John Edwards’ wife: His affair made me vomit

[sabra]

Source: AP

In a new memoir, Elizabeth Edwards addresses her husband’s infidelity

NEW YORK - Elizabeth Edwards writes in a new memoir that news of her husband's affair made her vomit in a bathroom.

In the book scheduled to be published May 12, Edwards says her husband, John, admitted to the betrayal just days after declaring his run for president in 2006. She says she wanted him to drop out of the race to protect the family from media scrutiny, but stood by his side anyway.

John Edwards went public with the affair in August after the National Enquirer reported he was the father of videographer Rielle Hunter's daughter.

Elizabeth Edwards never identifies Hunter by name. But she says that while her life may be tragic, Hunter's is “pathetic.”

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30495907/

[WriteDown]

1. A good woman...

married to a scumbag.

[Egnever]

2. Nothing good about enabling him to lie to the american people

Both scumbags IMHO

[WriteDown]

4. Eh...

A lot of women think its their job to support their man regardless of his actions. I don't blame her for that. Also she was likely trying to shield her children from the scandal.

[Egnever]

13. By letting it become way larger than it needed to be?

thats some twisted logic there. I know, we will make it easier on the children by ensuring that when it does come out it has the potential to have a global impact rather than some side story about an also ran from 4 years before.

And now she is going to cash in on it with a tell all book! Sorry I dont buy it. These two have been manipulators from the get go.

[WriteDown]

14. Yep...

She purposely was injected with a secret retro-virus in order to cause cancer and garner sympathy. It was one step of many leading to her literary windfall :eyes:

[Warpy]

22. No kidding

Affairs happen to so many marriages that it really needs to be seen as a cultural/species norm, not some sort of wild aberration deserving of instant and permanent condemnation by all.

Edwards was a fool and his taste was questionable, but I've seen that's often the case with affairs, the bit on the side being a lot less worthwhile than the spouse is and the cheating spouse appearing to have taken leave of his/her senses for a few cheap thrills.

Edwards did man up and admit it to his wife and stay in his marriage, unlike the GOPs who audition trophy wives and abandon their families to marry the younger women.

I'm sure Mrs. Edwards was thinking of herself and her children, but also of her husband. She knew he'd look like the royal idiot he did end up looking like.

But condemn either one of them? Not me.

[Bluenorthwest]

165. Gee if affairs are the norm

Then I guess it was double plus good truth when Edwards and the wife stood up and preached about his deeply rooted Baptist values related to traditional marriage, and how those values were so much a part of his very being, that he feels compelled to defend marriage against gay people, because only 'one man, on woman' is God's way?
They were both thinking of power and money. They have as yet weeped for themselves endlessly, but neither has bothered to admit and correct the vile hypocrisy that allowed them to tarnish the gay community as lacking in values as a way to distract from the state of their own marriage. Rather than tell the truth, which you claim is the heterosexual marriage 'norm, he and she instead took the stage to 'defend' traditional marriage, by describing John as simply too faithful to his religion and southern roots to ever put marriage in harm's way.
Bull piled high to block the truth. Using good people to distract from his own bad actions. Pointing at the gays as a path to making a speech about how dang holy his marriage is.
It is not the affair, but the slanders, lies, attacks on GLBT people's fight for equality, and endangering our Democratic election that I condemn them for.
If they got up and admitted their trashy tactics, and asked for forgiveness, they would have it.

[karynnj]

61. As a woman, I resent that excuse

Elizabeth Edwards was a highly educated successful lawyer. In addition, her role in 2008 was not the role she played in 2004, as the intelligent supportive wife of JRE, she agreed to be the campaign's attack dog. One, who because of the sympathy she engendered couldn't be hit back.

A woman willing to take that role, is not the passive wife standing by her man.

[Oregone]

5. I think its more complicated than that

This shows a lack of understanding for her situation

[Egnever]

12. Do explain it to me then

How she knew before he anounced his run and let him do it anyway is a good thing.
Had he gotten the nod it would have been helo president mcsame and we would all be fucked and likely in the beginings of the third world war.

This was not a small decision it had the potential to impact the world.

[Oregone]

17. First off...

A dick between your legs may inhibit one's ability to completely understand being born and raised a woman in her time period, in that region. I personally have one (not sure about you), so I have to try real hard to understand conditions and social pressures a woman in this position has to go through. Being that I can hardly comprehend it, I try and sit out of judging it to much.

One thing I will say, is that there is no proof there would of been a large scandal if he won the primary. She probably would of been paid off in full and shut up completely. OTOH, a sex scandal during Clinton's run didn't send us into a third world war. He actually won, despite it.

[Cha]

19. Oh yeah..that's a bright light.."she would

have been paid off" and we would all be working for something that was a total fabrication.

Thankfully it worked out the way it did and your speculation is moot.

[Oregone]

21. Well, hey, you wanted to deal in hypotheticals

Blaming Elizabeth Edwards for a hypothetical third world war seems a bit, well, too much. Its just as likely this dirt bag would of either paid off Hunter or hid her body next to Sandra Levy. :)

Further, you have no proof we would have been working for a total fabrication, nor do you have proof we aren't currently. Eh, politics.

[Cha]

24. If you want to defend Edwards' conduct..go

for it. I like the reality we're dealing in now.

[Oregone]

26. I have and will continue to "defend" (understand) Elizabeth's conduct

Now John on the otherhand, is a shit bag. But perhaps, in a hypothetical world, a competent enough one to hide the body properly. :)

Im speaking tongue in cheek you know. I guess its as out there as the imaginary terminator robot third world war you are referring to.

[Egnever]

27. First off that poster you just responded to wasn't me.

Second off She was paid off and it still didn't go away. The idea that it would have disappeared especially had he gotten the nod is silly.

As far as the third world war thing thats obviously a worst case scenario, However do you have any illusions about the direction mcsame would be headed right now? Considering the statements he has made since the election?

Sorry we may not have been in the middle of world war three at this point but we certainly would be fucked one way or another had the gang of criminals been allowed to continue their reign.

[Oregone]

30. I have no illusions about McCain's douchebaggery

I could not possibly think the joint chiefs would green light another war right now though, to be honest, you know. There are some reality constraints we have to work within.

But its also presumptuous to think Johnny Douchebag would of beat Johnny Smiles (even if he got the nod and didn't pay/kill off Hunter).

I think you are making a lot of assumptions to find fault in Elizabeth's actions, and making no effort to understand her circumstances.

[Egnever]

34. Her actions would be fine with me

Were there not a presidential election on the line with very real consequences for America and the rest of the world. That is not the situation she was in though and tring to ride it out in that situation is not even close to acceptable to me.

[Oregone]

38. BTW, did you ever think that maybe a couple more people knew?

Like his campaign manager/staffers and maybe even the cigar-smokers of the Democratic Party at large? Why he passed an internal venting and was allowed to run as a Democrat is a mystery in itself. Elizabeth shouldn't of been put in this position in the first place.

And was this isolated? Or does this man have a history and a history of people that know. Its a boy's club, you know.

[Egnever]

41. Of course more people knew

thats why I find the idea that he could have paid it away laughable. I hold them in just as much contempt as I hold her.

Don't think I don't find his actions repugnant. I absolutely do I just don't give her a free pass as a victim. The moment she chose to let him continue his bid she became a co conspirator. Lots of people gave money they didn't have to a campaign that was doomed to fail from the start because she chose to let it continue knowingly. Some of those people gave up things they needed/wanted to support a campaign in good faith. It is not OK no matter what her personal circumstances.

Again were it not a decision that affected a presidential campaign and limited to her family I would sympathize. That is not the case and the only reason it was brought to a close, after she was clearly well enough to go on the campaign trail and make numerous TV appearances on his behalf even going so far as to look down her nose at other candidates is because the evidence became overwhelming. They were forced out she never did the right thing.

[eridani]

71. The real diszualification here is his absolute refusal to undertstand the internet and its effect--

--on 21st century news cycles. Any candidate who thought that an affair would not be discovered is too clueless to be president. Ditto with Clinton and Tuzla, though that was a minor infraction by comparison. (Resume fluffing is a trivial offense; going on about it after a YouTube video has already demonstrated it and had a million hits is not.) Not getting modern communications technology is an automatic disqualification, at least for Democrats. Repukes still get plenty of slack from the MSM.

[EFerrari]

91. These doomsaying posts crack me up.

Like no American president has ever survived an affair.

lol

Besides being none of our business, a president Edwards would manage the damage just as they all have. Seriously, I think people love to weigh in on the mistakes other people make. Cheap and easy.

[SammyWinstonJack]

150. Well said! I personally think as president, Edwards would have managed the damage better than it is

being managed.




I think if you give a seat at the table, they'll eat all the food.

[XemaSab]

44. Yeah, and all of us here saw how the Lewinsky scandal completely hobbled Clinton's presidency

Note well that for the last 100 days we've had a president focused on LEADING, and not on getting impeached.

[creeksneakers2]

100. Clinton never claimed to be a saint

Edwards made his role as the dutiful spouse of a cancer victim a centerpiece of his campaign. Its not about the cheating with me. Its about what a phony Edwards is, and this is only one example of it.

[JerseygirlCT]

20. Lie to the American people?

About an affair? Really, put in context of the other lies we've been fed for years and years now - about substantial things, like Iraq, and torture... I don't think a potential president's extramarital affair gets anywhere near the list.

And I certainly don't attribute a bit of blame to Elizabeth.

I always thought John Edwards was too slick by half. There was always something off-putting about him to me - never trusted him a bit, even when I liked much that he had to say.

Elizabeth, OTOH, has always seemed the smarter, more sincere and more human of the two.

[Egnever]

33. Yes lie to the American people

And no this was no small lie. As you would like to frame it. It had the potential for disastrous consequences.

Were he not running for president in a time when we were heading for a national crisis I would agree with you that it is to be expected and perhaps she should even be admired for her willingness to stick by her family. However that is not the context in which this particular lie is told. This one did have far reaching consequences. It was not limited to affecting her family but mine as well. Had this blown up after he somehow achieved the nod we would not have stem cell research back on the table right now something that has very real consequences to me and my family.

I take that personally and she was willing to jeopardize that. You can make excuses for her all you want I will continue to say what she did in allowing that to be a possibility was every bit as bad as what he did.

[JerseygirlCT]

36. You could say that him running at all was the problem, though

not as though she had the final power to decide this.

Frankly, I never thought enough people would be likely to vote for him when they had the other two choices (both superior choices). As I said, he'd always seemed pretty transparent to me - long before his affair was news. So if you're hanging all this on "what if he got the nomination and THEN this came out and McCain won?" then perhaps the solution to that problem was at hand in him, knowing his indiscretions, not getting in to begin with, and in the Democratic electorate, regardless of his indiscretions, not voting for the inferior candidate as their nominee...

[Egnever]

42. Absolutely!

He should never have run. Do you believe he ran though thinking he never had a shot? Its not the fact that I or you never bought what he was selling its the fact that they did and acted accordingly.

My point in all this is she is no innocent. She may have made the wrong decision initially because of her health and just being overwhelmed by it, She never did do the right thing though after she was clearly well enough to hit the campaign trail and ask people for their money and appear on TV.

They were forced out when the evidence became overwhelming and they were faced with the enquirer telling them they had the goods and were going to go public with it. Had she been the one that stood up and made them quit of her own volition I would be cheering her right now but thats not what happened and the potential for it to be so much worse was there even if neither you or I believe it ever would have happened. It probably wouldn't have but if it had it would have been a disaster of epic proportions.

[noiretextatique]

50. it's not her responsibility...it's his

he's the one who should have come clean because he was running for president, not her. elizabeth edwards, a woman who is fighting cancer, doesn't owe "the american people" anything.

[Egnever]

51. We dissagree

the second she throws her hat into the ring she owes the american people IMHO. The second she goes on the campaign trail for her husband and asks people for money she owes the american people.

You act as though this all happened to her and she played no part.

[noiretextatique]

56. she didn't play any part in it...he had the affair

he lied about it. he kept it secret. your anger towards her, a woman battling 4th stage cancer, is bizarre.

[Egnever]

58. and she helped cover it up

your using her cancer as an excuse is bizarre.

[LaurenG]

25. have you ever been in her shoes? Had a spouse screw around on you?

How about stage 4 cancer at the same time.

She is far from a scumbag.

:(

[Egnever]

35. It would be different if the presidency was not on the line

Were it a normal family situation I would perhaps admire her conduct. That is not the case though she was willing to lay risk the fate of the nation in an election that had real consequences. That puts her actions in a whole nother ball park.

[JerseygirlCT]

37. The presidency wasn't on the line, though

He was already running behind the other two. So even being very generous, 1/3 of the potential presidency was on the line - and that's assuming that an affair would ruin his chances of winning.

McCain certainly survived his own affair rumors, didn't he?

[Egnever]

43. Well I have to dissagree with that as well.

When he dropped out of the primary it likely made all the difference in the world with who we have as president right now. Had he stayed in much longer he would have drained support for Obama and we likely would have had Clinton as a candidate instead. Which again may or may not have ended in a mcsame presidency.

It had real implications throughout just because he never became the candidate doesnt mean it didnt have an effect.

[No Elephants]

97. People come from behind in the primaries to win the nomination all the time. Obama was 30 points

behind Clinton at first. And there were no meaningful polls when John first told Elizabeth he was going to run.

I don't blame Elizabeth, though. She was ill, probably on medication, knowing she was going to die and leave her children, possibly to be raised by the woman who had slept with her husband, etc. No one who has not walked in her shoes should be so judgmental. And, in any event, it is , thank God, moot. He did not, in fact, get the nomination and I doubt that he ever will. And, if he does, his affairs will not be the October surprise.

[LaurenG]

39. Maybe it does but you aren't looking at her as a person deserving of our

compassion. Who thinks clearly with stage 4 cancer and a spouse who has betrayed you at the deepest level and you find out after he has announced his run? There were several stages to both of these life changing events for her and who knows how she even managed to get dressed everyday.

Stunning and horrifying news might make the strongest of us a bit short sighted. We dodged a bullet, she wasn't as lucky.

[Iowa]

40. This is very different

You don't take risks with the Presidency. I can say with 100% certainty that my wife, under the very same circumstances, would not have covered up for me. And I respect her for that. You don't check your character at the door when you're sick.

An argument can be made that this is a personal matter and nobody's business but theirs. I disagree. When it comes to the Presidency, the people have a right to know about matters that reflect a candidate's honesty, loyalty, integrity, judgment, and other character issues that are fundamental to the job. The proper reaction would have been to get it out there early on and let the chips fall where they may. Who knows? Maybe honesty (and sympathy for Elizabeth) would have propelled him on to a win. Maybe not. But covering it up and being exposed by some tawdry tabloid? That's always a losing strategy.

It's a sad story. But neither of these folks acted responsibly, and I would argue that most average, nameless, faceless citizens would have made more selfless and responsible choices than those two did. Those who aspire to the highest office should be held to a higher standard than your average joe, not a lower one. And if someone's life is just so messed up with illness and philandering, well.... maybe a run for the Presidency just isn't in the cards.

[Iowa]

28. As an Iowan who backed Edwards (my second choice after Kucinich) in the Iowa caucuses...

...this pisses me off. If he had won the nomination, and if this had come out before the election (and it would have if he were the nominee), it may have tipped the scales in McCain's favor. That would have been a disaster for the country. It would have resulted in death, destruction, and loss of liberty in countless ways. He chose to place the entire country in peril, and so did she.

And now a book...

The whole thing smacks of naked ambition, self-absorption, and to hell with the consequences.

[gardenista]

77. So easy to judge others...

[creeksneakers2]

99. I agree

Especially since she helped him make himself look like a dutiful husband as part of his campaign. She knows he's a phony. What kind of president would the phony make?

[goclark]

145. I really like Elizabeth Edwards a lot and wish the best for

her and for her children.

That said,IMO, this is not hardly the first affair that he participated in ~ they have probably been down this road many times.
Ms. goclark saw him when he was on the campaign trail in California.
He is even better looking in person.
It's a shame.

[1Hippiechick]

144. Agreed....

Tired of her making the tallk-show circuit, also.

[LiberalFighter]

3. She needs to either divorce him or...

lock up his balls and never let go of the leash.

[woodsprite]

7. I vote for the latter. n/t

[BoneDaddy]

128. LOL

I love the hypocrisy on DU. Could you imagine a man telling this group that a man should have control over his wife's sexual parts. Sometimes I am simply baffled by the level of unawareness and cognitive dissonance.

[Daphne08]

6. I understand her feelings.

She didn't deserve that betrayal.

[texastoast]

32. Neither did we

Whatever was he thinking? I'm so glad he didn't turn out to be the candidate. What a complete idiot.

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[davepc]

53. What a vile response.

[Freddie Stubbs]

67. Reality isn't always pleasant

[davepc]

108. niether are assholes

[Hepburn]

9. Elizabeth Edwards is a much better person than am I...

but that goes without saying. I would do a hell of a lot more than vomit.

Let's put it this way: A certain cheating SOB someone's voice would be up about 4 octaves when I got done with this bastard who was out cheating on me, fathering children and doing all of this while I was going through cancer treatment!

Label me: Lorenna Bobbit!

[Seldona]

18. That's what prisons are for.

And anti-psychotics.

[AngryAmish]

23. So, someone disappoints you in a relationship

Then you feel it is appropriate for you to mutilate them.

Alrighty then.

You see, sexual torture is only funny when it happens to a man...

[Hepburn]

29. Disappoints?????

:eyes:

[BoneDaddy]

131. Answer the question

instead attempting to justify the unjustifiable.

[Dark]

141. Right reaction.

'Disappoints' is forgetting an anniversary

'Fucking dicks you over at your most vulnerable moment' is cheating on you while you're getting chemo

[BoneDaddy]

130. Thank you

I have said something similar in a number of threads. DU has it's share of ignorant, "feminists" who just love to spout their anti male hate. It is so en vogue.

[Codeine]

45. I guarantee you

if a male DU poster implied he'd cut the breasts off of his wife or mutilate his vagina if she cheated on him he'd be tombstoned post-haste, and rightly so.

[paulsby]

62. it's a double standard and quite common here and elsewhere

women can joke about kicking their spouse's ass (or even mutilating him) if he cheated.

men could make no such joke (here) w/o outrage.

is that a double standard? of course. by defintion

why does it exist? imo, a big part of why it's seen as acceptable is that when it comes to hardcore domestic violence (not talking pushing or shoving and stuff like that), the VAST majority of cases are male on female, not female on male. don't tell that to phil hartmann though.

let's remember, a female country singer just had a top hit in a song glorifying domestic violence (seeking revenge on a boyfriend by destroying his car. this is considered domestic violence, fwiw, although she doesn't kick his ass. just his car's ass)

a man could never do that.

in the past, arguable yes. look at "under my thumb" for instance.


look at the honeymooners "to the moon, alice". i'm not aware of any male sitcom star for example in the last 10 yrs making jokes about beating his wife. women CAN make these jokes (and do) because of this double standard.

[BoneDaddy]

134. No they CANNOT

Certainly, they can but it is incredibly hypocritical.

I am not talking about you as I agree with your above post but sometimes I feel like I am talking to children in here

The history of patriarchy does not justify women to become that which they hate. That would be like saying blacks have the right to imply violence towards whites because of slavery.

The myopic stupidity, the cognitive dissonance and victim based justifications are staggering in DU at times.

[No Elephants]

149. There is NO universal double standard here . If a male poster here makes a

gender-biased remark, he may or may not get negative feedback. For instance, posters here DAILY equate having the courage of one's convinctions with having testicles. Most people here don't even bother to comment on posts like that and you get nowhere if you alert on that--that's how common and unremarkable it is here. Sometimes even I let those go simply because it just happens too dang often and so few here even comment.

When I start seeing you object to that very common kind of remark, I'll be impressed, as opposed to your outrage at a comment about genital mutilation as to your own gender. The former would show an desire for equality, the latter is merely protective of your own group and therefore not terribly impressive.

On other, less common remarks, like genital mutilation, for both genders, it's exactly the same. Someone makes a jackass comment and several people express outrage, JUST AS YOU AND OTHERS DID ON THIS THREAD. (There are about 7 or 8 posts on this thread objeting.) And if someone alerts, a mod deletes, JUST AS OCCURRED ON THIS THREAD. No double standard.

Claiming that men get treated worse ignores reality and thus displays the very same victim mentality about which you and your colleagues on this thread have been whining. So, don't waste your time looking for the mote in women's eyes because the beam in your own seems to prevent you from seeing very well.

Meanwhile, this revolting comment from your post...


"I am not talking about you as I agree with your above post but sometimes I feel like I am talking to children in here."


The very definition of a partriarchal attitude is perceiving women as children. At least you're fit the defintion of a classic. Not an especially desirable classic, of course, but a classic nonetheless.


"The myopic stupidity, the cognitive dissonance and victim based justifications are staggering in DU at times."

Yup. You said it. But, it is just that much more ridiculous when it is a male playing the victim, and while being totally blind to how utterly ironic his biased comments are.

[noiretextatique]

52. elizabeth is a fng saint

but i'm with you :thumbsup:

[BoneDaddy]

129. Don't you think that is a wee bit hypocritical?

Can you imagine a man on DU (whose wife just happened to cheat on him) make a statement that he would cut out her vagina? The place would go ballistic. Seems this place is filled with hypocrites when it comes to gender.

[iandhr]

10. Elizabeth Edwards

Is a great person. I met her at a Young Democrats of America Conference in Manchester a few years back. How could he do that to her

[get the red out]

11. I have no right to judge her

She was in a situation that most of us can't imagine. She is as brave as they come.

[primavera]

106. Bravo

There certainly is an awful low of judging going on here about an intimate personal matter of which none of us has any direct, first-hand knowledge. How any of this is any of our business, I fail to see.

[TorchTheWitch]

112. She's about to profit off of making it our business

All this talk about a personal matter when she's hawking a book that discusses the affair in depth is hardly a personal matter that's none of our business. Writing this book is her personal revenge against him by publicly airing this personal dirty laundry so the whole world can sympathize with her. BOTH of them have gone out of their way to make this a public as possible, so it's absurd to chastize anyone for butting into their personal business.

[primavera]

114. If that's the case...

... then her public account may be no less jaundiced than a Fox reality TV show. All the more reason to refrain from pointless speculations and judgments about events of which we know nothing.

[TorchTheWitch]

132. What, you don't want her to profit off this book?

Please. When you fall all over yourself to air your dirty laundry to the public you're BEGGING the public to speculate and judge. All this finger wagging that it's private and none of our business when Jonny Hedge Fund goes on tv to air this dirty laundry for the public and Poor Elizabeth writes and hawks a book about it it's laughable in the extreme to finger wag and proclaim it's none of our business.

[florida08]

15. sad situation

all around but he should have dropped out like she asked him to. Little arrogant on his part.

[Ilsa]

16. The run for office and the affiar were both arrogant on his part. He should

have made her wishes his first consideration.

[Omaha Steve]

31. Marta and I spent more $ on his run to the White House than ever before

He did no worse than John McCain did to his ex-wife. But I'd never vote for him since learning about this last year. Not when he knew he was going to run. Not when this was while Elizabeth was so very sick.

When he dropped out, Marta and I switched to Obama and never looked back. That while my union AFSCME was spending millions on Senator Clinton.

OS

[Lorien]

122. Actually, what McCain did WAS worse

he LEFT his disabled wife to fend for herself after a serious accident-and for a younger, much richer model. It wasn't just lust that motivated him; it was greed, too.

[TorchTheWitch]

133. Sorry, what John did is worse

He wanted his cake and eat it too. It's better to leave someone for another rather than cheat and lie to them because at least it's honest. It's far more greedy to cheat and lie to have both the loving and devoted wife AND the mistress that is having your kid and you're sneaking money to.

I don't condone what McCain did as I suspect he didn't want a disabled wife and he wanted a hottie with lots of money. But it was more honest and fair for him to leave the wife he didn't want anymore than trying to have his cake and eat it too by cheating and lying.

[laureloak]

46. She covered for him and the Dems could have been stuck.

I won't forgive her for that. And let's not even mention how I feel about his deceitfulness.


Good luck raising money from book sales, Elizabeth. I have better things to spend my time and money on.

[mule_train]

47. I always saw through John Edwards

his voting record was always the opposite of his words

[yodermon]

48. I will go to hell for this: I read your title as "His HAIR made me vomit"

i know i know.

[devilgrrl]

49. John Edwards is EVIL. Let's KILL him!!!!

:sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm::sarcasm:

[FiveGoodMen]

54. Absolutely! He's one of only six or seven people that have ever cheated.

Also: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm:

[No Elephants]

69. While his wife was being treated for Stage 4 cancer and kept his affair secret while seeking the

Democratic Party's Presidential nomination? Gee, I thought Edwards was the only one who did that. Who were the other six?

[krabigirl]

57. lol, seriously.

[struggle4progress]

55. Sad story. She's a great lady. He's a talented and energetic guy. I have a lot of respect

for both of them, and I wish this hadn't happened

I gave time and money to several of his campaigns

:shrug:

Water under the bridge

[cali]

60. He's a sleaze- and not because of his personal life

he's a phony centrist war cheering, hedge fund cozying creep with a lousy record in the Senate.

I'm glad he's been marginalized and disgraced.

[struggle4progress]

63. Feh: Edwards' Senate record was better than that of predecessor Faircloth or successor Burr

yeah, he was was a disappointment on the war -- but so was just about everybody else.

[cali]

65. wow better than Burr. that's high praise.

and no, not just about every Senator was a disappointment on the war. Just about half of the dem Senators voted against it. Hell, Lincoln Chafee voted against it and he was a repub. Jim Jeffords, Pat Leahy, Ted Kennedy, Russ Feingold, Barbara Boxer and many more.

fuck him. It's great that the little sleaze bag got whet he deserved.

[struggle4progress]

66. Well, then, you wouldn't be happy with a lot of people who I've supported to get rid of someone else

I worked hard to replace Faircloth with Edwards, and I'm not at all embarrassed to have done so. It's true there were times I could have strangled Edwards, but overall he represented a move in the right direction for NC. Two steps forward, one step back ...

[karynnj]

72. Isn't that kind of like dividing by zero

After all they were Republicans - why not add he was better than Jesse Helmes. That might be a decent reason for not primarying a NC Senator, but some here have pushed him as the most liberal progressive we had. He never was.

[struggle4progress]

81. "Problem: I don't like anchovies on my pizza. Solution: I'll shoot myself in the head!"

[karynnj]

101. No - just saying that that is a very low bar you set

especially when in the earlier post you used several superlatives. They should be backed by more than he's better than Burr. Ben Nelson is better than Burr. Joe Lieberman is better than Burr.

[struggle4progress]

111. Neither Nelson nor Lieberman was Edwards' predecessor or successor in the Senate:

I think the point is clear enough not to require endless rephrasing

[karynnj]

159. Lieberman WAS his predecessor as the VP nominee

and the point with Burr is that even the most conservative Democrat in the entire Senate is better than Burr (as well as the most hawkish Senator (Lieberman).

My point is that when you are using superlatives - you can't then defend by saying that he is better than a pretty conservative Republican. The FACT is that there is little to praise in Edwards' one term in the Senate.

[Lilith Velkor]

59. Me too.

:puke:

[ConcernedCanuk]

64. My ex-wife's infidelity changed my whole life -

.
.
.

Infidelity is not just a physical act,

it's a betrayal of trust.

Some of us have a need to trust people, even if it's just that your buddy won't steal your last beer, or your neighbor will bring back the lawn mower tomorrow sorta thing.

TRUST

That's what people want, and need.

If you wanna "fool around", then you better be in an open relationship and be honest with each other.

Trust,

and honesty(such a lonely word)

the hardest thing to find

yeah - Billy Joel

Honesty is such a lonely word.
Everyone is so untrue.
Honesty is hardly ever heard.

(sigh)

[Liberal813]

127. Regarding honesty and trust

We all have our weaknesses. To err is human, to forgive divine.

[robcon]

68. Edwards' campaign was an unpatritotic act, IMO.

He knew there was a strong risk of being found out, and if he had won the nomination - then his infidelity were discovered - the Democratic party would have lost the election.

[cap]

70. Elizabeth knew her time on earth is limited

and she wanted to push for a real anti-poverty program. What John did was not as important as getting the American public to focus on poverty. Elizabeth knew she and John had the microphone on that topic. Unfortunately, John was not a worthy partner... but she had to go ahead with what she had.

It's too bad John just couldn't say that he wasn't a saint, but that what he had to say about poverty was more important to millions of Americans than his failure to keep his marriage vows and his foolish decision to mislead the American public about his personal life.

Why is John Edwards thrown to the wolves by our media and cheats like Gingrich and Guiliani allowed to play a part in public life?

[creeksneakers2]

103. John is a phony

This is the proof. He was a phony about all the anti-poverty stuff too. He would have dropped that in a second if it was to his advantage.

[cap]

110. at least someone did start talking about poverty when no one else was

I can give John credit for that. He was doing it before he started his presidential bid.

For the sake of argument, I'll say you are correct and that John did not have pure motivations. It still does not take away from the fact that he started the conversation

[MISSDem]

73. I'm as much a feminist as anyone, so please spare me, but IMHO, if

she had not let herself go and get as big as the side of a barn maybe John would not have looked elsewhere. I mean, really. Can you imagine how many women were/are throwing themselves at a goodlooking millionaire? Get real.

[LaurenG]

75. I cannot believe you said that!

most likely his affair had nothing to do with her, it had to do with how his girlfriend made him feel about himself.

Yikes I bet you're in for some surprises in your life.

[MISSDem]

76. No I don't think so. I will be 64 in July and have seen just about everything.

I believe that sex is very, very important to a man, much more than to a woman. And yes she is to blame for letting herself go so that he no longer desired her.

[knitter4democracy]

79. Yeah, 'cause when you're going through cancer treatments, ya gotta look great.

It's all about the appearances, now, isn't it. :eyes:

[LisaL]

87. Don't forget she also had multiple children.

[Mari333]

84. You have got to be kidding.

if you arent, sweet jesus on a pogo stick. I am too nice of a person to say anymore.

[cali]

85. you're disgusting.

it's that simple. And she didn't get as big as a barn. That's just sick. Oh, and you're sexist crap doesn't belong here, miss. You sound just like the freepers

[WestSeattle2]

107. Sex is very important to most men....

but cheating on a spouse? That's a character defect, pure and simple. If one spouse is no longer physically attracted to the other, than an open and honest discussion needs to occur. Sneaking around and lying to a spouse is unacceptable, not to mention incredibly immature behavior. And on the subject of remaining physically attracted, how many 50-year-old men go out of their way to remain physically attractive? Precious few! Physical attraction is a two-way street.

[Edith Ann]

125. Women let themselves go

Elizabeth Edwards had a baby at 48 and another one at 50. She took multiple hormone shots to get pregnant that effected her body. Then she had stage four breast CA and took multiple drugs that effected her body. The idea that she "let herself go", so of course the SOB has a right to cheat, is insulting to women. He could have had several women who would have disrespected his marriage in a heart beat and he picks the ugliest one on the block. He could have shown some character and kept it in his pants for his wife and kids. I guess the women who are in his life, legitimately, are all humiliated and angry. Of the other two, the mistress deserves what she gets for interfering in another woman's marriage and that poor little girl deserved better than to be a by product of two thoughtless, selfish people. JE deserves what he gets as well. BTW, I don't notice the JE pays much attention to any of his children. How long did Emma Clair and Jack go without his time while he was cheating on his family. While he used them for props, in his perfect family picture, he displayed a lot of impatience with them when in interviews. I feel sorry for all the kids. When your daddy cheats on you mom, how do the girls learn to trust men and how do the boys learn to respect women.

[cwydro]

155. Good post.

And welcome to DU!

[Forkboy]

136. I see a lot of stupid on DU, but you win for today!

Congratulations! :toast:

[cwydro]

166. Ditto on that!

[Darth_Kitten]

162. So maybe men ought to stop focusing on their penises, and more on their marriages?

:shrug: :sarcasm:

Always the woman's fault...I guess it's rather tiring to dress yourself up for your man if you are busy raising the kids essentially on your own, whilst he's in some bar schmoozing with some political groupie.

[knitter4democracy]

78. Thanks. You're talking about me, too.

That's exactly what STBX said when he confessed to six years' worth of infidelity. I've been though medical hell--two major surgeries in seven months that seriously messed up my entire body, three broken bones last summer in three separate situations, two kids, you name it. Somehow, I was supposed to keep looking like some trophy wife and have dinner ready when he came home with the house looking perfect.

John Edwards is a narcissist. He himself admitted it. Unless you've been married to one, as I have, you need to think first before posting. She could've been the thinnest, most gorgeous woman, and he would've cheated anyway for some other reason.

[smalll]

89. Get real?!? Get Rielle, rather. And "the side of a barn"?!? -- would that be a "recreation barn?"

/nt

[Old Hob]

90. you shouldn't drink and post at the same time.

and I should take my own advice.

[karynnj]

102. You do realize that it is likely that the hormone treatments

and the 2 very late life pregnancies to get JRE the son he wanted are the likely cause. It is much harder losing weight at 50 than in your twenties or thirties.

Not to mention, though looks are a part of what attracts people in the first place, you would think that they would be a minor part of the whole relationship after that many years. Valuing the love, trust, closeness and understanding are far more important. Not to mention, Elizabeth Edwards has a beautiful face.

[JVS]

137. zOMG!

:popcorn:

[No Elephants]

139. You may be many things, MISS, but you are no feminist.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

147. A feminist?

:rofl:

[jehovas_waitress]

153. I suspect it has less to do with her dress size than his ego size and,

this POS could be married to the world's most beautiful woman and would STILL do what he did to her. As the old adage goes, "no matter how good looking a woman is, somewhere there's a guy that's tired of screwing her".

[cwydro]

154. Are you for real?! nt

[jehovas_waitress]

156. If you're asking do I mean what I said the answer is yes..

That quote is of course an exaggeration, but one based on a degree of truth. Lots of men in otherwise happy marriages with lovely wives and children are philanderers. It has less to do with what the woman does or fails to do, what she looks like or does not look like, than the man's desire to stray.

I'm saying in Edwards' case he would probably still do what he did regardless of the wife's appearance. He's a classic narcissist and thinks he is still a playa.

[cwydro]

157. I was replying to post 73.

If you look in the upper right hand corner of a post, it shows you who the post is in response to.

Welcome to DU however!!

[jehovas_waitress]

158. Yikes. I just realized that. So sorry. NT

[cwydro]

163. No problem.

Lot to learn at this crazy site!:P

[Control-Z]

170. Hey! I never knew that.

I've always gone back to the subject titles and followed the thread to find who a response was to. Thanks!! I learn something new here at DU, just about every day.

(Now please try not to give me flak for being so dumb.:crazy: I know, I know...)

[Common Sense Party]

74. Is she still with the philanderer?

And if so, why?

[Psephos]

82. Probably for the same reason HRC is still with WJC

i.e., because it's not about the marriage, but the business relationship

[Old Hank]

80. Liz is strong and courageous

It is not easy to recover from the blow that is to discover an infidality. I've been in that situation before and it does not feel good.

I admire her as a gritty woman who has battled many adversities in life. I root for her!

[superconnected]

83. It made me throw up too. Way to go John, that's where your integrity went out the window for me.

Oh, and hers to when she proved she's just an enabler. But don't worry, her cancer still garners the sympathy vote from me. I hope she is well. I just don't think she is an icon for women to look up to now that she's not a strong women when it comes to men. Sort of like Rihanna. I suppose we can still look up to her for being a cancer survivor though.

[shimmergal]

120. IWhy do people wo've never walked

in her shoes think they're entitled to condemn her for not "being a strong woman when it comes to men?"

Who's going to be raising those two young children after Elizabeth is gone? Why should she take actions that would mess up their relationship with their father, just for the sake of some abstract principle? Thank God I've never faced her dilemma, but I've had to cope with a husband's infidelity AND lawbreaking when my kids were small. There are no good options. And I'm telling you, anyone who tries to tell you what you "have to" do is NOT going to be a very good source of moral support.

[Quantess]

172. Elizabeth Edwards is "sort of like Rihanna"?

Rihanna got beat up by her boyfriend. She has a fantastic career, she's very young and beautiful, has no children. No major illness, either.

I agree that Rihanna is stupid to stay with her lousy abusive boyfriend, and that Elizabeth Edwards probaly should have left her husband a few months ago, but really, there is no comparison.

[hyphenate]

86. So, let me understand this

Everyone piles it on for both Elizabeth and John Edwards, only because he had an affair and she kept quiet about it? I doubt if anything much would have happened had John won the primary, and I sincerely doubt if McCain would have been the recipient of people reacting badly to Edwards.

It sounds like many people are judging the man on the basis of one event in his life, so that all the work he's done on behalf of the Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity office, the class action suits he has won for the impoverished, and all the charitable work he's done amount to nothing? Yes, he had an affair, and yes Elizabeth knew about it, and so fucking what? He's still a good guy. I really get pissed off when someone attacks a politician like John without understanding what's going on on his life. It's beyond belief to criticize someone who has done so much and who has far more to give to people. Elizabeth has a cancer that is inoperable. Yes, I know: he's a scumbag for cheating on Elizabeth when she's in such a bad way. Well, people should take a look at the fucking timetable--Elizabeth was not diagnosed as terminal when he had the affair--it wasn't until March of 2007 that Elizabeth was diagnosed with inoperable cancer. And in fact, John has openly said that he would be more than happy to take a paternity test, with Ms. Hunter has demurred to. He should not be taken apart for an affair, when emotionally, he has probably already hit bottom. People really are cruel, and I think it really shows the worst of DU when a Democrat, and a compassionate one at that, is thrown to the wolves. If you don't have anything nice to say, perhaps people shouldn't say anything at all.

Besides, tearing apart a DEMOCRAT is against the TOS of DU. People should remember that, period.

Clinton didn't have a third world war as the result of a few blowjobs from an intern. And Bush was president for 8 years, and while he DID start a few wars, none of them turned into World Wars. Those who believe that John Edwards would have gone that far need a serious jolt of reality. Or a straitjacket. Either one is perfectly sound.

[LisaL]

88. Well, if you ask me, that kid needs to be DNA tested.

Whoever is the father will have to support the kid.

[Control-Z]

171. Absolutely.

The odds are just as good that it's not his kid. (Not to mention, there's a very good chance she got pregnant on purpose.)

This I say from experience:

My husband was (is still, I guess) a good looking, popular (local) musician with a slew of bimbos who drool, cry, and get gaga over him nightly. After 10 years (of what I thought was an almost perfect marriage) I learned that he had fathered twins with a truly disgusting, sleazy woman. No brains. No looks. No nothing that I or any other woman would be envious of. And yes, he claimed he only had sex with her once.

My kids found pictures and letters she had sent him, hidden in the garage. She confessed her love for him, and admitted that she had gotten pregnant on purpose. I told him to have paternity testing done. He refused. She refused. They came up with all kinds of excuses. He told me she was afraid of ME as if I had done something to her. That I was threatening her babies. All BS, off course. But he defended her, even though he wasn't in love with her, and if not for the twins would have had nothing more to do with her.

It devastated me. It destroyed our family.

After 4 years he finally had testing done. They were not his.

[cali]

92. hell no. I always knew he was a centrist war cheering opportunist.

He did very little work on poverty. He benefitted from the poverty and misery of NO homeowners by heavily investing is the sleazy hedge fund he worked for "to learn about poverty".

He's a narcissistic little asshole, not a good guy. He made big bucks off the law suits he filed. He never did any pro-bono work or much of any community work or volunteering before he went into politics.

JE is not a dem politician anyore so it's hardly against the rules to say that he's an opportunistic piece of shit.

[cornermouse]

95. Since you brought this up...

What war is Obama getting us out of? And when did Edwards announce that he was becoming a republican or going independent?

[cali]

96. We'll see if Obama hews to his campaign promise

to end the war in Iraq. And we are under no compunction to speak no ill of JE here. He's no longer a dem politician. he's an ex-politician.

[No Elephants]

98. Criticizing a Democrat is not against any DU rule of which I am aware. It is not as though

he is currently running for office and posters here are working toward his defeat in favor of someone from another party.

[karynnj]

104. Elizabeth Edwards was diagnosed with breast cancer in late 2004

and treated for the first time in early 2005. She was still dealing with this when he started the affair.

[creeksneakers2]

105. He was a phony on that stuff too.

He sued to make money. His voting record was nothing like the way he sold himself. He made outrageous claims like he was going to shut down the government to force Congress to provide a copy of their health care package to everybody.

He used his wife's sickness to sell himself. All he said about poverty was just trash talk to get himself nominated.

[cornermouse]

93. Did John Edwards leave the democratic party and become a republican

or announce a bid as an independent to run against a democrat? Did he announce that he wasn't a democrat any more? Am I missing something here?

[LisaL]

118. Do you think republican party would want him?

:eyes:

[cornermouse]

124. Edwards is a democrat.

And I'll take a moment to point out here that he never talked about reaching out to "the other side of the aisle"; a policy that is loaded with stupidity and, except in times of major disaster, can only end in disaster.

[cali]

126. yeah, he just did plenty of reaching across the aisle and kissing

bushco's butt. And Obama plays an advanced game of chess with the repukes, giving them plenty of rope.

[dipsydoodle]

94. Tinned peaches

used to do the same to me but I quite like them now.

[24601]

109. We just need to put him behind us and move on

John's political future is up there just under Dan Quayle's. We can be grateful that he didn't get the nomination or the #2 spot (again) before being discovered for what he really is. Otherwise President McCain would be calling the shots. But for a parting shot, if he's do that to Elizabeth, imagine what he would do to us! Power corrupts, $400 haircuts corrupt absolutely!

[struggle4progress]

113. For a moment here, I thought I'd accidentally stumbled into the First Annual Reunion of the Pious

Saints' and Blessed Martyrs' Clubs, or perhaps an unannounced meeting of the Society of Holy Angels: but after looking around a bit, I feel that I recognize far too many of the names for that to be case

So I can only wonder why the imperfectability of the human race is such a surprising revelation to so many posting in this thread

[primavera]

115. What a good question.

:shrug:

[Lorien]

123. Well, you know, it's really unusual for a politician to not be forthcoming

with the truth, and very strange indeed when a famous, wealthy, attractive and powerful man cheats on his spouse. Shocking, I say!

:sarcasm: < as if it were needed.

It's sad that it happened to Elizabeth, and nobody "wins" in an affair, but it's hardly surprising. I'll save my outrage for BushCo's war crimes, insurance companies, and the politicians who are giving our tax dollars to wealthy bankers while denying us Universal Health Care. That's the kind of immoral behavior that destroys lives by the millions.

[shimmergal]

116. People!

I think most of your "what if..." doomsaying is just plain wrong.

IF JRE had come out ahead in the first primaries, AND if he'd gotten the media support that Obama gathered early, there'd have been no need for him to pay Rielle off, or to "bury the body" even metaphorically. The affair simply wouldn't have come out in the MSM, and any blogs or even Enquirer coverage would have been dismissed as the far-out static of extremists, no more credible than the "birthers" who keep trying to prove Obama's not an American.

But of course his candidacy never got that media support from the beginning. Probably because the things he was saying posed too much of a threat to the establishment. Now maybe Obama's "stealth" approach was better--he kept that MSM support which enabled us to finally toss out the Repigs and hopefully save the country. But Edwards' campaign was probably doomed regardless of the affair or its absence. The only thing its exposure did was take him out of public life so he couldn't play ANY role in the new administration. Although granted, if he'd been willing to tell the truth even then, he might be further along the road to redemption. First thing: whoever's been dragging their feet, get a DNA test done on that baby!

Sadly, I can't agree with Elizabeth's characterization of Rielle as "pathetic." Sleazy, yeah. But I'm thinking that, as a heretofore childless middle-aged woman, she probably got exactly what she wanted. Even if it tore the heart out of a lot of people.

[LisaL]

117. Oh really? Why exactly wouldn't the affair come out

if Edwards had gotten media support?

[cali]

119. codswallop.

and love the way you put all the blame on Hunter. the comparison between the birther nonsense and his affair is laughable, as is your suggestion that the press would have covered up something like Edwards' affair if it had been Obama who did it. they wouldn'thave.

[shimmergal]

121. Might have come out as "rumor."

I still don't think it would have been given much credibility, or attention. Even with MSM support having shifted to Obama, you'll notice they said very little about how McCain treated his first wife, which certainly wasn't admirable either.

And I'm not putting all the blame on Hunter. It takes two to tango, and in fact it's primarily up to the married person to resist an adulterous affair. I'm just saying that of the three, she's ended up with a healthy toddler and apparently the means to support the child in style, while both John and Elizabeth have just ended up with grief.

[Hello_Kitty]

135. Ridiculous false equivalence

Edwards' affair turned out to be true and the likelihood that the child is his is very high. The bullshit about Obama's birth is just that, bullshit.

[JVS]

138. Are you fucking kidding? The MSM would have been on this story all day!

[fujiyama]

140. Edwards is a phony and a sleaze

and always sounded a little too polished and slick. I too fell for his shtick to some extent and thought he was sincere in his talking about poverty. But Russ Feingold was right when he questioned his campaign rhetoric not matching his senate record. I also always thought he was classless in the way talked about Kerry and the '04 election. Not a hint of gratitude about being chosen as the VP candidate or the opportunity to run with him. You can disagree with Kerry all you want on a million different issues and the way he ran his campaign but he has a hell of a lot more integrity than Edwards. Kerry has also not once bad mouthed Edwards.

I don't even know why I'm wasting my time talking about him. At least in Spitzer's case, he's had something useful to say with the financial crisis. Edwards has a much longer way to go to rehabilitate his image - and forgiving him for jeopardizing the '08 election is going to be especially difficult. Fortunately he didn't have a chance in hell of capturing the nomination.

[ShortnFiery]

143. And his wife first LIED for him and is now mostly blaming the other woman.

They are both real class acts, aye? :sarcasm:

[redqueen]

146. No kidding.

These two just need to fade off into the sunset already. Ugh.

[Name removed]

142. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[pengillian101]

148. What he did to the land to build his grandiousity of a home makes me vomit.

He clear-cut the green woods for this monstrosity of a house etc, etc, etc.

It's big enough that they never have to see each other ever again if that's what they want.

I apologize the pic is so large. I don't know how to shrink it. Scroll left and right and up and down.

[cornermouse]

152. If I had their money

and children, small or larger, would I live on the highway?
No. I would build well off the highway and behind trees or somewhere else where it would be difficult to see the house from the road. Check.

Would I build a large house with rooms for family and staff to take care of it?
Yes. Check.

Would I build a horse barn, arena and a outdoors riding area devoid of trees in an attempt to avoid tragic accidents with the kids?
Yes. Check.

Would I have a covered walkway of some sort from the house to the barn and what appears to be a sun room for rainy days in the barn for kids, dogs, cats, and horses?
Yes. Check.

Looking at the number of cars near the barn, I wonder if they also use the barn for riding therapy for local kids but that's nothing more than speculation.

In short, would I live like that if I had their money? Maybe. I don't really envy others their money or lifestyle. That's theirs, not mine. Neither do I expect others to conform to my lifestyle because it's not for everyone. As far as cutting down the trees, suburban sprawl is a much bigger threat.

[Darth_Kitten]

161. If I had that money, I would send my kids to an expensive school for the elite....

hmmmmm....... :sarcasm:

[Inspired]

167. This thread was a few weeks old. I think it is stupid to resurrect it for this old news.

[Deja Q]

151. At least John didn't stoop to the level of Levi and shrug it off, saying

"It's just unrealistic"...

:think:

Whether Levi was being a legitimate ass... or using reverse psychology, I do not know. All I can say is, he saying that comment unwittingly makes me respect the guy (just a tad). For a very complex and convoluted reason only...

[Darth_Kitten]

160. Why is this being brought up over and over again?

:shrug:

Yes, yes, yes, we KNOW......the Obamas are PERFECT and the Edwards are flawed.

Yes, we know, let's move on.......

[NYCGirl]

164. Because Elizabeth Edwards has been talking about it constantly in very public

places?

[northernlights]

168. she's on her (required) book tour answering questions

and the affair is only a very small part of her book. She is doing what is required as part of her book contract.

seriously, time to move on.

[NYCGirl]

169. If she didn't want anyone to talk about it, she shouldn't have written about it.

Seems perfectly logical to me.

[HughMoran]

173. She (rightly IMO) stated that people would be even harsher on her if she didn't

I agree, she couldn't just "pretend" that such a significant event "never occured" - she was right to include what little she did - complete avoidance would have looked even worse.

[NYCGirl]

174. Perhaps writing a book right now was not the best option. NT