Political affiliations aside, you have to feel kind of bad
for John Edwards.

He had long been the trailing third candidate in the race for the Democratic
presidential nomination, and he would have gone into next week?s Super Tuesday
without a single victory from the earlier caucuses and primaries. In a contest
increasingly viewed as ?Obama versus Clinton,? he did not stir up enough
political drama (read: petty attacks) to hold the attention of the American
media. It makes sense for him to simply cut his losses now and save up for a
run in 2012 or 2016. But for some reason, he waited until just two days ago to
take that route. It is possible that the former senator?s ambitions for the
presidency are part of a roundabout strategy that extends well beyond this
year?s general Election Day.

Presidential candidates with extreme or unique views seldom make it to the
upper echelons of politics. Therefore, to distinguish them, a lot of national
attention is given to superficial differences. This year, the Democrats appear
to be reveling in the novelty of choosing between a black man and a white woman
for the nomination. However, by keeping his 2008 campaign running as long as
possible, Mr. Edwards has publicly demonstrated stamina and commitment to his
own ideals. Consequently, he has maintained a large following, far greater than
the dwindling base of former Sen. Mike Gravel.

Now, with Mr. Edwards dropping out of the race before next Tuesday?s primaries,
his pyramid of support will have to be guided elsewhere. Specifically, his
endorsement could give an enormous advantage to whichever Democratic candidate
he chooses.  This is something that either Mr. Obama or Ms. Clinton will
seriously consider when choosing a running mate.

Given the timing of Mr. Edwards? departure from the campaign trail, it is
possible that he has negotiated some kind of deal with one of the frontrunners.
If so, the early primaries may have just been a way for him to prove his
influence ? and now he may be leveraging his kingmaker clout for a shot at the
vice presidency.

With Ms. Clinton and Mr. Obama trading blows seemingly every day, it appears
improbable that either will choose the other as a running mate. If Mr. Edwards
were to endorse, say, Mr. Obama, then the senator could use Edwards? voters to
leap ahead of Ms. Clinton in future primaries until he earned the nomination.

Mr. Obama could then repay Mr. Edwards by making him his running mate.
?Obama-Edwards? would certainly be a better team than the 2004 ticket of
?Kerry-Edwards.? Before he became John Kerry?s running mate, Mr. Edwards
labeled Mr. Kerry as a ?Washington insider? during a mudslinging phase similar
to the current Clinton-versus-Obama situation. In the 2008 election issues,
however, Mr. Obama and Mr. Edwards seem to agree more than they disagree and
could overcome prior mudslinging because their attacks were not so much based on
fundamental disagreements in philosophy.

John Edwards would be better off as a vice presidential candidate for a number
of reasons ? reasons that have more to do with timing than anything else. The
return of Elizabeth Edwards? breast cancer will no doubt continue to impact
both of their lives. Right now it would be better if he were performing the
less intense duties of the vice president while supporting his wife.

Meanwhile, he can still gain White House experience and use it in the political
arena. He?s got the time and resources to run again in 2012 and 2016. If he
spends four to eight years as VP, he?ll have a myriad of advantages going into
future elections. After all, 14 of our nation?s presidents were once vice
presidents themselves. Edwards knows this. He may have been campaigning all
this time with an eye on 2012.

Carla Dogan ([email protected]) is a junior majoring in economics.