I know that right now he is focused on his campaign for the Presidency, but he will probably know whether or not he is in position to win the Democratic nomination sometime between January 3rd and February 5th. The deadline for getting into the Senate Race in North Caroline against Libby Dole is February 29th.
In 2009, the Senate will be the deciding body for a large number of progressive proposals from Universal Health Care to Restoring our Civil Liberties and Energy Independence. We need more strong progressives in the Senate to help fight to make these reforms law and to make sure that we can pass the best possible versions of these reforms.
One of the things that bothered me about Edwards running for president in 2004 is that he chose not to run for Senate again. This was a year when we were hoping to take back the Senate and he yielded his seat to an undistinguished nobody.
We could use someone like Edwards representing North Carolina in the Senate. He has unambiguously apologized for his vote for the war, and has moved to the left on a host of issues since he was last in the Senate. I know that he is running for president at the moment. If he does not win in the early states, he will have time to get himself on the ballot in North Carolina and bring that seat home for the Democrats.
Edwards has to win Iowa to be viable, even if he does win Iowa he will have to do well in other early primary states. By February 5th he likely will either be out of the running or the nominee apparent. It is my hope that if he does not win Iowa he will drop out immediately, endorse whomever he supports and begin his campaign to win a seat for the Democrats in the Senate. He would be a valuable addition to our majority and a powerful voice for improving America.
Update: This is not intended as a hit diary. Edwards isn't my first choice for president, but he is probably my second. I would be happy with him as our nominee and our president. If he is not our nominee I would like to see him in federal office again. Plus it would be nice to be rid of the Doles.
Also in green and at open left.
Obama is my first choice, but if Edwards is our nominee I will work to make sure he is our next president. If Edwards stays in the contest to be our party's nominee longer that Obama, I will probably work to make sure that Edwards is our parties nominee.