The Wikipedia entry for John Edwards’ extramarital affair, an event Edwards admitted to roughly two weeks ago, has over 100 citations. Think about that- either someone took the time to compile the article himself, or enough people collaborated and cobbled together what was a very well-researched, thorough explanation. Either way, it’s just amazing.
While we’re on the subject of Edwards, here are some stray thoughts.
- I always thought there was something fishy about Edwards, even when he first emerged on the scene and young liberals swooned for him. He always had a messianic flair about him, as if he were dispatched from above to end poverty in America. On subjects with which he lacked authority, he was badly outclassed- witness his 2004 debate with Dick Cheney. His speeches sounded good until you realized he never said anything new. I always wished he were more of an actual politician and less of a character in a John Grisham novel.
- And what does it matter if his wife’s cancer was in remission when he carried on the affair? Is that supposed to excuse everything?
-Something interesting about Rielle Hunter, Edwards’ “other” woman. She was apparently the inspiration for the vapid, slutty, cocaine-fueled female characters in Bret Easton Ellis’ novel “American Psycho”.
- Edwards carried on his affair, admitted it to his wife, decided to pursue the presidency anyway, lied about it to the press, and then came clean. Can you imagine if he had actually won the nomination? Talk about a gift to John McCain. Edwards had to have known that the story would have come out eventually, yet felt it was so important for him to be president that he was willing to risk the fortunes of the Democratic Party to get what he wanted. During the primary season, Edward acted as though the nomination was his save for the inconvenient fact that Obama was black and Clinton female. We can all be thankful the majority of American voters weren’t persuaded by his charm.
I for one, feel sorry for his children and especially his poor wife, but fairly delighted that we won’t have Edwards to kick around anymore.
Post a Comment