Sympathy for John Edwards

[Wabbajack_]

I've been seeing some nasty stuff about John Edwards across the internet.

Ie "he should blow his brains out for what he did".

Seriously come on. Adultery is hanging offense if the wife is sick? Adultery happens in most marriages.

The man and his children deserve some compassion during this difficult time.

[Cant trust em]

1. I'd be willing to bet that he's devastated right now.

I'm sure that he'd be much happier if Elizabeth didn't have cancer and he didn't cheat on her.

I bet there's a lot of self-loathing going on right now.

[CTyankee]

10. I doubt it. How long before we have the Rielle Hunter/John Edwards wedding?

Let's count the days before THAT happens...

Oh, the self loathing...as long as he gets laid...

[tammywammy]

13. Didn't they already plan most of it out? n/t

[CTyankee]

17. Yes, I believe at least Rielle did have that all planned out!

How nice of you to mention it!

Well, I guess there's "grave dancing" and there's "grave weddings".

Oh, the POOR, POOR John Edwards...such a tragic figure...

I want to throw up...

[Cant trust em]

18. Damn. I must really be out of the loop.

Hey, Cant Trust Em, it's almost 2011. Time to get out of the cave.

[AspenRose]

116. Yeah wasn't there something about Rielle wanting Dave Matthews to play

at the reception or something? And Dave Matthews came out and said 'uh, no way'

[customerserviceguy]

16. Yep, that wedding's going to happen soon

Then she won't be compelled to testify against him in his upcoming legal matter for using campaign funds to pay her to sleep with him.

But like any good ambulance chaser, he'll cough up some crocodile tears at the funeral.

[karynnj]

76. I actually doubt that

If he is as ego driven as he has appeared, I can't help believe that at this point he associates and blames her for his downfall. What I can imagine is that within a few years, Edwards marrying a woman, with the intelligence and beauty of the young Elizabeth - likely years younger than he is.

[chimpymustgo]

Self-delete. Double post.

[chimpymustgo]

82. Can you give me this week's lottery numbers, too? Disgraceful.

[karynnj]

84. What is disgraceful in suggesting that sometime in the future

he will marry a more socially acceptable woman than Rielle? I wrote what I believe likely to happen sometime in the future. Are you implying it is more likely that he will marry Rielle?

I expect, that he will find a woman - active in issues like poverty, who is intelligent, and very likely both beautiful and younger than he is. The first three are all qualities Elizabeth had when he fell in love with her - and most wealthy, successful men are more likely to marry someone younger.

Would you think more of him marrying Rielle or this hypothetical woman? Do you expect him to remain single and uninvolved?

[JanMichael]

91. I thought the exact same thing

I bet he's remarried in 24 months, and I doubt it will be to what's her name.

[a la izquierda]

96. I'd swear you were my mother if I didn't know better. eom

[CTyankee]

111. We old ladies don't much give a damn anymore...

I'm sometimes surprised at the stuff that comes out of my mouth...:hi:

[a la izquierda]

112. My mom wonders where I get it from...

and I just stare back at her and smile.

I want to be like those two old gals, Helen and Margaret I think their names are, when I grow up! They're funny as all get-out!

[cyr330]

2. I wish him no harm. . .

But I do have sympathy for his kids.

As for John Boy? Nope.

We certainly didn't see him saying he was sorry. He was just more interested in fucking his whor* and lying about it (which I really don't care about)than he was in Elizabeth's situation.

He's a slime ball, and I say that only because he did it AFTER Elizabeth was sick with cancer. He is a pathetic excuse for a human being.

However, those poor children-- I feel awful for them.

And John Edwards? I guess he'll have his regrets to deal with, but that's not my problem.

[cali]

3. My compassion is for his children

[RamboLiberal]

115. +1

[CTyankee]

4. Hmm..."adultery happens in most marriages"

Well, I see how this post is going.

The woman was sick and he deserted her for another woman. "The man" deserves no compassion because of his adultery...can we get that straight?

Let's all mourn Elizabeth but memorializing John's adultery is the real "nasty stuff." He CHOSE to hurt her when she was sick with cancer. Is that admirable?

No one is mentioning hanging. We are really talking about taking responsibility.

The children deserve ALL of our compassion.

[bbinacan]

5. Johnny can go #### himself. n/t

[uppityperson]

6. I was with you until "Adultery happens in most marriages. "

Aside from that, my condolences to them.

[bomberman]

100. Why? Is it not true?

I just love the delusions people still have about marriage.

[AndrewP]

7. Meh....I'm not going to jump on him but I don't think much of him as a person

My sympathy go to her children of course.

[Little Star]

8. The children have my compassion.

[Individualist]

9. Unrec.

[hlthe2b]

11. What comes to mind right now...

Is that ending scene in Gone With the Wind following Melanie's death, when Scarlett all of a sudden was free to go after her precious Ashley. Ironically, it is only then that she sees her husband (Rhett) as what she really needs and desires, but it is too late as he walks out on her.

I'm rather betting that Edwards has finally realized the extremely poor "trade" he made when he tossed aside the elegant Elisabeth for the gold digger mistress and what he ultimately gave up. While we all make mistakes in life, his were rather all-encompassing. I am betting he has tremendous regrets. He certainly OUGHT to.

[obliviously]

12. I hope he has created his own private hell!

[CTyankee]

21. My experience with people like him is that he couldn't give a shit.

Bottom line: he's alive and she's dead. He did what he did to her and created a lot of her misery while she was still alive. Now she's gone and he's still fucking Rielle (or somebody else).

Sorry to be so graphic, but somebody has to say it...

[donheld]

14. My sympathy goes mostly to the Edward kids.

[obliviously]

15. Amen

Well said!

[Mad_Dem_X]

64. +1

[October]

19. Ridiculous. Sympathy for his children, yes -- him, no.

/nt

[WolverineDG]

20. Oh, I'm not going to beat him up over the adultery thing

or the lying or the cover-up. As for sympathy & compassion, I'll reserve that for Elizabeth's kids.

dg

[CTyankee]

22. OK, I will. Hand me the lead pipe...

[WolverineDG]

25. I think Life isn't done kicking John Edwards around

and from what I've seen in my time is that sometimes, what happens when you just stand back & watch is even better than what you had all planned out yourself.

Don't burn yourself up with hate over John Edwards---it won't hurt him, but it can destroy your own life & relationships. :)

dg

[CTyankee]

32. Please, no sermons. I don't hate John Edwards, but I do see him pretty clearly,

which I notice some people on this thread don't.

My own life and relationships are fine, thank you very much. But I would not give John Edwards the time of day at this point. Would you?

How has HE suffered? He cheated on Elizabeth when she was sick with cancer and then lied about it. He lied to her and he lied to you and me. That's OKAY? He's alive and can go on with a new wife and new family. That's FINE?

Life has NOT kicked this man around. He's doing great. What could be better...now he's freer than he was before...

You must be so proud...

[WolverineDG]

37. wtf?

just because I'm not letting anger take over my life (as you are, whether you admit that or not) doesn't mean I don't see him as a low-life pos. I'm just not going to dog-pile on him. Nor am I wasting any compassion or empathy on him. He doesn't deserve any more of my time or attention & thinking about beating him with a lead pipe is doing just that. He ain't worth it.

dg

[CTyankee]

42. Well, he betrayed many of us who believed in him...that was not good.

So actually, it isn't that we're all burned up over it but we do see him pretty clearly.

I am impatient with people who excuse those who do harm. Perhaps I go overboard a bit with lead pipes but I am old enough not to care what anyone thinks...I say what I mean...try it, it is liberating!

[WolverineDG]

87. Yup, that's a big Karmic payback he's got headed his way for doing that

I, too, gave $ to this pos. I'd like it back, but I know that's not going to happen. If you think that I'm "excusing" what he did by not getting pissed off & saying stuff like beating him with a lead pipe, you're very, very wrong. I've got my :popcorn: at the ready for whatever other anvils are going to fall on his head.

dg

[CTyankee]

90. Guess I was still in my "anger phase" of grief when I typed that thingabout

a lead pipe. I was actually trying to be a little ironic but OK I was angry that she died and he's just going along...it WAS a little flip now that I think about it (chuckle...).

LIFE IS UNFAIR!

[Kalyke]

53. Yep... Karma's a bitch.

Elizabeth wasn't.

Wallow in it, Johnny.

[WinkyDink]

74. Life kicking JR around?! HE cheated; HE denied the baby; HE ruined his career; HE might have

committed a crime ($$). AND ELIZABETH IS THE ONE WHO SUFFERED AND DIED, NOT "JOHNNY."

But somehow it was the vague "Life" that was the agent in control, and is "kicking" HIM??

[WolverineDG]

86. John's political future, well there is none

He's facing possible criminal charges & could go to jail. Instead of being the "golden child" of the Democratic Party, he's the butt of everyone's jokes. And I'm sure Life, or Karma as someone else put it, has much more "goodies" in store for this pos. Unlike you & several others, I'm not going to waste any more of *my* time & energy worrying that John Edwards hasn't had enough shit kicked out of him. I've got better things to do.

Besides, Elizabeth getting terminal cancer had nothing to do with what John did. Yes it sucks, but only fools think that Life is supposed to be a bed of roses.

dg

[CTyankee]

94. wise thoughts, dg. But those of us who are idealists still feel it was not right.

Howeve, I see your point now that I am over my initial anger at her being dead and JE being alive...

We really learn these lessons all the time...last summer I lost a very close and dear family member and my anger even astonished ME! It was transient, of course, and grief-based, but it surprised me.

Your post makes sense...sorry about my over the top response with the lead pipe thing...we are never prepared when we actually LOSE a loved one, are we?

[WolverineDG]

97. np. psst, want some of this

:popcorn:

& there's more where that came from :)

dg

[CTyankee]

103. Well, if you mean "more" about JE, I must confess I am not interested any more.

I think I'll do the popcorn for something else...as someone wiser than I once told me, "the only thing you get from beating a dead horse is sore arms."

[WolverineDG]

104. no, just more popcorn

oh well, trying to be nice, get shot down. all in a day's work.

dg

[CTyankee]

110. You ARE nice, Woverine, I'm being a little bit snarky...didn't mean to shoot you down.

Note to self: lighten up already!

:hi:

[WinkyDink]

114. Oh, la-di-DA at you, who posts EVEN THOUGH he has "better things to do"!

[unapatriciated]

117. I was just about to say something similar to your statement

When my youngest became ill with Dermatomyositis (he has battled it since 1991) my fundy stepson told my 13 year old child that he was suffering because of my sins. Seems that a divorced woman was too sinful to be married to his father.
The only person who needs to forgive him has already done so. We may feel better by venting on an internet discussion board, but Edwards is also those children's father and they love him as much as they loved their mother. They will hear enough hurtful things about their dad and I will not add to that hurt.

[phleshdef]

23. I don't think Elizabeth would want us to use her death as a reason to repunish John Edwards again.

He deserved the reaction he got from former supporters when we found out about what he did. But we've done that all ready. Its done. Its over. And you can bet he probably is in more emotional pain over her death than any of us are.

[cali]

24. It would be better if Elizabeth's death didn't become a referendum on John.

[CTyankee]

27. It isn't. It's a separate issue entirely.

That is how I and many people see it.

Please don't link the two.

[cali]

29. I didn't. The OP (obviously) did, by putting him front and center

and so did the other thread calling on prayers for him.

[CTyankee]

33. Yes, of course...sorry...

[FourScore]

26. They had a long history together and he was with her during these last days.

May all of Elizabeth Edwards' loved ones find solace in knowing that she is no longer in pain. She is with Wade now.

I send them all my prayers -- including John.

[WiffenPoof]

28. He Is A Human Being After All n/t

[quinnox]

46. So is Charles Manson

So was every serial killer who ever lived. Just because one is a human being is no excuse for negative actions.

[WiffenPoof]

55. Uh....I'm not excusing Edwards...

I'm not sure where you read that in my post.

In addition...your response sounds like you are comparing Edwards to Manson. Do I have that right?

Look, I just don't like kicking people when they are down. Let him recover and then kick his teeth in.

-PLA

[WinkyDink]

70. OFGS, so what? So are murderers, psychopaths, traitors, etc. Weakest crap ever.

[Raine]

30. My sympathy is for those who not only loved but stood

by Elizabeth since the time she was first diagnosed with cancer not for someone who betrayed her.

[DonCoquixote]

31. I voted form him

and I can say, considering that his adultery would have handed the gop a 2008 victory,
yes, he CAN hang himself,
yes, he CAN go to hell!

[CTyankee]

34. I WOULD have voted for him in the CT primary but the shit hit the fan on him

before Super Tuesday happened...thank GOD!

I voted for Hillary.

I was ALL for him before the Rielle stuff. I thought he stood for the poor, I loved his health care plan and I loved what he said about the f*ckers in the health care industry taking all the food at the table. I thought he was the REAL DEAL.

What an ass I was to believe him! I feel like an idiot! NEVER AGAIN.

John Edwards can go straight to hell for all I care!

[Raine]

48. I was a supporter too but luckily he dropped out

before the CA Primary ... still I used poor judgement and supported Obama over of Hillary. I'm glad (for my peace of mind) that inspite of my vote Hillary carried CA.

Edit: one word

[CTyankee]

52. Well, hell, we didn't KNOW what was going on with JE! How COULD we?

I guess I'm just frustrated that I SO believed in JE. I must have idealized his relationship with Elizabeth: I saw him standing by her, thru thick and thin, with her illness all all and still fighting for the poor in this country...

It makes me sick to think about that now, of course, but I also feel foolish for believing him.

[DonCoquixote]

62. sigh

I still think to this day that Hillary would have been worse. Obama may be a DLC type, but Clinton made the bloody blueprint, which is why she opposed Edwards.

[CTyankee]

113. I don't get into that argument. I really don't know "who" would have been better.

People like me are at a stalemate. We know Obama is not going to do what we would want him to do, we think it is economic and polical folly and we want him to know it. Ain't gonna happen.

We have things on the horizon. There may be more good news coming about his change of staff...

[WillowTree]

35. Sympathy for John Edwards? Not from this quarter.

My guess that he's in his own personal Hell right now, right where he belongs. He made that particular bed for himself and he's welcome to lie in it.

Then again, you seem to be one of those people who thinks that adultery and the lies and deceit that necessarily go with it are OK, so I guess you can afford to be more magnanimous toward a dirtbag like JE. More power to ya.

[quinnox]

36. I have no sympathy for scum like John Edwards

HE BETRAYED HIS WIFE WHEN SHE WAS DYING OF CANCER. It doesn't get much lower than that.

[Rowdyboy]

38. Great sympathy for the kids....nothing but comtempt for John Edwards....

Ever

[Inspired]

39. No one here knows how John feels.

It is a kick in the face on a very sad day to read all the hate towards John. He is a human being and today, if just for one day, can we keep our self-righteous comments to ourselves?

He lost everything. What more do you want from him? Do you really want him to hang himself? Does that make you feel better? I'm sure it does NOTHING for Elizabeth's children.

What the fuck is wrong with people?

I hope none of us ever has to live a life defined by our worst mistake.

[cali]

41. these threads about JE just should not be posted at this time.

this should be about remembering Elizabeth.

[CTyankee]

44. Then let's not have these OP's about JE. That's what has engendered this thread!

nt

[Inspired]

45. I see nothing wrong with offering a kind word to John today.

No one is forcing anyone to read threads about JE. I usually just pass on by if the subject matter is something I don't care to read about.

[cali]

51. this should not be about him

these threads inevitably degenerate.

[Maru Kitteh]

58. It wasn't some one-night-stand in a moment of weakness. What a bunch of shit. He lied to EVERYONE.

My God. The NE article very well could have been - "I have the Democratic Nominee's LOVE CHILD" by Ms. R. Hunter.

This wasn't ONE mistake, this was a meticulously crafted pile of excrement that was nearly stuck to the bottom of every single Democrat's shoe for the next decade.

[WildEyedLiberal]

40. "Adultery happens in most marriages"

Really? Most? No wonder you think poor John's getting a raw deal. He deserves every ounce of condemnation that comes to him.

[Maru Kitteh]

43. I see this is a personal issue for you. Screw John. Seriously. I feel sorry for those that loved

Elizabeth for who she was, like her family, friends and her children - as opposed to that scumbag who only cared about what she could do for his image and his career.

[MilesColtrane]

47. "Sympathy for JE"

You'll have to ask someone else.

I'm all out today.

[Bluebear]

49. 'Adultery happens in most marriages.' - Really??

[Kalyke]

50. Adultry does not happen in most marriages.

Seriously, come on.

What he did is unforgivable. Not only did he cheat, he cheated when his wife needed him most.

He's paying the price.

[David Zephyr]

54. "Sympathy for the Devil" -- Mick Jagger & Keith Richard.

.

[applegrove]

56. I hope that Edwards was able to bring comfort to Elizabeth and her kids.

[Love Bug]

57. He'll get little from me

While his wife was trying heal from cancer he added to her stress with his affair and the public exposure from that. And we're supposed to feel sorry for him? Uh, no. If anything, he contributed to her early end. He's an asshole of the first order.

And "adultery happens in most marriages" excuses what, exactly?

[fortyfeetunder]

59. I'd vote to lock this thread

I don't see any reason to personally attack JE.

I think JE will have more than his fair share of emotional turmoil.

My sympathy is more for the three surviving children, especially the youngest two who will grow up without their mother.

[Skip Intro]

60. I heard something the other day that may apply here, about forgiveness.

It was something like, holding on to a grudge really only hurts you. Forgiveness doesn't mean you accept a person, but means that you don't hold that person's transgressions against you, against him/her. Doesn't mean you have to ever trust that person again. Some people should not be in our lives. But holding a grudge, making them pay in some way, does nothing good for you. Let it go, say goodbye, if that is your decision, but do not hold hate within your heart toward anyone.

I think Elizabeth got this idea. I heard tonight that John was among those with her when she passed.

RIP, Elizabeth. You taught us much. This world shines a little less bright with your passing.

[Obamanaut]

61. No sympathy for John. Condolences for the children and the rest

of the family, but no sympathy for John.

[Arkansas Granny]

63. For those who cannot express any compassion for John, please read Elizabeth's words.

In a September interview on "The Nate Berkus Show," Edwards was asked what she sees when she looks at her estranged husband, John Edwards.

"I see the father of my children, and that's very important to me," she said. "Particularly since I have a terminal disease, this is the person who at some point will take over the primary parenting, and it's important to me that he heals, if he needs too."

Asked about forgiveness, Elizabeth Edwards said that's a difficult topic for her.

"It's really hard to use a word like forgiveness but we found a new of interacting with one another that is healthy -- and I think for the kids -- and really easy for us, which is great," she said.

http://news2.onlinenigeria.com/news/60623-Elizabeth-Edwards-dies-after-battle-with-cancer.html

She was a beautiful woman with a big heart. If she was able to get beyond the adultery, surely we can.

[cali]

66. I think it's very, very clear that she did NOT get beyond his actions

or more aptly, his betrayal.

I harbor him no ill will. I do not wish for anything horrible to befall him, but I have little compassion for him.

[WinkyDink]

71. YOU read them: "It's really hard to use a word like forgiveness...."

[Arkansas Granny]

79. I did not claim that she had forgiven him. Read the rest of that sentence.

"...but we found a new of interacting with one another that is healthy."

[Boudica the Lyoness]

77. I guessed Elizabeth would say that

He is the father of her children and the one she is trusting them with.

They found a health way to interact and that's all we need to know or care about.

[cali]

78. um, her words do not indicate that they found a healthy way to interact

nor does his having been there in her last days.

[Boudica the Lyoness]

85. Let it go

Think about the children..

[seabeyond]

81. fine. there is a difference suggesting people SYMPATHIZE and expectin him be father

a good father, tho his kids

[Le Taz Hot]

65. Bullshit.

He could have left Little Johnny in his pants for a few more years. Her prognosis was terminal, they were married for many years and he had children with her. He OWED her his faithfulness in the last years of life. And yes, I do hope he is full of self-loathing right now. If you don't own up to it when you fuck up, you're never going to learn and you're never going to evolve.

[Uben]

69. He is a hopeless narcissist

He always will be, these people don't change. That's not an excuse for adultery, it's a reason. Ms. Hunter should be considering that because now she is the one who will be betrayed. I guarantee it will happen. He is a lot like Fruit Gingrich, they are both extreme narcissists, thinking they are god's gift to the American public. Their egos have to constantly be stroked to make them feel as regal as they think they are. I cannot think of anything good to say about either of them.

[mstinamotorcity]

67. I feel sorry for him

he now can't even get elected dog catcher!!! He is stuck with a woman who is obviously not based in reality when she believes her child is the one and only reincarnation of the Dalai Lama. And he lost the trust of Millions of supporters, he will have three other children who will always know that their father showed no loyalty to their mother by screwing a woman right under her nose. And no matter how many 400 dollar hairstyles you get it won't make over character flaws.

[WinkyDink]

68. You go on ahead; I'll wait here. (Remember: He was caught; he didn't honestly cop to the child.)

[karynnj]

72. Although things like wanting him to hang are despicable and ignore that he is the remaining

parent to those lovely, likely devastated children, the sympathy might be that he threw away all the many lucky breaks life gave him - including his wife, Elizabeth. It is a gift that he was deemed one of the few people in any century who are "viable" candidates to be President - and, in his case, it was based on the perception of the media and the TPTB of his potential, rather than from a life of accomplishment. Few people have so much handed to them on a silver platter - and he proved himself completely unworthy.

But, while not a "hanging offense", adultery while his wife was working to get him elected, in spite of a cancer diagnosis that was possibly worse than we knew (some reports since her death said it was stage 3 then), it does define him a cad. It was not just his marriage that he was jeopardizing, but the causes that Elizabeth and he were fighting for that he put in jeopardy.

So, now while it is reasonable to feel that he and the children deserve any and all sympathy, it should not ever be used to excuse his actions and his lies. It would have been different had he used the cover of the awful diagnosis in 2007 to step out of the race to be there for his wife and children - and ended the affair. Had he done that, there would have been no baby (she was conceived later) and no divorce and likely no public humiliation of either of them.

I think what Edwards needs to do at this point is to be there 100% for his children. They need and deserve that - and it likely is the only way that he really will gain a measure of forgiveness from those closest to him. (It may be that already began months ago.)

[bushisanidiot]

73. Newt Gingrich is the one suffering. He knows his chances of running for pres.

just went down the drain.

What Newt did was far worse than what John did. Newt left his wife for his mistress, while his wife was recovering from cancer surgery. He went to the hospital to hand her the divorce papers. Gingrich will never be president as long as the public demonizes John Edwards for his affair. And that is exactly what the public is doing, on news of Ms. Edwards' death.

And may Elizabeth rest in peace. :(

[Liberalynn]

75. I'd have more sympathy for him

if he had been honest with his wife from day one. I have no problem with people who go to their spouse or significant other and admit that they have feelings for someone else and that they want to end the current relationship before they actually go ahead and break their vows and promises to the other. That happens yes so deal with it honestly.

But to sneak around behind her back especially when she was so sick and yet still campaigning for him was just wrong. IMHO. I am not saying he is the worst person in the world or that he should be subject to permanent comdemnation. I just hope he feels at least some remorse about his actions.

I am sorry for his children.

[seabeyond]

80. no, adultery does not happen in most marriages. it is a minority of marriages. the man made snide,

disgusting remarks about elizabeth not but a couple months ago when talking about get together with the other woman. he doesnt get sympathy when he choses to be a creep.

[LWolf]

83. Her children deserve a deep well of compassion. Him? Not so much.

Of course, "he should blow his brains out" is stupid. I don't wish him any harm.

Still, cheating causes harm. It hurts people. It's not a victimless offense. If he cared enough about her to be hurt by her death, perhaps he should have had enough compassion and integrity not to hurt her, and his children, while she was still living.

[KamaAina]

88. Hopefully now he'll realize what he had.

Not gonna be pleasant for him.

[InvisibleTouch]

89. I do feel sorry for him.

Someone with great potential and opportunity self-destructed before our eyes, though his own choices and actions. I do think that's sad.

[RagAss]

92. It was written.

[Azathoth]

93. It's not just that he cheated. He proved himself to be an utterly heartless egotist

As always, it wasn't the crime that buried him, it was the callous, self-serving coverup. It reminded people day after day how completely indifferent he was to the pain he had inflicted (and continued to inflict) on others while pursing his own self-interest and gratification.

I don't think he's going to get much sympathy from anyone.

[Nye Bevan]

95. I am certain that he is glad that Elizabeth has died.

He's free to marry his mistress and he has the opportunity to attempt to rehabilitate his image by playing the role of the grieving widower.

No, he should not blow his brains out, but he is scum, and he should hang his head in shame for the rest of his life.

[BoneDaddy]

98. I am not a fan

but the level of sanctimonious high horses is normal from DU. Sad situation all around

[bomberman]

99. He cheated on his wife. He didn't give her cancer

For God's sake. John Edwards is a human being who fell out of love with his wife, just like about a hundred million other guys on the planet, and another hundred million women who cheated on their husbands.

What a stupid thing to be outraged about.

[October]

101. It's also not a crisis if people don't like/respect John Edwards.

You're pretty worked up yourself -- speaking for "hundreds of millions" of people and all.

We don't have to make excuses for someone who lied to his family and the rest of us. He was/is a charlatan.

If you like him -- good for you. I don't. And I have no respect for him.

[lame54]

102. I still like John Edwards

i wish he had a political future

like Vitter and Craig

[October]

105. I'm glad John Edwards is a political fail

[lame54]

107. Thanks for your input

[October]

109. And yours.

[Bunny]

106. The depth of compassion and human decency is this thread is

stunning.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

108. To some degree I do have sympathy. I hope he uses the situation wisely as it relates to his family.

If he is any bit of a human being, he has to be feeling pretty horrible about some of the things he did to his wife in the last remaining years of her life. He of course brought it on himself, but that doesn't mean he can't learn from it.

He was with Elizabeth when she passed. I take that as a sign that she forgave him for what he did to her, and if she was willing to do that, then I consider the matter to be closed for all intents and purposes.

Now, since he is their children's only remaining parent (including the two young ones) I can only hope he'll choose to raise them responsibly and in a manner Elizabeth would have wanted. That's really the best he can do to restore some dignity to himself.

The thing about John Edwards is I still admire his positions on poverty that he took during his campaigns, and that's why I still don't regret voting for him in the primaries, even knowing what I know now. He's just a flawed human being, unfortunately. But time can heal--I think Gary Hart and Elliot Spitzer have regained some of their dignity and respect that they lost in their situations, and so can Edwards.

[Crunchy Frog]

118. No sympathy for him, sorry.

Maybe it happens in "most" marriages, but a marriage that you are presenting to the world as a model of fidelity (as Edwards was during his run), at a time when you are running for the country's highest office (in a country where that kind of scandal is known to destroy political careers, at least for Democrats), when your wife is battling breast cancer while trying to raise your young children, when you lie and lie and lie and then deny the child you fathered. This is not just normal, garden variety adultery.

I feel terrible for the children. I can't imagine what the future holds in store for them. Jon Edwards himself gets no sympathy from me. Elizabeth was far too good for him and far more than he deserved.

[Liberal_in_LA]

119. He did wrong but I have a teeny tiny bit of sympathy for him this week