It can't be easy being John Edwards these days.
Like the only girl in school without a prom date, former Sen. Edwards is being heavily courted by the last two suitors, although in this case more than just a corsage and an escort may be in store.
As the Democratic primary drags on and as close as the race has been, each candidate is looking for whatever edge they can get to help corral a few extra precious delegates to their column.
Both candidates see an Edwards endorsement as an advantage they can't afford to lose to the other side. Since Edwards dropped out of the race, Clinton and Obama have stayed in regular contact with Edwards and his people, largely in an effort to win the votes of working-class whites who had previously backed Edwards.
Edwards' anti-establishment message and brand of inspirational populism seems to fit well with the Obama strategy. Yet his emphasis on economics and his appeal among the blue-collar set is generally thought of as being congruous with Clinton's strengths.
It's not hard to imagine Edwards covets another go at the vice presidency. His defeat along with Sen. John Kerry in 2004 didn't dissuade him from making a run for this year's nomination, and nor should we assume he's ready to ride off into the sunset now.
The timing of Edwards' departure from the current race was curious, coming only days before Super Tuesday. Edwards may have wanted to see who, if anyone, would come out looking like a future nominee who needed cozying up to, and perhaps he didn't want to be accused of siphoning away votes from Clinton or Obama.
It appears the most likely potential nominee to pick Edwards as a running mate would be Clinton. He would provide gender balance to the ticket, first off, and also shore up her support among lower-income voters. She would also benefit, by association, from Edwards' likability and emotional appeal, two areas where Clinton doesn't always blow the voters away.
The bad news for Edwards is Obama may be pulling away from Clinton, and possibly for good. If this is true, it would do Edwards little benefit, as a career move, to back Obama's rival and wind up out in the cold come VP-picking time. And yet backing Obama could have little long-term utility for Edwards, as he's more of a long shot to land a spot on Obama's ticket than on Clinton's.
So what is Edwards to do? He could go for broke, back Clinton and hope it all works out. He could back Obama and hope for a cabinet-level or other federal appointment. Or he could just sit this one out and wonder whether his time in politics has passed.
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