No Edwards: Hillary Wins

Did the Mainstream media's lack of followup in the Edwards/Hunter affair last November keep Edwards in the race and ended up kicking Hillary out? It was around then that the first Edwards rumors started kicking around. The mainstream media angle is my addition, but it's the logical conclusion to this thinking here exhibited by Howard Wolfson:

"I believe we would have won Iowa, and Clinton today would therefore have been the nominee," former Clinton Communications Director Howard Wolfson told ABCNews.com.

Clinton finished third in the Iowa caucuses barely behind Edwards in second place and Obama in first. The momentum of the insurgent Obama campaign beating two better-known candidates -- not to mention an African-American winning in such an overwhelmingly white state -- changed the dynamics of the race forever.

Interesting. Also interesting that the calculation then by Hillary would have been to keep Edwards in the race to split the anti-Hillary vote. As it turned out, she needed him out because he was splitting the anti-Obama vote.

That's... ironic.

Tip to Bearing Drift Ohio