The Anti-Edwards Endgame, or Why Edwards Is Right In Talking About Two Americas

bdnss

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Friday October 05, 2007 · 3:16 PM PDT

2007/10/05 · 15:16

As an Edwards supporter, I’ve been recently amused by the urgent tone of those who argue that the Edwards campaign is flagging because of its decision to accept public financing. It’s over they say. The campaign is already dead in the water.

Indeed, what I find interesting is that so many people are, on one hand, arguing that the Edwards campaign is already over while, on the other, simultaneously going out of their way to persuade people that it's over because Edwards can't win the general.

It reminds me of a line from Clov in Samuel Beckett’s play, Endgame:

If I don’t kill that rat, he’ll die.

If Edwards’ campaign were already over, no one would have to announce its funeral. It would be a non-issue; it would make no difference which side you took. But, precisely because it’s not already over, it does make a difference, or, to put it another way, precisely because those who oppose Edwards have needed not just to point out facts about public financing (which no one disputes) but also to persuade people what follows from these facts (which Edwards supporters do, with good reason, dispute), news of the Edwards campaign's death has been greatly exaggerated.

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