An article in today's New York Times suggests that John Edwards is remaining in the presidential race because he has no "plan B" after hoping to win the race for so many years.

It's clear that he isn't going to win, and it will become more clear with each primary in the next two weeks. But that doesn't mean that he doesn't have something to say or add to the current debate.

One of the deficits of American politics is that we don't have strong social movements as the labor movement has weakened and the civil rights and women's movements are more remnants of the 1960s and early seventies and now more 'insider' than mass movements. Therefore, everything congregates around the presidential race. ( the right wing does have a strong social movement with the religious right).

We need someone to keep up the public debate about inequality and economic justice someone who doesn't occupy 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, no matter which Democrat wins. Edwards, who has staked his reputation post-Senate on fighting poverty and inequality could assist in building that movement.

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