Sen. John Kerry piled up impressive victories on Super Tuesday, winning nine of the 10 states up for grabs. He will be the Democratic Party nominee and is certain to face President Bush in November.
Now the speculation is swirling about whether Kerry will select Edwards as his running mate. In today’s editorial, The New York Times endorsed Edwards for the No. 2 spot on the Democratic ticket, calling him “an excellent prospect for a running mate.”
In a speech to Atlanta supporters at 8 p.m. Tuesday night, Edwards congratulated Kerry. He called Kerry a friend, describing his former opponent as a man who “has been an extraordinary advocate for policies that all of us believe in.”
Edwards sounded themes from his stump speech and urged continuation of the antipoverty cause. But he did not say that he was bowing out of the race. But even as he spoke, the Associated Press, CNN and NBC were reporting that he had already decided to drop out of the race and would make it official this afternoon.
Edwards is expected to make the formal announcement at 3:30 p.m. today in the gymnasium of Broughton High School in Raleigh. Invitations have gone out to supporters and contributors across the state to attend what the campaign is calling a special event.
“John and Elizabeth Edwards will return home to share a special announcement with their family, friends and supporters,” the invitation says. “Please join us at Broughton High School in Raleigh on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. as we demonstrate our support.”
By early evening, it was clear that Kerry had won by substantial margins in Ohio, New York, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Maryland, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. Former Gov. Howard Dean beat Kerry in Dean’s home state of Vermont, where Edwards was not on the ballot.
Georgia remained too close to call for most of the evening, with Kerry and Edwards running neck and neck — but Edwards had seen the handwriting on the wall long before it became clear Kerry would also win Georgia.
Without waiting for the final count there, or in California, Edwards’ staff changed travel plans to bring Edwards home rather than take him on to planned campaign stops in Texas and Louisiana.
Kerry praised his former opponent.
“He is a valiant champion of the values for which our party stands,” Kerry later said, describing Edwards as a man of great eloquence and great promise. Kerry did nothing to dampen speculation about picking Edwards as his running mate.
“There is no question that John Edwards brings a compelling voice to our party,” Kerry told a cheering crowd of supporters. He went on to say Edwards showed “great promise for leadership for the years to come.”
Bush telephoned to congratulate Kerry.
Edwards was widely seen as having brought a new focus in political campaigning to Southern courtesy and the value of a positive message. As the months wore on, many credited Edwards’ ideas and his style with having a positive effect on Kerry’s own style and proposals.
And more and more proposed what has come to be called “the dream ticket,” Kerry/Edwards.
In Sunday’s debate, when asked specifically what he thought of the idea of him and Kerry as running mates, Edwards laughed and said he thought an Edwards/Kerry ticket a fine idea.
Much speculation swirls around whether Kerry will nod in Edwards’ direction — or seek an entirely different running mate, perhaps a person who can help carry some difficult swing state.
Edwards’ strength, he himself has been quick to point out, has been with traditional independent and Republican voters. These are voters the party may need to win to capture the White House in November.
Whatever Kerry’s choice, and whatever the outcome next fall, many observers say that voters probably have not heard the last of Edwards.
