And so two more presidential hopefuls leave the line-up.
There’s a lot of speculation about whether Gov. Rick Perry and Attorney General Greg Abbott will follow Rudy Giuliani‘s line and jump behind John McCain. The reality is that, in votes or policy, Giuliani has had little to no impact on the Republican primary process.
The same can’t be said of John Edwards in the Democratic race, and Texas Democratic Party chairman Boyd Richie was quick to point that out today. In an unusual step, he issued a press release entitled “Edwards Helped Shape the Debate in this Election.” Admittedly, Edwards did win the party’s ePrimary back in September, but Richie’s statement goes beyond merely echoing that historic reality, and points to the reality: that Edwards took the glossy and ubiquitous ‘change’ mantra and actually presented a view of what he wanted to change it to.
See below the fold for the full text.
I want to congratulate former Senator John Edwards on his hard fought campaign for President. Throughout his time on the campaign trail, Senator Edwards delivered a message to the people that helped shape the debate in this election. His mainstream message of change resonated with voters from all parts of the country, including Texas – as seen by his overwhelming victory in the Texas Democratic Party e-Primary Poll.
Senator Edwards’ commitment to bettering the lives of Americans and improving the country we live in is commendable. I am confident that his message of peace and prosperity for all will continue to resonate throughout the remainder of this election. Senator Edwards’ involvement, as well as the participation of every Democratic candidate, has made this a better election.”
On a related note, this was the last press release at the Texas Democratic Party to be released under communications director Amber Moon, who is leaving Austin to work for the Harris County Democratic Party. Good luck, Amber.
This article appears in January 25 • 2008.
