John Edwards to Drop Out of Presidential Race

AP photo: In South Carolina: Clinton, Obama, and Edwards

Reuters reported this morning that according to a campaign official, John Edwards plans to announce his decision to pull out of the presidential race during a speech in New Orleans at 1 p.m. EST today.

So far, Edwards has not won a primary contest, although when Obama took Iowa, he placed second by a fraction of a percentage point ahead of Clinton. Clinton received only one fewer of the Iowa delegates than Obama and one more than Edwards. In subsequent primaries, Edwards has lagged well behind both Obama and Clinton.

The pundits will all be abuzz now over whether Clinton or Obama will benefit the most from Edwards supporters. I’m thinking it will most likely be an even split whether or not Edwards decides to endorse one of his former rivals.