This is somethign I wrote over at mydd.com. Let me just say that for a short while I flirted with the idea of changing candidates. Like many, I can be influenced by the media, and I was possibly leaning to Clinton after the last several weeks becoming disenchanted with Obama.
Now, however, I am firmly returning to my support of Edwards. Here's why: If progressives/liberals want to start creating strategies that will defeat triangulation, that means we must step out on to the plank to support progressive/liberal values. By doing so, win or lose, we get a seat at the table. By having a seat at the table we start to shift the balance leftward. We can't do that if we simply give into to impulse.
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I write this with no illusion that Edwards will win. That's not the point. The point is that he can influence the other two candidates, and force them, as he did at the debate to return to substance, and, he can be, in effect, become the honest broker as he has done throughout the primary cycle. When looking at this, I realized his strategic value: He can help reduce, even if he does not win, triangulation at least until the convention, and if he is king/queen maker, maybe he can help put a stake in its heart. Presidencies are also the people who surround them. How much better would Obama be if he were force to include Robert Reich rather than the right wing economic advisors he has now? How much better would clinton be not surrounded by Mark Penn? I don't know- but maybe with a bit of deal making we can find out. We can win even while losing. This is just a modest idea.
I don't have a huge amount of time. Here's the core idea: by Edwards remaining in the race he moves the center left. Without Edwards in the race, it's clear the other two remaining choices are more than willing to move the center right, or, worse, focus on their cults of personality.
Here's a simple fact- there aren't as many liberals out there. Here's simple fact- there maybe enough of us to shift the balance by denying centrism/triangulation an out and out win. This is how the right has done it. I am surprised no one on the left has thought of it. That like with a parlimentary system, to win, one of the two camps would have to deal with Edwards policy goals and focus on traditional democratic values.
If we are even 15 percent of any given state, then we are possibly enough over time to prevent an out right winner among the two centrist campaigns running. This is an invaluable bargaining position. Indeed, even if you support another candidate, given what we have seen on the last few weeks, I would advocate this strategy for forcing a consensus in the party through a broker convention rather than winner take all through delegates. The later seems to guarantee that we don't all have seats at the Democratic table. The former does.