John Edwards Deserves Mockery, Ridicule
John Edwards, Rielle Hunter Love Child Scandal
ABC News reports that John Edwards has admitted he had an affair with Rielle Hunter, and that he lied as a presidential candidate. But he maintains he's not the father of Hunter's child and that he has not authorized child support or hush money, though some of his supporters "may have without my knowledge." And he hasn't taken a paternity test.
So the National Enquirer got the story RIGHT, at least partially.
The issue is not simply that Edwards cheated on his spouse. Many politicians -- and human beings -- do that. One can understand the loneliness of the road warrior, especially if there's a charming, attractive, adoring, willing sidekick nearby, though certainly many people are able to resist the temptation. But so soon after the country endured Bill Clinton's escapades, Edwards had to know or should have known that more such distractions were simply NOT RIGHT FOR THE COUNTRY, could indeed endanger and derail whatever progressive agenda he proposed.
Edwards says the affair began in 2006, when Hunter, a videographer, was following him closely as he traveled throughout the country, and to Africa. He insisted that the affair began when his wife's cancer was in remission, and that he told his wife in 2006, and they renewed their wedding vows in 2007 (to mawkish media coverage).
If I were a Democratic Convention scheduler for Barack Obama, I think I would scratch John Edwards off the list of convention speakers. This fits into the longstanding "no shock Barack" and "no drama Obama" standard. Otherwise Edwards' appearance at the convention is likely to be a damaging distraction, like the Clinton aide Dick Morris exposed at the 1996 Democratic Convention cavorting with a prostitute while he planned Clinton's re-election. Scratching Edwards off the list of convention speakers is a relatively small price for him to pay -- he still has national speaking engagements scheduled throughout the fall.
What's ironic to the point of being ridiculously humorous is that the videos Hunter produced were meant to demonstrate Edwards' authenticity. In retrospect, they do precisely the opposite.
Edwards' admission raises doubts about his character and his authenticity, that maybe opponents are right that he's a primping, showboating narcissist out for himself and the limelight as his wife battles cancer. He didn't have the patience for a substantial U.S. Senate career. He launched premature campaigns for the presidency, and on the campaign trail, he was reckless. He failed a test of leadership as he asked supporters for millions of dollars to fund his campaign, asked his charming wife Elizabeth to campaign for him, asked staffers and volunteers to work their hearts out when he had to know that he was covering up explosive information that would damage his campaign and be an insult to all their money, work and faith in him.
Maybe I react so strongly because I'm a big fan of Elizabeth Edwards, having met her several times. See my piece, "Elizabeth Edwards, Living Life to the Fullest" and my skeptical if not cynical piece on "Meeting John Edwards."
There is certainly the possibility of over-reacting to this. "Brunette" on Carter Wrenn's blog has a kinder reaction than mine.
Edwards Was Smoked Out By Mainstream Media
Earlier in the week, Edwards' former campaign manager, Gary Pearce, called on Edwards to address the allegations. On his blog, he wrote: "The N&O/Charlotte Observer came up with a crafty way to put the John Edwards story on the front page: We don’t know if the “love child” rumor is true, but here is the potential political impact of the rumor. The hook for the story was whether Edwards can speak at the National Convention when he’s being trashed by the National Enquirer. And the reporter, Mark Johnson, did find a professional big mouth – that would be me – to comment on the record."
Pearce also offers some interesting history. Back in 1984, when he was an aide to then-Governor Jim Hunt, a tabloid claimed that Hunt was gay. "The N&O repeated the charge the next day in a front-page story. And Hunt had to endure the humiliation of being asked by reporters outside the Executive Mansion whether he was gay," Pearce recalled. "It’s easy to knock the Mainstream Media. (I call it the Big Media, BM for short.) But the BM does take these things seriously and does sincerely debate the right thing to do."
Meanwhile, the N&O/Charlotte O has published a front-page piece on the Enquirer's claim it has "spy photos of Edwards visiting his mistress and baby in a LA hotel. "Tabloid photo offers no clarity: Edwards? Baby? At Best, Maybe" is the N&O headline.
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