BlogHer - The Edwards Affair - Comments

Political because...

Secolalyn — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 15:57:04 -0500

John Edwards is a recognizable name because of his political accomplishments at the highest national levels.

Newsworthy because of John Edwards' political accomplishments at the highest national levels.

Heart-breaking because his wife is battling a formidable opponent in cancer and the unimaginable stress levels this public ordeal brings gives the cancer an unfair advantage.

Secola

www.secolasspace.com

I finally settled into a

nelle2nelle — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 10:17:52 -0500

I finally settled into a post yesterday morning...

As with most of America, the revelation of John Edwards affair was rather stunning news.

There are thoughts in my head, thoughts on my own view - and approach - to the story. Guess this is as good a time as any to write them down.

Some who voted for John apparently feel deceived and betrayed. Some who voted for John feel deceived and betrayed by John *and* Elizabeth. I can appreciate this, how I might feel being engaged on such a level.

Since I was not, do I feel deceived? No. He was not my candidate, never was. Would I feel that way if he was nominated? Maybe. More like how one would feel when you know
your ship is sinking. OK, so what ya blabbering on about, nelle?

In general, I'm not big on rendering judgement of others. Since I did not vote for the guy, which in and of itself is sort of a vicarious judgement, I'll leave it to others to express their views on the issue.

We all make mistakes. And yeah, I know people who run for
office have to be a bit more discerning and circumspect, else people will absolutely hammer your integrity.

10 or so years ago, we watched a president be taken to task for having illicit sex, though we spent time pondering whether the intimacy of non-coital sex was really sex, and all had a good chuckle over the attempted narrower definition.

That was inane. I've got better things to do than worry about a president getting laid. What I do have to worry on are the issues of the day, which include feminist issues. And Bill Clinton lost me - not lost as in he needs to be impeached lost, but lost in terms of respect - over how he treated women in his life, later summing it up in a way that was about as telling and simple as any you will find, and it
applies here: because I could.

Edwards could. He did. Both are human beings. Human beings do these things. A lot. Check out fidelity stats for all of us. Are they pretty? Are we ripping each other apart over such things? No. Oh, but we will rip them apart...

the real issues are power, abuse of; as well as trust, abuse of. Not that trust should be the issue; in many nations, this would be less of a story. This is America, landing place of Puritans and such who slept around and then hung my great grandmother 8 generations removed ostensibly because she was a 'witch,' but in reality because she owned
property, talked back to men - and slept with women. Bad granny. 280 or so years of history separates me - a direct descendent of Susannah North Martin - from Susannah, yet I feel kinship with her in some indescribably close way.

Back then the hypocrisy was called out by bright red 'A's' placed upon one's clothing. No matter that half the
villagers fucked around, if you were um... engaged as the music stopped, here come da A.

I wish we weren't so damn prudish - yes, the me who willingly embraces chastity sometimes to the frustration of those who know me - is calling out prudishness. I'm no prude; sex is a damn good thing. What sucks is the whole wrong-body thing. Anyway, we are, for better or worse. We are moved to uproar over a politician illicitly screwing around, yet we are kewl with being given misinformation to take us to war, with blowing through privacy protections to fish for information, for paying lip service to Habeas Corpus, to all the mis-excesses of the current
administration. You can bet that had GWB fucked around, he would have been toast a long time ago.

And so, here we are. Another sex scandal, and America is all fired up again.

Sheesh.

nelle

llhaesa

Also this post at MOMocrats ...

PunditMom — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 10:00:04 -0500

http://momocrats.typepad.com/momocrats/2008/08/there-should-be.html

Thanks, Lisa!

PunditMom — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 09:58:29 -0500

Yes, the MOMocrats were mulling this all over, just as everyone else was!

I am sympathetic to Elizabeth.

Maria0305 — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 21:19:01 -0500

And I can understand her wanting to keep this under wraps. I for one am all for letting them solve their personal issues behind doors, but I am curious as to the money issue.

- Maria

http://immoralmatriarch.com

A bit off topic

Maria0305 — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 21:16:48 -0500

But I think that's really harsh. In my mind, murder/rape/kidnapping is on a MUCH higher 'level' than cheating or lying...

- Maria

http://immoralmatriarch.com

Moving On

ScarlettHester — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 19:09:34 -0500

I just feel sympathy and sadness for his family. Infidelity and lying about it and thinking you'll find a way out and won't get caught hits people of all walks of life. He asked his family's forgivenes, he made a mistake. It isn't up to me to judge him. Of course, I am guilty of his same sin. But his affair and these sort of things seems to me to act as distractions from issues the involve the world.

Of course, I understand you can't have a person in power that someone that can hold power over them, that could potentially color his judgement. Maybe that is why it would matter.

There are more important things to worry about

karenb — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 13:45:52 -0500

If we were to spend our energy focusing on the much larger problems of America, we might help make a positive difference in the world. Everyone has personal issues, but the issues that matter the most are the ones that affect us a country. The reputation of America is deteriorating around the world. Spinning up on this Edwards story does nothing to help. While I'm not partial to any religion, the lesson of "he who is without blame can cast the first stone" certainly applies here.

Deal-breakers

MamacitaG — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 13:39:13 -0500

An affair is a deal-breaker for me. Murder, robbery, assault, kidnapping, cheating, lying. . . . all of these are betrayals of sort and they're all deal-breakers for anything, ANYTHING. And one is as bad as another. There are no "levels." A person is honorable or he is not, based on the choices he/she makes. CHOICES. And no, I do not believe that "these things just happen" or "I just couldn't help myself." The world is full of choices. How we choose, and what we choose, determines what we are.

We are, none of us, perfect. However, all of the above things are a matter of self-control. It's become, sadly, a joke these days that a politician be expected to be a decent person, but it's still all-important to me.

Complete and absolute deal-breaker. Goodbye, John.

"Don't be content with being average. Average is as close to the bottom as it is to the top."

I'm not for outting affairs or sexual preferences

Elana Centor — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 13:16:26 -0500

I believe that as long as a public figure is not breaking the law, they have a right of privacy in personal areas including their sexual habits and preferences. I know there isn't a law for this -- I just wish we as a society believed that even public people have a right to some privacy.

So when public officials are visiting call girls. That's a story. When a congressman is arrested in an airport bathroom, that's a story.When a politician has an affair -isn't a story unless the person who he/she is having the affair with could compromise national security etc.

I am tired of the focus that public figures must endure regarding this aspect of their lives. I'm outraged when tabloids create blind vices hinting at people's most personal behavior. We have become a nation of peeping Toms and Tommettes and its creeping me out.

Does that mean that reporters should not investigated the Edwards Affair? Absolutely they should because of the campaign and possible misuse of campaign dollars. But unless there is evidence that campaigns dollars were misused , then I would prefer media to leave it alone.

Privacy is a precious right. We need to start practicing it.

elana
Blogher Contributing Editor,Business&CareersFunnyBusiness

PunditMom, I've been thinking about you and all the Momocrats

Lisa Stone — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 11:23:53 -0500

Wanted to make sure everyone has seen these posts on your group blog:

Top ten reasons I'm done with this John Edwards affair (and you should be too)

Elizabeth Edwards responds to news of affair

John Edwards hops aboard the bad judgement express

Lisa Stone
BlogHer Co-founder
Surfette

Oh Good Gods, I'm not voting for his penis

alyssaroyse — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 10:13:09 -0500

I almost drove my car into a tree yesterday from screaming when this story broke. I didn't tweet it, but did update my facebook profile to say that I don't care who's schtupping who or how, no matter who you are. Not a story.

1. Frankly, I think that "faithful" monogamy is a whole lot more rare than anyone wants to admit. People do it. Men do it. Women do it. I don't care who does, it, where, with whom or how. I don't want my sex life in the media - mainstream or otherwise - so I won't condone anyone else's being there either. Maybe if we weren't so judgemental people wouldn't be lying so much.

2. The idea that there is a STANDARD moral code is ridiculous. There isn't. With the exception of laws on the books, we don't have a standard moral code here, so I'm not sure how we can apply one to our politicians. Or why we would.

3. What does bother me - tremendously - is that he knows that in this country, we like to completely vilify anyone who has sex in any time, place, manner that isn't vanilla and worthy of a Hallmark card. Knowing that, he risked the election. Enough prominent politicians - of both parties - have had affairs and admitted to them, and been fine. The truth is ALWAYS the way to handle it. We all make mistakes, admit them, learn from them, move on. Lots of politicians have told the truth and moved on....

As Pam from nerd's eye view put it SO PERFECTLY:

Americans expect our leaders to have a flawless moral character and
are willing to sacrifice intellect for that. There's a sloppy range of
stats that say that between 15 and 41 percent of us will cheat on our
mates. It makes sense that some of those people would be politicians.

Look, here's a short list -
and this doesn't even go to the present. Why, why, why, are we so
willing to villify those who disappoint their families but those who
let down their country we'll give a free ride?

Just don't care! Can we concentrate on what kind of political decisions they make and leave their personal peccadillo's at home, where they belong?

We need to start looking at REAL issues - education, healthcare, climate change, international relations, economy - and not these personal dramas. Who John Edwards is schtupping does not impact the education system, the crime rate, our economy or my life in any way.

____________

Alyssa Royse

Just Cause It: A Web Site To Save The World

Start Her Up: A Blog for Women Entrepreneurs

Agreed..

nelle2nelle — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 09:00:16 -0500

and if *Elizabeth* was running, I'd still vote for her. This issue has nothing to do with my view of her, and everything to do with all the reasons cited in Breanne's posting.

nelle

llhaesa

Since we are the media too, we have some say

Kim Pearson — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 22:16:43 -0500

There's no reason we can't keep the conversation about those policy ideas alive. Increasingly, the "MSM" agenda is influenced by the conversations in the blogosphere.

Kim
BlogHer Contributing Editor|Professor Kim|

The Edwards Affair

Denise — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:59:13 -0500

For months we've heard John Edwards deny rumors that he had an affair with Rielle Hunter. He's also denied being the father of Hunter's baby. Today, he revealed that he did, after all, have an affair with Hunter but continues to deny paternity. The blogosphere is buzzing.

Sister Toldjah says Looks like The Enquirer got it right after all and questions the MSM's handling of the story.

I’d say the MSM has a lot to answer for here, too, considering Edwards’ name was being thrown around as a possible running mate for Obama. The mainstream mediots dropped the ball on this one, an we all know why (hint: The “D” in “D-NC”).

Long time Edwards supporter and BlogHer Contributing Editor Punditmom shares the #1 rule for presidential wannabes.

In our day of 24/7 news coverage and cable news that feeds on stories about sex or anything even coming close, you have to be a fool not to believe that if you fool around, you are going to get caught eventually.

I really didn't think you were a fool, John.

Whether it's our business or not, when you get caught (and people always get caught), it will pretty much be the end of your career, unless you are an uber-politician like Bill Clinton.

Jane Hamsher at Firedoglake says she doesn't care what people do in their private lives, but...

But Edwards did play the family card quite heavily during his campaign, and if he'd gotten the nomination, the Democrats would be sunk right now and we'd be looking at four years of John McCain. So on that count, I'm profoundly grateful that he didn't get it. He was risking a lot for all of us by doing this stuff and running at the same time. It was incredibly stupid.

Sharp Right Turn, a conservative blogger, has some questions.

John Edwards admitted to his affair today… but says he didn’t love her (isn’t that always the way?), was not the father of the baby (then who is and why are you visiting her now?) and that he is unaware of who is providing Rielle Hunter with so much money that she lives in digs fit for a queen (perhaps his friends, Edwards says?…I am LMAO on that one!)

Some of us are saying this is not news, this is not a story, this is no big deal... And the blog posts just keep rolling in. The tweets continue to fly.

Are you tweeting it or blogging it? Are you talking about it offline with coworkers, family and friends? IS this news? Does this matter to you?

~~Denise
Flamingo House Happenings