(CNN) – If reporters had nabbed former presidential candidate John Edwards lying about his extramarital affair, Hillary Clinton would have captured the Democratic presidential nomination, her former communications director said.
"I believe we would have won Iowa, and Clinton today would therefore have been the nominee," Howard Wolfson told ABCNews.com in an interview released Monday, because internal campaign polling showed "our voters and Edwards voters were the same people. They were older, pro-union. Not all, but maybe two-thirds of them would have been for us and we would have barely beaten Obama."
iReport.com: Share your thoughts on the Edwards scandal
Two months after Edwards first denied rumors of the affair, Barack Obama's win in the Iowa caucuses - and Clinton's third-place showing behind Edwards - fundamentally altered the shape of the race.
"Any of the campaigns that would have tried to push that [rumor] would have been burned by it," said Wolfson, who said he did not understand why, in his view, the national media had not aggressively reported the story. "I can't say I understand the rules of the media and I'm not sure they do either."
Clinton officials have long blamed the media for her failure to live up to pre-vote expectations.
Obama's campaign has disputed the idea that Edwards voters were natural Clinton voters if he were to exit the race, pointing to the fact that once the former North Carolina senator dropped out, Obama immediately went on to a string of victories, racking up 11 in a row. They also say that anti-war liberals in Iowa would not have supported Clinton, given her vote authorizing the use of force in Iraq.
The available numbers tend to argue against Wolfson's point of view, says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland.
Among Edwards voters in Iowa, CNN polling indicated that Obama was the second choice of 43 percent, and Clinton of 24 percent, with 11 percent naming other candidates.
"Since Edwards got 30 percent of the vote, we can estimate that if Edwards had not been in the race, Obama would have picked up an additional 13 percentage points, and Clinton would have picked up an additional 7 percentage points," says Holland. "So hypothetically, if Edwards had not been in the race, Obama would have still won the Iowa caucuses by a 51 to 37 percent margin."
From CNN Politics
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertising practices | Advertise with us | About us | Work for us | Help
I just don't understand why Hillary Clinton and her supporters accept that she lose fair and sqaure. Obama can say the same thing about Edward affair. She is just a sore loser and I am so sick of hearing about her.
Looks like Hillary Clinton isn't the only woman in the world who "stood by her man" after he had and "affair", and probably won't be the last.
It wouldn't have mattered afer Bill blew it for Hillary the fat lady was singing at the top of her lungs!!!!!!
Give it uuuuup...........................
Is there anyone or organization that the Clintons do not blame for their failure to capture the White House once again in order to make fools of the country? Their story would make a great country and western song.
If Perot had not competed, Bill would not have won.
If Hillary had won Iowa, she wouldn't have cried in NH.
If Bill had not shared a cigar with Monica, Gore would be cheering Americans in Beijiing. And the list goes on. What's the point? This campaign, over and buried, still amazes us by their inability to do anything right so they have to blame others for their own faults. Thank God that woman never became the President.
What is it with this "would of could have if this if that " Crap. OMG. so many say they could have won if this and if that. Get over it. this lady needs a Reality check. freakin sour looser. it is just destroying her for 2008. she will be labeled as the "Whinner"
Still tossing out excuses
If I would have played the lottery today and hit I would have been have million by now. Same thing with this story. If, IF, AND IF. Too bad if don't count! The Clintons are hurting the party and they just don't care.
Oh get over it! Obama is the guy vote for him or get McBush. Its Simple.
Stop it cnn. Leave it alone quite trying to cause problems. And people before the hate starts Hillary didnt say this and the aide is stupid.
oh no ! not another "if..." from another clinton supporter
don't these people get it ... she lost the nomination... fair and square... no way to circumvent that reality...
Oh please. Holy cow. It's over, Hillary. You will NOT be the next President or even Vic President. Let it go. You lost.
OMG....get over it, Hillary lost.
those rumors about Edwards were being reported on. If you all were doing your job instead of trying to smear Sen Obama, you could have used some of your money to investigate the allegations.
Instead of attacking the real losers, you spent time and energy attackintg a good moral man, but I don't expect you Hillary people to feel bad about that because most of you are uneducated.
I believe that the outcome of the Dem primaries would have been to Sen. Clinton's advantage had this story been pressed. It seems to me that she has been thrown under the bus by the DNC. All of those PUMAs out there should be quite riled by this!
Yawn--More "what ifs" for the Hilllary campaign.
So this is how you're going to go about building a stronger party? You blame your loss on the timing of another candidates exit? Why couldn't you simply attract those voters yourself in the first place? I could see if you fiinished second there but you didn't. You were third. That's just a sad statement at this time to make. Pathetic.
The Hillary camp will never give it up. Talk about sore loser........
Obama and Edwards supporters were a lot closer than Clinton and Edwards ones. Wolfson had better look in the mirror as he's one of the big reasons Hillary lost. Mark Penn and Bill Clinton can look in the same mirror. Will this guy ever go away?
Woulda, coulda, shoulda – what difference does it make now?
a-hahahahahahaha!!!
man, she'll say anything, won't she? she didn't lose, she woulda won, etc etc. i tell you how she'dve won – with more votes. america didn't want her, and still doesn't. take it back to arkansas and find some more land deals, lady. you'll never be president of this country...
If wishes were horses, beggars would ride.
Obama '08
could have, would have let's move on
Howard should quit crying. The truth is, had she been a better candidate you would have won the nomination. Just because she may have won Iowa, and there is no way to know that now, it does not mean that she would have won any of the other state than the ones she did win. None.
Howard has short term selective memory, just like he and the campaign had during the primaries. The race is over, you lost and move on. Crying about it makes you look small and petty... oh wait that is who you are.
Once agin I am shocked at what I see. The Clintons did not want Obama to win. Thats why Bills been acting like a baby. Any other time he would be in front of every camera he could find. But now hes got to much on his plate. Like What ever. They want the White House so bad they would , hate on Obama and put a negative stero type on there own heads. WOW This goes to show that anyone can have a serious mental issue and still have power and money..... Owww power and money make people crazy.... yeah there we go!
Mention of Edward affair could have also be a down fall for the Clintons becasue it would have reminded everybody of Bill Clinton affair so there is not way she can say this type of statment.