Democratic hopeful
Sen. John Edwards quits Presidential race , through a public announcement he delivered on Wednesday, 30th January. Speaking at the Ninth Ward in New Orleans, Edwards stated that he has decided to step out of the race to secure the Democrat nomination for the post of the US President. It was the same venue from where he announced his decision to run for the Party's Presidential candidacy in December 2006. He was accompanied by his supporters and the members of his family while he made his announcement on Wednesday.
The exit of Sen. John Edwards was being widely speculated after the announcement of the results of his home state South Carolina Primary, where his disappointing performance led many to believe that he would drop out of the race.
John Edward's exit was largely due to his failure to raise enough funds to see him through the votes in the 22 states which will simultaneously hold the primaries on Feb. 5. It is also believed that the attention taken away by the rivalry between
Sen. Obama and Sen. Clinton also influenced his decision to pull out of the race.
Over the two days following the South Carolina primary,
Sen. Edwards spoke to his financial contributors as well as his supporters regarding his decision. He also spoke to Sen. Clinton and Sen. Obama before announcing his exit. Edwards said after his announcement that both the top-running candidates have promised to highlight his issues, which dealt largely with the amelioration of poverty in the country and health care scheme, in their forthcoming campaigns.
Although
John Edwards did not win a single primary in the early phase, yet it was believed by many that he would fight it out till Super Tuesday. The delegates he won are believed to play a major role in influencing the party's decision in the National Convention. However, speaking to a crowd of over 10,000 in a packed basketball arena, Edwards said that he would endorse neither of the two high-profile candidates as of now. It is believed that the delegates won by him, will be divided between Mr. Obama and
Ms. Clinton on the day of the Democratic National Convention. Both Clinton and Obama have praised the commitment and the sincerity of Mr. Edwards in their speeches delivered following his exit. The announcement was followed by vigorous attempts and scrambling, more by Sen. Clinton and to a lesser extent by Sen. Obama, to win over the delegates won by Sen. Edwards.
Mr. Edwards has been a successful lawyer before his entry into politics. He has been a lifelong crusader for the betterment of the conditions of the poor in the country. Edwards won a number lawsuits amounting to millions of dollars for the victims of medical malpractice against big corporate houses. His first significant foray into politics followed the death of his 16 year old son Wade in 1996. He won a Senate seat by defeating Senator Launch Faircloth, a Democrat turned Republic in 1998.
