This may run a bit long so bear with me, please.
After supporting John Edwards in 2004, my mother decided to get really involved this cycle. Of course, being in a small town, they threw her in the deep end right from the start. She worked hard all summer and fall for Edwards and co-captained her small town precinct for him on caucus night. It was a very successful night for her, and Edwards carried the precinct and the county. Some of the precinct old-pros asked her to be an alternate delegate to the county convention and she accepted, not thinking she'd end up having to go.
Well, now she has to go.
Since John Edwards is out of the running and every delegate on every level counts more than ever now, she doesn't know what to do. She knows that she technically doesn't have any obligation to a specific candidate, but she feels a moral obligation to represent the wishes of the people who caucused in her precinct.
She feels, on a policy level, that Obama best matches the interests and concerns that brought her personally to Edwards in the first place. Obama as well came in a close second in her precinct. She's also been trying to ask some of the people she coaxed into caucusing who they'd like best, and the majority of them so far are leaning Obama (although several suggest Clinton, and still more suggest an Edwards vote regardless). She's been reading a mailing from Obama this week, and expects one from Hillary as well. As you know, there's no word from Edwards. I should add that both the Obama and Hillary captains have been quite friendly to her since she was told to report to the convention.
She really wants to do right by the people she worked so hard to bring to caucus and those she's representing and she genuinely is unsure what to do. Should she vote for Edwards, even though he's out of the race? Should she vote for Obama, who seems to be most of the caucus-goers second choice? Should she vote for Hillary?
I look forward to any advice or suggestions anyone has that I might pass along to her. Also, I'll be down there for spring break, so I'll see if I can't report on it in some fashion.
7 Comments
interesting post
I recommend putting this up as a diary at the EENR blog (www.eenrblog.com) to see what other Edwards supporters think.
Most of the Edwards supporters on the blogs favor Obama, but quite a few are more sympathetic to Hillary, and a lot don’t particularly like either one.
If I were your mother, I would go be a delegate for Edwards, even though he is out of the race. I would respect other ways of dealing with the situation too.
desmoinesdem Sun 9 Mar 7:42 PM
Those who show up!
My son is fond of saying the world is run by those who show up. Edwards delegates should feel free to show up and vote their druthers. Your mother sounds like a conscientious citizen.
At caucus we all knew it could turn out that our candidate would not survive the process. Voters who chose not to be added to the unlimited list of potential alternates forfeited their option to remain involved.
What more can a democratic party want from its conventioneers than to get their considered judgment?
BTW, I’m in the same boat she is–also an Edwards delegate. I prefer Obama by about %50.1 over Hillary’s %49.9. Both are ticking me off lately as they vie to see who can be more Republican.
iowavoter Mon 10 Mar 9:41 AM
Protest Vote?
One of her main concerns about staying with Edwards, is that since he’s out she’s afraid it would be a “protest vote”–and she doesn’t want to “throw the vote away”. (Her words, not mine)
Do you see it that way? If not, why?
american007 Tue 11 Mar 1:40 PM
I don't see it that way
I think it is better to show that there is still support for the stands Edwards took during the campaign. I don’t see either of the remaining candidates talking enough about those issues.
If she has a strong preference between Clinton and Obama, I would understand going with that. If she’s like me, and doesn’t really care who gets the nomination (and would vote for either), then she might as well stick with Edwards.
Incidentally, I heard on a message board today that other Edwards delegates in Iowa are getting calls from both the Clinton and Obama campaigns seeking their support at the county convention. Has your mom gotten any of those calls?
desmoinesdem Tue 11 Mar 2:37 PM
uncommitted would be a "protest"
Voting Edwards would reflect the wishes of her precinct as best as possible without another caucus.
If nothing else, the Edwards delegates could get him on a stage to reinforce the ideas of his campaign and get some committment in return for support.
tj-iowa Wed 12 Mar 10:10 AM
Thinking Edwards...
She’s been trying to do some research on her work down-time, and she thinks she’ll stay with Edwards now.
She e-mailed me with some links last night to some things that influenced her:
http://blogs.abcnews.com/polit…
The blog post by David Redlawsk (linked to in the ABC News blog–site down at the moment) is perhaps the most forceful argument for staying with Edwards. I think if they can’t keep viability, though, she’ll break for Obama. But I have a hard time seeing how they wouldn’t stay viable since they constitute ~30% of the delegates already.
As far as lobbying goes…she tells me she’s gotten a mailing from Obama and a robo-call from Mari Culver for Obama. She’s saved both so I’ll get a chance to see them this weekend.
And thanks for all the advice…she’s a greenhorn, so she’s really appreciated it!
american007 Wed 12 Mar 11:01 AM
a friend of mine
has also gotten a mailing from Obama.
I have heard of Edwards delegates getting calls from Clinton supporters as well.
desmoinesdem Wed 12 Mar 3:19 PM