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After John Edwards dropped out of the race, most folks expected that he'd throw his weight behind Obama, whose reformist message seemed most closely aligned with Edwards' own approach. That never happened. Most of the reporting said that Edwards actually favored Clinton, on grounds that he didn't think Obama was "ready." Coming from the only candidate in the race with less political experience than Obama, this seemed to involve a peculiar level of cognitive dissonance. But now, thanks to John Heilemann, we're getting a slightly better picture of what happened:
Now two months have passed since Edwards dropped out—tempus fugit!—and still no endorsement. Why? According to a Democratic strategist unaligned with any campaign but with knowledge of the situation gleaned from all three camps, the answer is simple: Obama blew it. Speaking to Edwards on the day he exited the race, Obama came across as glib and aloof. His response to Edwards’s imprecations that he make poverty a central part of his agenda was shallow, perfunctory, pat. Clinton, by contrast, engaged Edwards in a lengthy policy discussion. Her affect was solicitous and respectful. When Clinton met Edwards face-to-face in North Carolina ten days later, her approach continued to impress; she even made headway with Elizabeth. Whereas in his Edwards sit-down, Obama dug himself in deeper, getting into a fight with Elizabeth about health care, insisting that his plan is universal (a position she considers a crock), high-handedly criticizing Clinton’s plan (and by extension Edwards’s) for its insurance mandate.The implications of this story are several and not insignificant. Most obviously, it suggests that the front-runner’s diplomatic skills could use some refinement.It's depressing to hear that Obama, even in private, insists on clinging to the ridiculous lie that his health care plan is universal. It's an insult to the intelligence of anyone who's actually looked into it, and it sure as hell isn't going to fly with the John and Elizabeth Edwards. If Obama can't figure out how to better talk to folks who fear the gaps in his plan, he's not half the politician I thought he was. And it's an interesting sidenote to this election that Obama's weak health care plan may have imposed a substantial political cost, in that it cost him Edwards early, and potentially meaningful, endorsement.
