John Edwards is going to acknowledge the obvious.

Democrat John Edwards is exiting the presidential race Wednesday, ending a scrappy underdog bid in which he steered his rivals toward progressive ideals while grappling with family hardship that roused voters’ sympathies but never diverted his campaign, The Associated Press has learned.

The two-time White House candidate notified a close circle of senior advisers that he planned to make the announcement at a 1 p.m. EST event in New Orleans that had been billed as a speech on poverty, according to two of his advisers.

I’m sure that much will be written about this today, but among those who have something up already Bulldog Pundit has said it best.

A shame, I really wanted to hear more about him being the “son of a millworker”, how fighting poverty is his “life’s work” (which he’ll now have time to do from his palacial estate). Maybe now he can go and try to find that poor little girl a winter coat (she hasn’t had one since 2004 apparently). Good riddance from the race.

And although he comes off as a snake-oil salesman as a politician he seems to be a decent guy personally and a family man who has been through things in his personal life that required great strength and faith to get through. I also hope his wife wins her brave battle against cancer.

I agree.