John Edwards May Benefit from Warner's Absence

The 2008 presidential primaries begin in 15 months. The frontrunner is Hillary Clinton, and already Al Gore and Mark Warner seem to be out of the race. At this point, the closest competitor to Senator Clinton appears to be John Edwards.

In recent weeks, perhaps thanks to her husband, Bill Clinton, Senator Clinton has raised her game somewhat. We'll see. Until recently, she gave the impression of reading the polls too closely and parsing her words too carefully rather than establishing her leadership.

These are tricky times for both Republican and Democratic contenders for president. For over two years, McCain has tied his wagon to Bush's failing policies and the senator shows signs that he's not particularly quick on his feet or adept at truly understanding this era.

Including Hillary Clinton, the candidate who seems to be paying close attention to the seriousness of these rapidly changing times, and adapting, is John Edwards. I could be wrong, but he seems to have become the quickest study of any of the potential candidates. We'll soon know as the campaign begins to hit up.

Tim O'Brien the Minneapolis Star Tribune had this item recently about the departure of Mark Warner and the effect it may have on Edwards potential run:

No candidate has declared for the 2008 presidential race, but the Democratic field was still narrowed on Thursday when former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner, one of the party's top prospects, said he was going to pass on a bid. Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post's The Fix (5) said former vice presidential nominee John Edwards stood to gain. "Edwards and Warner were seen as occupying the tier just below that of Clinton -- the two candidates given the best chance of dethroning her for the nomination. Edwards is now alone in that second tier and -- at the moment -- has had the best 2006 of any of the aspiring candidates."

John Edwards has been out campaigning for other Democrats and he has things to say. A post by him can be found on today's Think Progress:

(Our guest blogger, John Edwards, is a former North Carolina Senator and candidate for Vice President)

There are happy anniversaries and sad ones. October 17th is one of the sad ones. It’s been a year since Congress put into effect a new bankruptcy law that makes it harder for people to declare bankruptcy and get a fresh start. It was easy for Congress to characterize bankrupt families as “deadbeats” and ignore the reality that more than 90 percent of all bankruptcies are due to medical emergencies, job loss, divorce or a death in the family.

This anniversary has got me thinking. Our middle class is built on shaky ground. The latest sign: a wave of new foreclosures driven by higher interest rates, lower housing prices, and predatory mortgage lending.

(snip)

Predatory lending isn’t the only problem for families that are working hard, paying their bills, and still struggling to get by. Short-term payday loans with excessive interest rates can quickly turn into a crushing long-term debt. Congress recently passed protections for our military men and women, but why not all families?

It’s well past time to install leaders who care about issues like predatory lending, rising mortgage foreclosure rates, increasing the minimum wage, and helping middle and low-income families. Americans deserve leaders that have the backbone to stand up and do something about their concerns. I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again until it’s a reality — we need a government that works for all of its people, especially the most vulnerable among us.

Like I said, Edwards seems to be paying close attention to the times.