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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2009
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Edwards Cost Clinton Dearly: Penn

Ex-senator's fall from grace touches off second-guessing

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(Newser) – Hillary Clinton strategist Mark Penn is kicking himself in the wake of reports that Elizabeth Edwards thinks her husband shouldn't have run for president, ABC News reports. If news of John Edwards' infidelity had forced him to drop out of the race, Penn said, “No question in my mind, it would have been a very different race.”

"Most likely it would have been a two-way race"—Clinton-Obama—said Penn. He noted that Edwards’ strong showing in the first Iowa caucus siphoned off votes from Clinton and shattered the image of her as the “inevitable” candidate. “If Edwards would have dropped out there would have been a real contest for those votes," said Penn. "I think a lot of voters would have taken a good fresh look at Hillary Clinton.”

Mark Penn, chief strategist and pollster for Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton, speaks to reporters in the 'spin room' after the Democratic debate at Saint Anselm College January 5, 2008 in Manchester, New Hampshire.
Mark Penn, chief strategist and pollster for Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton, speaks to reporters in the 'spin room' after the Democratic debate at Saint Anselm College January...   (Getty Images)
Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., cups her ear as reporters ask her about Mark Penn, the pollster and senior strategist for Clinton's presidential bid who left the campaign Sunday, at the airport in Albuquerque, N.M., Sunday, April 6, 2008.
Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., cups her ear as reporters ask her about Mark Penn, the pollster and senior strategist for Clinton's presidential bid who left the...   (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
Mark Penn, then a pollster for former President Bill Clinton, is seen in this Feb. 3, 1998 file photo, in New York.
Mark Penn, then a pollster for former President Bill Clinton, is seen in this Feb. 3, 1998 file photo, in New York.   (AP Photo/The New York Times, Librado Romero, File)
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Most likely it would have been a two-way race and would have released a lot of voters who focused on demographics. Voters who would later vote for Hillary Clinton.
- Mark Penn, chief strategist for Clinton 2008

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11 comments
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TerrifiedCitizen
May 1, 09 5:29 PM CDT
Could of, should of, would of... quit living in the past; that's what's stopping the GOP from moving forward. Reply
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+3
freethemall
May 1, 09 5:33 PM CDT
Edwards' personal failings was a big disappointment, but to say he diverted votes from Clinton, is no more valid than to say Clinton or Obama diverted votes from him. He was leading in the polls in Iowa, before the campaign really geared up. Reply
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0
shonangreg
May 1, 09 5:56 PM CDT
Jee, I supported Edwards as the guy most challenging the corrupt power structures until I heard Obama speak. Obama was almost like a super-set of Edwards. And many Obama-Edwards thought the two were splitting the same pool of supporters. ................... I think if Edwards had dropped out earlier, Obama would have gotten that much more support early on. ..................... And as was said during the Democrat primaries, Obama is the kind of guy that the more you hear him, the more you like him. Reply
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nick
May 1, 09 7:02 PM CDT
John McCain did more damage to his own presidential hopes by choosing Sarah Palin, than any damage Edwards' might have done to Hillary Clinton's by dropping out. A more important factor to her losing to Obama was her less-than-effective staff, as indicated by Hillary firing her campaign manager, Patti Solis Doyle, in early February, 2008, following four straight losses to Obama in December 2007, while Edwards was still in the race. At least that's my story! Reply
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+1
stormy7
May 1, 09 7:17 PM CDT
Edwards cost Hillary a shit load of votes. This country needs a woman , strong and smart and that lady is Hillary. I didn't support Obama but I voted for him to counter the racist votes against him. Reply
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