Editing John Edwards (section)

===2008 presidential campaign===
{{main|John Edwards 2008 presidential campaign}}
[[Image:John Edwards Pittsburgh 2007.jpg|thumb|right|John Edwards campaigning in [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]] on Labor Day in 2007]]
On December 28, 2006, John Edwards officially announced his candidacy for President in the 2008 election from the yard of a home in [[New Orleans, Louisiana]], that was being rebuilt after [[Hurricane Katrina]] destroyed it.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,11069-2521766,00.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20100603225215/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,11069-2521766,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 3, 2010 |work=[[The Times]] |location=London |title=John Edwards joins race for White House |first1=Sam |last1=Knight |date=December 28, 2006 |access-date=May 6, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/27/AR2006122701452.html |title=John Edwards Joins Presidential Race |newspaper=The Washington Post |author=Nedra Pickler |date=December 28, 2006 |access-date=December 28, 2006}}</ref> Edwards stated that his main goals were eliminating poverty, fighting [[global warming]], providing [[universal health care]], and withdrawing troops from Iraq.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2006-12-28-edwards-2008_x.htm |title=Edwards takes another shot at run for White House |work=[[USA Today]] |date=December 29, 2006 |access-date=July 6, 2007 |first=Jill |last=Lawrence}}</ref>

National polls had Edwards placing third among the Democratic field beginning in January 2007, behind Senator [[Hillary Clinton]] and Senator [[Barack Obama]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Clinton, Obama in Virtual Tie Among Democrats |url=http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections/election_2008/2008_presidential_election/clinton_obama_in_virtual_tie_among_democrats |publisher=Rasmussen Reports |date=January 17, 2007 |access-date=June 1, 2007}}</ref> By July 2007, the Edwards campaign had raised $23 million from nearly 100,000 donors, placing him behind Obama and Clinton in fundraising.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/07/01/ap3874969.html |title=Edwards Raises More Than $9 Million |author=Jim Kuhnhenn |work=Forbes |date=July 1, 2007 |access-date=July 6, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070703233837/http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/07/01/ap3874969.html |archive-date=July 3, 2007}}</ref>

Edwards was first to boycott a [[Fox News]]-sponsored presidential debate in March 2007.<ref>[https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fox-news-boss-hits-edwards-boycott/ Fox News Boss Hits Edwards' Boycott]  CBS News, March 9, 2007</ref> Hillary Clinton, [[Bill Richardson]], and Barack Obama followed suit.

[[Image:Edwardsraittbrownecoyote.JPG|thumb|John Edwards with [[Bonnie Raitt]], [[Jackson Browne]], and [[Peter Coyote]] at a campaign event in [[Manchester, New Hampshire]]]]

On January 3, 2008, in the [[2008 Iowa Democratic presidential caucuses|Iowa caucuses]], the first contest of the nomination process, Edwards placed second with 29.75% of the vote to Obama (37.58%), with Clinton coming in third with 29.47% of the vote.<ref>[http://www.iowacaucusresults.com/ Online Casino Strategies] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160415000251/http://www.iowacaucusresults.com/ |date=April 15, 2016}}. Iowacaucusresults.com. Retrieved on June 3, 2011.</ref> On January 8, Edwards placed a distant third in the [[2008 New Hampshire Democratic presidential primary|New Hampshire Democratic primary]] with just under 17% (48,818 votes). On January 26, Edwards again placed third in the [[2008 South Carolina Democratic presidential primary|primary in South Carolina]] – his birth state – which he had carried in 2004, and he placed third in the non-binding January 29 vote in Florida.

[[Image:John Edwards in New Orleans 2008.jpg|left|thumb|At the [[Musicians' Village]] in New Orleans, Edwards announced the suspension of his campaign.]]
On January 30, 2008, following his primary and caucus losses, Edwards announced that he was suspending his campaign for the presidency.<ref name="CBSend">{{cite news |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/edwards-exits-presidential-race/ |title=Edwards exits presidential race |work=CBS News |date=January 30, 2008 |access-date=January 30, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN2964765820080131/ |title=Giuliani, Edwards quit White House Race |date=January 30, 2008 |access-date=January 30, 2008 |publisher=[[Reuters]] |first=Steve |last=Holland}}</ref><ref name=SuspendVideo>{{cite web |title=Edwards Withdrawal Announcement |url=http://www.c-span.org/video/?203861-1/edwards-withdrawal-announcement |website=C-SPAN |access-date=11 April 2015 |format=Video |date=30 January 2008 |quote=At a New Orleans event Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards announced that he is suspending his campaign}}</ref> He did not initially endorse either Clinton or Obama, saying they both had pledged to carry forward his central campaign theme of ending poverty in America.<ref name="Globeend">{{cite news |url=https://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2008/01/edwards_drops_o.html |title=Edwards drops out of race |author=Foon Rhee |work=The Boston Globe |date=January 30, 2008 |access-date=January 30, 2008}}</ref> In April 2008, he stated that he would not accept the 2008 vice presidential slot if asked.<ref>{{cite news |title=John Edwards says would not accept VP nomination |author=Sinead Carew |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSN0336718220080403 |publisher=Reuters |date=April 3, 2008 |access-date=May 14, 2008}}</ref> On May 14, 2008, Edwards officially endorsed Senator Obama at a rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/05/14/edwards.obama/ |work=CNN|title=Edwards endorses Obama, praises Clinton |date=May 15, 2008 |access-date=May 6, 2010}}</ref>

On June 15, 2008, Edwards stepped back from his initial outright denial of interest in the position of Vice President, saying, "I'd take anything he asks me to think about seriously, but obviously this is something that I've done and it's not a job I'm seeking."<ref>{{cite news |title=Edwards not ruling out new VP bid under Obama |url=https://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080615/pl_afp/usvotevp |agency=AFP |date=June 15, 2008 |access-date=June 15, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080618185440/http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080615/pl_afp/usvotevp |archive-date=June 18, 2008}}</ref> On June 20, 2008, the [[Associated Press]] reported that according to a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, the names of Edwards and [[Sam Nunn]] were on Obama's vice presidential shortlist.<ref>{{cite news |title=AP: Edwards makes Obama's VP List |url=http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/06/20/ap-edwards-makes-obamas-vp-list/ |agency=Associated Press |date=June 20, 2008 |access-date=June 20, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080627163027/http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/06/20/ap-edwards-makes-obamas-vp-list/ |archive-date=June 27, 2008}}</ref> Ultimately, then-Senator [[Joe Biden]] of Delaware was tapped to become Obama's running mate.