BlogHer - John Edwards - Comments

Thanks for mentioning Isaac

Mata H — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 11:23:14 -0500

Sad, sad day.

Did you ever hear the albumn he made with Dionne Warwick "A Man and a Woman" ..by the time he was done singing "My Love.." the audience was almost bursting with happy lust ...he knew how to work a song for every ounce of meaning, that is for sure.

Rest in peace, Isaac.

...~~ Contributing Editor, Mata H. also blogs right along at Time's Fool

Depends on which Ludacris she listened to

Kim Pearson — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 18:13:55 -0500

Hi,

I'll tell you the truth. I didn't know how crude Ludacris was until I heard the YouTube video that insulted Hillary Clinton. I had only heard the Walmart versions of songs like "When I Move You Move," before that. His song with Mary J. Blige, "Runaway Love," is mature for a three-year-old, but only because of the seriousness of the subject matter. It's a very socially conscious song that decries the abuse of women and girls. The Ludacris Foundation raises awareness of the problems runaway children face, and provides services for at-risk youth. I've watched the Runaway Love video with my own children (who are older than Obama's) and it provided a good opportunity to talk about some of these issues.

In a way, this is nothing new. Redd Foxx's comedy albums were much "bluer" than what we saw on Sanford and Son. But when he became a mainstream star, most people outside the chitlin' circuit knew nothing about the rest of his body of work. Ditto Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, or the recently-deceased Bernie Mac. The difference now is that corporate marketers think nothing of playing material during family hours that used to be restricted to nightclubs or other adult venues.

So the real point is that you need an interviewer who knows enough about hip-hop to not only ask what rappers do you let your chidren listen to, but what versions of their work do they hear?

Kim
BlogHer Contributing Editor|Professor Kim|

Barack's VP

imaginarybinky — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 15:56:52 -0500

I signed up to find out about Barack's VP selection. I'm curious about it now that John Edwards is kaput.

I live in Denver. Currently, I am trying to find places to volunteer 6 hours of service in order to qualify for tickets to Obama's speech at Mile High Stadium. That's a lot of hours in one week!

Cheers,

Sarah

Imaginary Binky

Obama interview with Marie Claire

BackyardConservative — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 10:12:31 -0500

RIP Isaac Hayes. A great singer and role model.

Change of subject to Barack Obama. Interesting article here. Marie Claire interview here.

Given that Barack joked about his then 3 year old listening to Ludacris, he may have a little trouble with his new attempt to go after family values voters:

MC: We live in the
era of Jamie Lynn Spears getting pregnant at 16, of teenage girls making
"pregnancy pacts" — how concerned are you about the culture
your daughters are growing up in?

BO: Michelle and
I are constantly monitoring what our daughters absorb from the culture. And I
don't think we're alone in feeling that the way the culture sexualizes young
girls is a problem — that it encroaches on their childhood. Now, Michelle
and I aren't prudes, and Michelle has frank conversations with the girls. Malia
will be going into puberty soon, so we want them to be well-informed.

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!

If you are lucky....

Lovebabz — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 21:30:58 -0500

Marriage is so much more than infidelity. They have enough history to withstand this. I hope they do. True love isn't when it's convenient, or pretty or nice. It isn't when everybody is doing their best. It is when we are at our worst. And we are not the sum total of our worst moments. Some folks can get through and move on. Others cannot. All I know is that I hope that they hang in and move forward. But then again it ain't my call to make. I don't get to sit in judgement of that woman and her choices...I live in a glass house and stones will definitely break my windows.

Yes she is smart and eloquent and amazing, But at the end of the day SHE knows what is best for her and her family...not you , and certainly not me. Yes we all can have an opinion...it is always interesting to talk about people as if we are above their transgressions, as if we could never make bad choices.

I do NOT know what I would have done in her shoes...I have a hard fucking time as it is in my own shoes. I just hope that I would try to handle it with enough grace and dignity as I could.

Women have to respect other women's choices..She's no bimbo, hoochie or baby-mama. She is accomplished and I daresay knows more about her husband than EVERYBODY else! So if she wants to honor her marriage vows...then who am I to say don't!

Love

Babz: A Life In Transition

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

Bianca - Humans Are More Complicated

Gena Haskett — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 20:37:31 -0500

In no way am I excusing what has happened. Nope, never and I'd add the cast iron skillet if it happened to me. I just want to point out a few things to consider.

1. A serious illness will either make you grow up or revert to childish needs. If your mate was your backbone/prime emotional support and she/he gets sick you either reverse roles or you look for a stand-in. It is not right. It shouldn't be done but we are talking human beings. Emotional, fragile human beings.

I don't care how much faith you claim to have if something or someone fills an immediate need most of us are going to step to it. Hopefully faith or reason would kick in long before that zipper is heading south but look at how many so-called people of faith have slipped up sexually.

2. How do you toss away 30+ years of a marriage? It is not easy. It isn't done capriciously. I would support any woman who said "that's it, I'm gone" just as much as I support the "stand by your man" decision.

I don't understand where the anger comes from if a woman choses not to leave her husband. The spouse gets to choose how much pain they can live with; living without her husband might be worse than being cheated on. It is a choice and I will respect that choice.

3. Love and intelligence? Can I get a show of hands from women who should have known not to hook up with a certain guy but loved him anyway?

Gena - Out On The Stoop

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."