenders narrowing over the past week, this much is certain, whomever becomes the next president of these united states, they will be making history.

Perhaps the most noteworthy news came on Wednesday, when former North Carolina Senator John Edwards announced that he would be leaving the race. The man whom this Leftwing Nutjob predicted to go much farther than he had, in my opinion, fell victim to having his message drowned out by a fickle news media that became hypnotized by the novelty of both the Clinton and Obama campaigns. Mr. Edwards pledged to continue fighting for both the poor and middle class — the centerpiece of his campaign — and exacted a pledge from the two remaining Democratic front runners that his cause would not be ignored by them throughout the rest of the campaign.

The other major exit came from the Republicans, where after watching his campaign firewall burn to the ground in Florida, former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani abandoned his quest for his party’s nomination on Wednesday and endorsed his former opponent, Senator John McCain. America’s Mayor, while leading initially in the polls, watched his national lead evaporate as both his past came back to haunt him and his campaign began to shy away from any contest where he wasn’t predicted to emerge the winner. Mr. Giuliani later joined Mr. McCain on Thursday on a swing through California, where Governor Swartzenegger bestowed his endorsement on the Arizona Senator as well.

Now, for the Democrats, it comes down to either Clinton or Obama, in a battle of delegates that probably won’t be decided until the convention later this summer. As for the Republicans, this Leftwing Nutjob sees a somewhat similar scenario, with a continued tit-for-tat, state-by-state race shaping up between McCain and former Massachusetts’s governor Mitt Romney that will more than likely continue on through Super Tuesday and right on up to that party’s convention.

And this podcaster is joining many other political observers in predicting that Mr. Edwards may still have a significant role to play, with the delegates that he has collected becoming a precious commodity as time goes on. Only time will tell whether he will choose to endorse either of his former Democratic rivals but the question that so many are asking, with both Clinton and Obama standing to benefit from a southern running mate, is whether the one-time vice-presential candidate will agree to a take a backseat to yet another political rival in order to join another Democratic ticket? Stay tuned.

But when the dust settles on the evening of February 5, my dear listeners, I afraid that we may still not have a clear front runner, for either party, only serving to further lengthen an already protracted nomination process — something that political junkies like me absolutely live for.

So to paraphrase Punxsutawney Phil, who made his own prediction this past week, get ready for at least six month weeks of the 2008 presidential campaign.

- posted by: Thomas Jeffrey and Feb 3, 04:25 PM in analysis

 

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