Mama Told Me There'd Be Days Like This...

...Days that seem like heaven for a political junkie. Hoo, Lordy. Let's see what we've got.

First off, Mississippi's First Congressional District held a special election to replace Roger Whittaker, who took Trent Lott's senate seat after he retired. In spite of a massive Republican effort, which included appearances by Dick Cheney and Mike Huckabee, cost well over a million dollars and utilized smear ads starring Barack Obama and Rev. Wright, Democrat Travis Childers defeated Republican Greg Davis by 8 points.

Now, if you're a Democrat, this is great news. But you need to temper your excitement. Because there are some things you should know about Mississippi Democrats like Childers. They are twice as conservative as say, CT Republican Congressman Chris Shays. They're pro-life, pro-guns, anti-government, and you bet they're not pro-affirmative action. So... while it's true that the standard Republican attack machine couldn't make hay out of Rev. Wright's ties to Barack Obama in this race, it's probably because Travis Childers wasn't tying himself to Barack Obama. As a harbinger of how Rev. Wright and Obama will play on other down ticket races, I wouldn't consider this race a reliable bell weather.

If you're a Republican however, you should be worried. I don't care if the candidate was lousy, as most folks agree Davis was. This is the third special election in a row Republicans have lost. And to lose in this district? Bush won here with 62% in 2004. A Republican should roll out of bed and win here. But what should really worry you is that your national leadership is totally freaking out. There's some serious soul searching going on. And real concern about losing beaucoup seats in the fall.

Now look, I know endorsements aren't that big a deal, but what's NARAL thinking? The national pro choice group decided to endorse Barack Obama. I mean, I wish I could come up with an original take on this but I can't. It's a slap in the face to Hillary Clinton, who has worked on NARAL's behalf for decades. They say that they wanted to support the presumptive nominee and start unifying the party, but this doesn't help. A lot of pro-choice Hillary supporters (that would be almost every Hillary supporter) will be upset.

And last but not least, here's an endorsement that does matter: John Edwards' very public, very choreographed endorsement of Barack Obama. In a packed arena in Grand Rapids Wednesday night, just in time for all the nightly newscasts, Edwards appeared with Obama and endorsed him with a vigorous speech that recapped his favorite theme: making the two Americas one. For political spectacle it was non pareil. And for those of you who think Obama is too naive to be cold-blooded in his political calculations, I say you're naive. This bit of theater completely and intentionally made Hillary's huge West Virginia win seem like a distant memory. Every poltical pundit used the same words: 'impeccable timing'.

What was priceless was the joy and amazement that John Edwards tried to supress upon his entrance to the stage. It was just like a rock concert, which we've come to expect from the Obama campaign. But lest we forget, most campaigns aren't like this. I'm sure John Edwards has attended some big rallies. He was the VP nominee so he was on stage in front of a packed arena at the 2004 convention. But this was the night after a primary in Grand Rapids, Michigan! And it looked and sounded like a Bruce Springsteen concert. You could tell Edwards was thinking, "Hey, I could get used to this". Other small observations: Edwards was reluctant to give a full bear hug to Obama. And when Obama instinctivly went for another hug after Edwards' speech, he smartly made it seem as if he wanted to whisper in Edwards' ear. Obama's a quick study.

From a political standpoint, will Edwards provide help in wooing those famous working-class white voters in upcoming primaries? Probably not much. But if Obama can get Edwards' 18 delegates, that would give him the majority of delegates (based on 2025). Edwards' endorsement also beats the inevitability drum. And as everyone said, 'they make such a nice looking couple'. As a result, the whispers about an Obama/Edwards ticket have now become a dull roar. I don't see it. Obama needs to move to the center, not to the left, where John Edwards can live unapologetically--now that he's not running for President. Make him Attorney General and grab a front row seat for fireworks at DOJ.

Well, time to call it a night after a great political day. If you're a political junkie, that is.

What impact will the Edwards' endorsment actually have on Obama's campaign. Talk about this or anything else by clicking on 'comments' below, bypassing the Google search and hitting the nickname or anonymous button.