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Edwards bows out of race; throws support to Kerry
March 3, 2004

Sen. John Edwards is shown at a rally in South St. Paul last week. (MPR file photo)

Raleigh, N.C. — John Edwards has officially announced that he's ending his presidential campaign.

Addressing supporters in Raleigh, North Carolina, Wednesday afternoon, Edwards spoke highly of John Kerry, who soundly defeated him in yesterday's Super Tuesday primaries.

Edwards says Kerry is fighting for the causes that Edwards' own supporters embrace -- including more jobs, better health care, and a cleaner environment.

Edwards vowed to do everything in his power to make Kerry the next president of the United States -- and he asked his supporters to do the same. He says Kerry is showing the same strength, resilience and courage that he showed when he was fighting for his country in Vietnam.

He says Kerry "won because his heart is good" -- and that he "believes America is at its best when we all have an equal chance."

The North Carolina senator already has announced plans not to seek re-election to Congress when his term expires at the end of the year. But already, there is speculation that Kerry might tap him for a running mate in the fall campaign.

That would have met with approval from supporters gathered in a crowded high school gymnasium where Edwards formally ended his quest for the White House. "Kerry/Edwards" read one sign held aloft in the crowd, not only two names but also a suggested ticket for the fall campaign.

Advisers to Edwards have made it clear he wouldn't reject an invitation to be Kerry's running mate.

Edwards appealed to independents and other potential swing voters who could be instrumental in a close contest in the fall. Although he made millions as a plaintiff's trial lawyer before running for the Senate for the first time in 1998, Edwards emphasized his humble origins as the son of a textile mill worker who had lost his job when his factory closed.

That, and his ability to clearly lay out issues, enabled Edwards to connect easily with most audiences. His campaign pitch that there are two Americas - one for the rich and powerful and one for everybody else - resonated with audiences.

Several Democrats said Edwards' campaign skills and performance should earn him consideration as Kerry's vice presidential running mate.

Edwards said Tuesday night the themes he touched in his campaign were "the issues that the American people care deeply about."

And he turned his fire on Bush, saying, "come November, he will be out of the White House, not just out of touch."

Edwards noted that he had done best in states where he had spent the most time campaigning - such as Iowa and Wisconsin - and regretted that he did not have more time to promote his candidacy.

Throughout the primary season, Edwards scored best with voters who were looking for a candidate with a positive message, as well as those looking for someone who cares about people like them, exit polls showed.

His problem was the same in state after state: Most Democratic voters were concerned with one thing - beating Bush in November - and substantial majorities of them said Kerry was the man to do it.

Edwards made U.S. trade agreements a centerpiece of his campaign, and exit polls show voters were sympathetic to his arguments: Some 60 percent said trade takes jobs away from their states. But even among these voters, some six in 10 voted for Kerry, double Edwards' take.

Similarly, on Tuesday one in three voters said their financial situation was worse than it had been four years ago, but they voted for Kerry by three-to-one margin over Edwards.

And while he regularly talked about poverty and race relations - issues of abiding interest to American liberals - Edwards has consistently scored poorest with liberal voters who dominate Democratic primaries, with more support from moderates and conservatives.

Edwards is a Southern politician in the Bill Clinton mold, a youthful moderate of modest background whose charm and looks gained more attention than his policies at first.

His upbringing was a central theme to his populist message. He announced his candidacy Sept. 16 in front of the empty textile mill in Robbins, N.C., where his father had been employed for 36 years and where Edwards himself had earned money for college by sweeping floors and working as a night watchman.

(Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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