Former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards has decided to endorse Barack Obama as the party's nominee, said a TV report on Wednesday.
U.S. Democratic Presidential candidate and former Senator John Edwards (D-NC) shakes his fist as he campaigns at the Friendship Haven Celebration Center in Fort Dodge, Iowa Jan. 1, 2008.
The former North Carolina Senator was set to announce his endorsement on Wednesday night when appearing with Illinois Senator Obama in Grand Rapids, Michigan, according to a CNN report.
The move, which came a day after Hillary Rodham Clinton won big in the West Virginia primary, is considered by U.S. media as a big boost for Obama's bid for the first African American president in the country.
Edwards, the 2004 vice presidential nominee, dropped out of the race in late January since he was far behind trailing the third in the primaries and caucuses and saw no space in the tied competition between Obama and Clinton.
Beside boost to his campaign, Obama can also take away with the 19 delegates that Edwards has gained in the primary season.
Since Edwards quit the race, the speculation has been on whether Obama or Clinton could benefit his endorsement.
He was seen before the South Carolina primary having private talks with Clinton, while he has once shared Obama's message to bring changes to Washington.
According to a Yahoo poll in January, 40 percent of Edwards' supporters said that their second choice in the race is Clinton, and about 25 percent prefers Obama.
In his first bid for the White House, Edwards dropped out the presidential nomination race on March 3, 2004. Then he endorsed the nominee, John Kerry, and became the vice presidential candidate.
As the son of a millworker, Edwards has appealed to voters with his "underdog" story and vow to protect labor rights. His wife, Elizabeth, who is suffering from cancer, also boosted support to him.
Among his populist messages, the cores are fighting poverty, afford universal health care coverage and reducing influence of special interest groups in Washington, which were embraced by a number of voters.
(Xinhua News Agency May 15, 2008)
