Why John Edwards, Why?

In this season of holiday giftgiving, John Edwards has decided to give the growing ranks of Democrats running for president a gift of himself. But you have to ask why?

In 2004, when John Edwards was a senator from North Carolina and a strong candidate in the Democratic primary campaign for president as the runner-up to John Kerry, Edwards was really at his peak. His standardized "Two America's" stump speech rang a responsive chord among many voters. But as the vice presidential running mate on the losing John Kerry ticket, Edwards failed to add very much to the ticket. Edwards failed to even carry his home state of North Carolina, helping to seal the doom of the Kerry/Edwards ticket. It is also unclear whether Edwards even has the popularity left at home to be even re-elected senator in North Carolina should he ever decide to run again, let alone stand a chance of being elected president.

By any standard, Edwards is a youthful, great looking candidate, but that's hardly the substance grounds to make him president. And as a product liability attorney, Edwards did bring some irresponsible companies to justice to force safety improvements in unsafe products. But the 2004 general election exposed too many shortcomings with both Edwards as well as John Kerry, badly damaging both, virtually ensuring that neither will ever be president or even vice president.

John Edwards stood his best shot at becoming president in 2004. That ship has long since come and sailed. The Clintons are far more skillful at fundraising and campaign organization than any potential Democratic rival to climb over, especially a John Edwards who will no doubt run far weaker this time than last. This time, he likely won't even be asked to join the vice presidential half of the Democratic ticket. Why run this year John Edwards, why?