Beating Broder

I’m not the only one who thinks John Edwards is running for the #2 spot (not by a long shot!) — so does David Broder. Read:

The operative question — the “watch what we do, not what we say” test — is how Edwards deals with Kerry in Wisconsin this week, particularly in their Sunday evening television debate in Milwaukee. Politicians outside his campaign are almost unanimous in saying that Edwards has to confront Kerry on his record — especially on trade agreements and other job-related issues — if he is to catch him.

But when I interviewed Edwards in South Carolina, he showed no inclination to come out swinging. In early January, he said: “When it looked like nothing was working, when I was in single digits everywhere and not competitive, there was enormous pressure on me to change, to be more negative and more attack-oriented. But I believed I was doing the right thing, and stayed with what I am.”

In other words, “stay in the race, keep playing nice, and hope for the #2 spot.”