John Edwards may have dropped out, but he's not gone for good.
In announcing that he would stop campaigning today, the former North Carolina senator carefully worded his statement to keep a sliver of power in his back pocket.
"Today, I am suspending my campaign for the Democratic nomination for the presidency," he said.
The word "suspending" is key. A top Democratic Party official told Dome this afternoon that candidates who withdraw from the race at this point lose some of their delegates to the national convention, while those who suspend keep them.
On Monday, Edwards' campaign said he had 26 pledged delegates based on his showings in the elections so far. (CNN has reported Edwards has another 36 superdelegates, which are Democratic officeholders and other key officials who can vote however they wish.)
In the unlikely event that both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton came into the national convention without a clear margin of victory, Edwards' 26 delegates could still play a role then.
Also, the delegates themselves ultimately can cast their vote how they wish. However, the list of names will be carefully vetted by the Edwards' campaign, so they will likely follow his lead.
