Statistics rarely sell

John Edwards, the Hallway Monitor of the Democratic Field, has released statistics his campaign says show he can put more right-leaning states into play than his Democratic rivals in a general election, thereby making him the better choice of the three front-runners.

The argument is meant to assure undecideds and independents that a vote for Edwards isn't a wasted vote.

My guess is the real strategy is to assure campaign donors that a dollar spent on the Edwards campaign isn't a wasted dollar, since voters are rarely moved by such thinly sliced data.

Edwards is going to have to come up with a better closing argument at this point in his campaign. He's burdened with having been part of a losing ticket and having left the Senate at a time when he could have had a meaningful role in important policy decisions. He needs a little Biden in him.

He also needs to step outside of the lines. At this point, why take a chance on yet another "safe" choice when you've already got Hillary making that case all across America?