Yes, and they hired a UFO to stalk Kucinich, too

A conspiracy theory on Edwards' attacks on Clinton.

Published November 8, 2007 4:27PM (EST)

When a candidate is trailing in the polls and amps up his attacks on the front-runner, we figure it's a pretty good sign that ... the candidate is trailing in the polls and thinks he needs to amp up his attacks on the front-runner.

But then, that's why we're not much good as conspiracy theorists.

Ben Smith at Politico has stumbled across a couple of blog posters advancing this alternative-universe explanation for John Edwards' decision to go hard against Hillary Clinton: Barack Obama advisor David Axelrod sent his pal Joe Trippi to work on the Edwards campaign in order to get Edwards to soften up Clinton with nasty attacks and "torpedo" Edwards' campaign in the process.

Says Alegre at Daily Kos: "I'm pretty new to this blogging thing, but I know enough to know that advisors like David Axelrod and Joe Trippi are two of a handful of folks who work at that level in a hot national campaign. They're pals and go way back." Says the Left Coaster's Jeff Dinelli: "Hey, stranger things have happened. I'm jumping on board with Alegre here."

Says us: We're not trading our War Room Kevlar helmet for this particular tinfoil hat.


By Tim Grieve

Tim Grieve is a senior writer and the author of Salon's War Room blog.

MORE FROM Tim Grieve


Related Topics ------------------------------------------

2008 Elections Barack Obama John Edwards War Room