Why it Matters

Chris Bowers from MyDD says it better than I could on why this Edwards flap matters:

If Amanda and Melissa are terminated from the Edwards campaign, there is no way I could respect either myself or the movement and support Edwards in the primary. His campaign will have contributed to the longstanding goals of the conservative movement and DLC-nexus alike to defund, marginalize, ostricize, and otherwise diminish the influence and credibility of the people-powered netroots and grassroots. Such a move would reinforce every elitist, ignorant, double-standard, disinformation campaign ever run against the netroots and the blogosphere. During a primary election, when Democrats are trying to decide what direction our party will take, I won't be a part of a campaign that decides to run as fast as it can away from the blogosphere, the netroots, and the progressive movement.

I would only add that pragmatically it matters too. We have had enough candidates who can't fight back. If Edwards buckles with this he is not ready for prime time. This is nothing compared to what they will do to our nominee in '08. If Edwards is the nominee they will use his dead son against him- it sounds crass, but if we have learned anything we have learned that there is no depth to which the other side won't sink to.