It's just not so much political news anymore.  If he were still running for president that would be a whole other story.  And I imagine, where the money came from to pay for Hunter's filmmaking work is going to be investigated.

What just consistently riles me up is:

1. The level of stupidity it takes to do this and think you'll get away with it.

2. Thank God he's not the nominee, just the thought makes me angry. 

3. It gives credibility to the National Enquirer who've been touting this story for months.

4. I liked Elizabeth Edwards a heck of a lot more than her husband and that she and the rest of their families have to be publicly dragged through this.

Have I forgotten anything?  Oh yeah...the level of stupidity it takes to do this and think you'll get away with it.

Megan Smith
BlogHer Contributing Editor, TV/YouTube
Megan's Minute: Quirky Commentary Around The Clock

This story shouldn't matter to me and I feel ashamed for clicking when I see a headline for it.   But I do.  It makes me question my worthiness to vote if I can make such a poor decision as to have supported Edwards.  Not because he had an affair (not that I condone it, but it's not a deal-breaker for me) but because he should have known that this would have tainted his campaign so badly that his chances at beating McCain would have been really bad.  He should have been looking out for the Democratic party and he wasn't.  If he had an affair, he should have told the truth and then decided if this indiscretion would be a mortal blow to the campaign - if yes, then it's not worth it to risk handing the other side the election.

He didn't do that and that makes me think he is just another self-serving politician and all of his other speeches amount to nada.  Sad, sad... I'm even more jaded by politics than I was when I woke up this morning. 

The sex isn't the story.  Bad judgment is the story.  And we could do with fewer politicians who don't know the difference between good judgment and bad.

PunditMom, BlogHer Politics & News CE 

This is so beyond bad judgment. He cheated, he lied and it was a situation that hurt lots of people. So if you discover your child has engaged in some very damaging lies, do you say, "Oh, that was just bad judgment on your part." It's so much more.

 And what about the woman he cheated with? I don't even know what to say about a woman who will have an affair with a married man whose wife is battling cancer. That is disgusting.

Suzanne, the Farmer's Wife

On a rather down day.

The weather has declared war on NH, first record snows, two weeks ago a tornado, now flash flooding. The sky is unleashing liquified hell on some parts of the state, already producing one horrific tragedy that pretty much laid waste to my spirit today.

On top of this comes Edwards.

I'm not going to pass verbal judgement on the guy, that sort of shit is out of my life. Suffice to say he did not get my vote, nor contended for it. I will also say that had Elizabeth been the one running, she *would* have had my vote.

Over the past week, a diehard Democrat (and folks, I'm a diehard liberal/progressive) dueled with me over how all our major scandals are of Republicans, going back to the early 20th century. My response has been something like this "It is assinine to believe that scandal is of one party, that a few core idiots would represent all the good folks out there who happen to be Republican, and who don't engage in such shit. If you think this way, sooner or later, you will find egg all over your face."

Um, ok.

And so you can probably figure out where my head is at by my first statement on Elizabeth. I like her. A lot.  

nelle

&

llhaesa

 I tweeted, and I also blogged him some talking points that are even more ridiculous than the bad ones he's using. Brother John needs some help!  http://tinyurl.com/2env2p

Seriously, it's an important MSM is dying story.  Why did MSM sit on this story if the National Enquirer and some paparazzi could break it?  There is an interesting Social Media/politics side with the banning of Stranahan from Daily Kos.

 It's also not a finished story.  Clearly they wanted it to break late on a Friday.  It's very interesting for this to happen this way in the election.

Enquiring minds want to know!  

Deb

www.debontherocks.com

blog

www.3smartgirlz.com

consulting

and the kids, of course.

I came out to see EE back in fall 2004 when she was campaigning. She had just learned the news about her bc that morning but she didn't say a thing and came out and rallied the union troops.

Bless her heart.

Peace.

When the Monica and Bill stories broke, my Euro friends said this: Pam. Explain to us. Please. Bill and Monica. Why are Americans so outraged? Plus, don't they have laundry there?

Europeans splash these gossipy stories all over the news with pictures of mistresses and "love children". But they seem to be able to separate a man's personal failings with those for his fitness for office.

Edwards lied about his affair because in the US, infidelity - a very human action - is a career killer. Because he was running for office and because there were implications that he'd be selected for VP, the lie matters enormously. 

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. 

To me, this phenomenon is not news so much as an item for discussion. Also, one wonders, would Edwards be just as vilified if he'd admitted to his affair? I'd like to think not, but I can't help but believe that even honest admission would have killed any shot he had at office.

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?

Personally, I'm disappointed in Edwards but I STILL think he'd be a better leader than McCain. 

So, um, yeah, it's news. Even for this person who thinks that the contents of my marriage (or any one elses) aren't really anyone's business but my own. 

Nerd's Eye View

When this story hit the National Enquirer, I was one of the people who yawned.  The timing of the story was important to me.

If Edwards had been in the race when the story broke, that would have been big news. But this came to light when Edwards was already out of the race, and I never took the prospect of him being Obama's veep seriously. I didn't see him as a big asset as an Obama campaign surrogate either -- while he has 17 delegates and obviously had a lot of people who believed in him, he never proved himself as a major vote-getter. The Kerry-Edwards ticket didn't even carry North Carolina in 2004. Yes I understood that he was a potential cabinet pick, but we're months away from the story of who will be in Obama's cabinet, assuming Obama wins. (And that's a big assumption, I think.) Barring those circumstances, I figured this was the Edwards' family's sad business.

I admit that I am re-thinking my position because the fact that the Edwards campaign reportedly paid Rielle Hunter more than $114,000 for four YouTube campaign videos is is suspicious. Add that to the revelation, reported in the Dallas Morning News, from Edwards' former campaign finance chairman that he gave Rielle several payments to move out of North Carolina. Is this the same money, or different money from the campaign funds? If it's different money, where did it come from? I think there is a public interest, not just in terms of election law, but on half of Edwards' contributors, in knowing whether campaign contributions were used for this purpose.

So yeah, I want to see that angle cleared up. And yes, I think Edwards can kiss any future national political aspirations goodbye. 

Kim
BlogHer Contributing Editor|Professor Kim|

Here’s the true sadness about it all: Elizabeth was a
powerhouse of a woman and a born leader. I’m saddened for her marriage
I’m saddened that people are now only going to talk about her in the
context as the “poor, wronged wife of John Edwards” when in reality,
she is SO much more.

Her education plan included making it easier for
smart people to become teachers and nurses because we need more of
these gifted people in these fields. How can you argue with that? She
never answered the question I posed to her camp: “What will John
Edwards and his Administration do to push back harder on the automotive
manufacturers and fuel economy requirements? Will you make them do a
better job?”

But even so, I feel pretty confident in saying that
she would challenge those car manufacturers on their emissions and gas
mileage limits and hold them accountable. Because, well, that’s just
the type of person she is. I said a year ago and I’ll reiterate it here
again: If she were running for political office, I’d vote for her in a
second. It’s just a shame that now her role as a fantastic female
leader and role model will be tarnished with this personal and highly
inappropriate story surrounding her husband and her marriage.

<Raises glass> Here’s to hoping our countrymen
and countrywomen smarten up and see past this slop and keep our eyes
and minds focused on important automotive, environmental, and
educational goals. We can always hope.

Breanne Boyle - AskPatty.com contributing editor

read the entire post here:

http://askpatty.typepad.com/ask_patty_/2008/08/john-edwards-ad.html

Jody DeVere
President
www.askpatty.com
www.carblabber.com

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

Another one bites the dust: John Edwards caught cheating

John Edwards=human...what does that mean anyway?

Anything else I've missed?

Lisa Stone
BlogHer Co-founder
Surfette

 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

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."

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.

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.

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

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

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