UPDATED w/Video John Edwards Officially Endorses Barack Obama

May 14, 2008

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Well it’s finally happened, former Senator and Presidential nominee John Edwards has officially confirmed that he will be giving his full support and endorsement too Senator Barack Obama. The announcement itself will take place tonight at a planned rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan at the Van Andel Arena. It has been confirmed that John Edwards boarded a plane hours ago that was headed for Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Edwards, who ran for president on a platform of eradicating poverty, plans to appear alongside Obama for the announcement. Edwards’ endorsement will give Obama a key establishment stamp of approval as he attempts to close out the nominating process.

John Edwards and his wife, Elizabeth, have remained studiously neutral since the Edwards campaign came to a close Jan. 30. Edwards on Sunday called Obama “the likely nominee,” but made clear that his statement reflected a judgment about the state of the race, not necessarily a personal preference.

The possibility of an Edwards endorsement has been the subject of intense speculation for months; only former vice president Al Gore’s endorsement was more coveted by Obama and Clinton. A source close to the Clinton campaign said the Edwards camp gave the Clinton folks a heads up:

“Clearly it’s upsetting” the source tells ABC. “He brings the workers” to Obama.

This serves as one more brick to the incredibly strong foundation Senator Barack Obama has created leading into the general election against Senator John McCain. As referenced above, John Edwards is in fact a huge endorsement for Obama to receive, and the timing couldn’t be better.

The event was a political spectacle that was worthy of every ounce of coverage it received. Edwards, who received a thunderous ovation when Obama introduced him to a crowd of several thousand:

Edwards said,“brothers and sisters, we must come together as Democrats” to defeat McCain. “We are here tonight because the Democratic voters have made their choice, and so have I.”

He said Obama “stands with me” in a fight to cut poverty in half within 10 years.

Edwards also praised Clinton, saying “we are a stronger party” because of her involvement, and “we’re going to have a stronger nominee in the fall because of her work.”

He said Clinton is a “woman who is made of steel. She is a leader in this country not because of her husband but because of what she has done.”

Clinton campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe said in a statement, “We respect John Edwards, but as the voters of West Virginia showed last night, this thing is far from over.”

Here is video of the Edwards endorsement that took place in a energized Van Andel arena, in Grand Rapids, MI. I think that this was one of the most visually amped Obama crowd we have seen in some time, and that is surprising to some extent seeing as though the event took place in the historically conservative city of Grand Rapids, Michigan.