John Edwards thinks that Democratic candidates will suffer in 2008 if Hillary Clinton is at the top of the ticket. He said as much during a private Chicago fund-raiser in July.
For today’s story about the Senate Democrats chances in 08, I went back and looked up what Edwards said at the time, and found in my notebook a fuller version of Edwards’ thinking on the matter. It seems especially topical now that Edwards is stepping up his attacks on Hillary.
Here is what Edwards told donors in July about the pitch he was making out on the trail.
“I say ‘you are a candidate for Congress, running in the swing district in Montana and Georgia and Missouri, any of these places, you have a choice at who you want at the top of the ticket; Edwards, Obama or Hillary. Who do you want?’ And they start nodding immediately.”
Edwards still hasn’t gone quite that far in his public comments, but given his sharpening attacks in last night’s debate, it’s probably just a matter of time.
