Overshadowing Giuliani

John Edwards is a smart man. By choosing today to leave the Democratic primary, he steals the news cycle away from Rudy Giuliani (who's also dropping out today) and, by extension, from the triumphant McCain campaign and the rest of the Republican field.

And he will make his announcement in New Orleans to remind anyone who forgot the reason they should think twice about voting for another Republican president.

Now comes the hard part for John. Does he endorse Hillary Clinton and all but clinch her victory on Feb. 5? Or take the leap to endorse Barack Obama, the man South Carolina Democrats chose to be the next president? Perhaps he'll wait until after Super Tuesday to decide.

The news is a godsend to the Obama campaign, which badly needed a dynamic shift in the field to shake up "decided" voters and which might well benefit from white males who find Hillary uncool.

All is in flux, as God wants it to be.