A Closer Look at the Math Problem Edwards Averted

The long-tern effect of John Edwards’ early exit is that Barack Obama will wrap up the nomination by early June, a grateful Steve Kornacki writes in the New York Observer. A  slower withdrawal would have spelled trouble for the Democrats, who are having enough trouble making up their minds. "Imagine the comparative mess Democrats might be in if Edwards had opted to stick around," says Kornacki, who dissects the numbers.

“The race wouldn’t end until Edwards decided to end it," he writes. "We might now be facing a summer of speculation about backroom offers and counter-offers from the Obama and Clinton camps to Edwards, and the prospect of a second ballot at a national convention for the first time since 1956 would be more real than ever.” (More John Edwards stories.)