In a surprise announcement this evening in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Barack Obama received the long coveted endorsement of his former Democratic rival, John Edwards. Election 2008 is entrenched in pop cultural references and so it is no surprise that as he began his speech, Edwards said, “You know, I was promised a jet ski,” referring to a comedy monologue he did on The Colbert Report in which he said he wanted a jet ski before endorsing any presidential candidate.

Sounding a theme of a nation divided into parts by walls, Mr. Edwards said, “The reason I am here tonight is that Democratic voters in America have made their choice and so have I.”

Mr. Edwards then went on to say, “There is one man who knows in his heart that it is time to tear down that wall and make one America, Barack Obama.”

Mr. Obama, who had introduced Mr. Edwards as “one of the great leaders we have in the Democratic Party, ” responded by saying he was grateful to him for coming to Michigan and giving his endorsement.

Mr. Obama also noted how Mr. Edwards and his wife, Elizabeth, had emphasized health care as an issue that is of primary concern, then said it would be a major issue in his administration.

The endorsement comes at a time when the appeal of Mr. Obama appears to be lagging among white, blue-collar voters, a group to which Mr. Edwards openly appealed.

Mr. Edwards’s endorsement also brings in tow 19 convention delegates he won in early party selections. He could certainly urge them to give their support to Mr. Obama, though they would not be obligated by party rules to do so.

Source: John Edwards Endorses Barack Obama

This photograph from a debate earlier this year with Obama, Edwards and Clinton seems to foreshadow unfolding events. Edwards stressed his desire to unify the party, a theme which Obama himself took up in his speech at the rally. As AP reports, Edwards personally informed Clinton of his decision beforehand.

Both Obama and Clinton immediately asked Edwards for his endorsement, but he stayed mum for more than four months. His endorsement would have carried far more clout if he had made it in February, when the Obama-Clinton outcome was very much in doubt.

A person close to Edwards, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he wanted to get involved now to begin unifying the party. Obama also signed on to Edwards’ anti-poverty initiative, which he launched Tuesday with the goal of reducing poverty in the United States by half within 10 years.

When he made his decision, Edwards didn’t even tell many of his former top advisers because he wanted to inform Clinton personally, said the person close to him. Edwards’ wife, Elizabeth, who has said she thinks Clinton has the superior health care plan, did not travel with him to Michigan and is not part of the endorsement.

David “Mudcat” Saunders, a chief adviser for Edwards on rural affairs during his presidential campaign, said the endorsement should take some sting out of Obama’s resounding loss in West Virginia.

“For Barack Obama, I think he ought to kiss Johnny Edwards on the lips to kill this 41-point loss,” Saunders said.

Source: Edwards gives long-awaited endorsement to Obama

See also

• In Michigan, Edwards endorses Obama
• Edwards Endorses Obama
• Edwards endorses Obama, praises Clinton

That’s the news and video: John Edwards Endorses Obama 5-14-08