Down to Two...

...John Edwards has bowed out of his race for the Democratic presidential nomination. He will not give his endorsement to either Obama or Clinton for now and instead has promises from both that they will talk about the issues that mean the most of him (poverty, help to the poor, better hair care products).

Meanwhile both camps were quick to kiss his ass.

"At a time when our politics is too focused on who's up and who's down, he made a nation focus again on who matters -- the New Orleans child without a home, the West Virginia miner without a job, the families who live in that other America that is not seen or heard or talked about by our leaders in Washington," Obama said Wednesday.

And not to be outdone, the Clinton statement.

"John Edwards ended his campaign today in the same way he started it -- by standing with the people who are too often left behind and nearly always left out of our national debate," Clinton said in a statement.

Edwards says he will not consider a running mate position and previous speculation says that he would be the Attorney General in an Obama-run White House.

Florida Predictions

First I predict high turnout..

Democrats: I think Hillary Clinton will take this state by 5-7% points over Obama with John Edwards in a distant third. Edwards has pretty much shunned the state opting for southeastern states that will give him a better chance. Clinton should have a more favorable voting margin among African-Americans in Florida then she did in South Carolina because more Florida voters are transplants from Northeast and have a much more favorable view of the Clinton family right now.

Republicans: I believe John McCain will earn a hard-fought victory over Mitt Romney, which could give him the bounce needed for Super Tuesday. Anything other than a second-place finish will spell the end for Rudy Giuliani while Mike Huckabee is focused on the southern states in Super Tuesday where he will have a good chance at ruffling some feathers.

Nothing is settled yet.

All Florida All The Time...

....I love when primary day comes to my home state!

Obviously the week started off good for Obama when several Kennedys (not named Jane or Jamie) decided to endorse him. Despite all the high profile endorsements, it hasn't showed up at the polls, which tells me that maybe these once important endorsements aren't important anymore.

"I have great respect for President Clinton and great respect for Senator Clinton," Kennedy said, sitting alongside Obama. "But this race really isn't about President Clinton. It's a race of enormous importance and consequence for our country."

However Senator Clinton has endorsements from some Kennedy family members as well including Maryland LT Govenor Kathleen Kennedy Townsend.

"As a woman, leader and person of deep convictions, I believe Hillary Clinton would make the best possible choice for president," Kennedy Townsend said in a statement. "She shares so many of the concerns of my father."

Now all the news was bad for Senator Clinton has she picked up a nice endorsement from former "candidate" Senator Joe Biden and a super endorsement from popular Florida Senator Bill Nelson. Biden, who earlier in the campaigning season, made some questionable comments about Obama

On the right side of the Ledger it's a dead heat between Mitt Romney and John McCain with the senior senator from Arizona picking up major endorsements from Senator Mel Martinez and Governor Charlie Crist.

Martinez carries major weight with the Hispanic voters in Florida, the same group Giuliani has been trying to woo for much of the last week with anti-Castro jargon. His speeches were passionate but sparsely attended and much like his campaign, the voters seem to have gotten over it.

Meanwhile Charlie Crist is almost as popular as the legendary Lawton Chiles in the Sunshine state where he appeals to conservatives and liberals alike with his basic centrist policies and lack of pandering to the special interest groups or religious right. His endorsement could give McCain a leg up in the state come national election time.

''There are a lot of great people running for the Republican nomination, for president,'' Crist said, standing next to McCain. "After thinking about it as much as I have I don't think anybody would do a better than the man who stands next to me. That's an endorsement."