John Edwards "career" is over.

[Torie]

A lot of hubris in this thread.

Not hubris, for some people.  It's people appalled by Edwards' hypocrisy  and his dishonesty.  If he would have said, "My private life is my own business," I'd wouldn't be critical.  No, my opinion of Edwards hasn't changed.  He was the worst and still is.

[JSojourner]

My opinion of Edwards has been clarified through this whole thing.  Let me explain.

 I agreed with almost every policy and reform he called for.  I very much agreed with his rhetoric on two Americas, both in tone and content.

But I could never really get behind him.  And I could never fully explain why.  Was it the trial lawyer thing that bothered me?  Come on, we NEED trial lawyers.  Those who say we don't have never seen a parent suffer in a nursing home or been critically injured in a workplace accident that was someone else's fault.  That said, of course I am sickened that some lawyers defend scumbags.  And others gleefully participate in frivolous and immoral lawsuits.  But the system should be mended, not ended, (to paraphrase Clinton).  And trial lawyers are a necessary part of the system.  No, that didn't bother me.

Other things that DID bother me cannot explain fully why I couldn't support the very guy whose ideas most mirrored my own.  I would have preferred he'd had more experience.  Same for Obama.  But I can support Obama, nonetheless.  I was really hacked off about the haircut.  But I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.  I worried that he was pursuing the Presidency when his wife and children most needed him.  But I gave him a pass because they were cheering him on.

I liked so much about the guy.  But there was something I just didn't trust.  

Am I saying I have a sixth sense about people's private morality?  Certainly not.  I tend to believe what these clowns say.  And trust that they mean it.  Like when Bill told us he did not have sex with that woman.  I believed.  And when the Decider said he would practice a humble foreign policy and build bridges with Democrats...I didn't vote for him, but I gave him the benefit of the doubt.  

I just don't know what it was about Edwards.  I'm not saying I didn't scoff at the Enquirer story.  But I knew there was something about the guy I couldn't get my head and my heart around...as much as I wanted to.

Now we find this is a man who -- above and beyond any other offense he is guilty of -- stabbed his devoted, intelligent and beautiful wife in the back. That's the worst of it.  And that's why adultery is a sin.  Not because it's sex.  But because it's betrayal.  But he also lied to dozens of his closest associates.  And he placed his party -- the political entity he is supposed to love, second only to his country -- in jeopardy of a 50 state loss in November, had he been the nominee.

Edwards described himself (and I give him credit) as "self obsessed and narcissistic".  Most pols are.  But somehow that obsession cross some strange line where no one else mattered a whit and the man became untouchable.  

If Edwards is really serious about demonstrating repentance (which means not just changing one's mind and saying "I am sorry", but changing one's life), then he will spend the rest of his days taking care of Elizabeth and their children...and with whatever money is left...donate it to the causes he is most (and rightly) passionate about.  And please John.  No books.  No interviews.  Just go away and heal.

[Torie]

JS. we may need trial lawyers (I am a big fan of the British system that has no juries and the loser pays the winner's attorneys' fees which cuts way down on the nonsense), but we didn't need Edwards as a trail lawyer, who played upon the emotions of the jury to ditch the element of causation, and made C section births about twice as common as before, with the other attendant health risks, due to docs worrying about getting in front of a dumbed down Edwards jury. Edwards has done nothing to improve America, and has made a unique contribution to degrading it. He's a huckster, pure and simple. His only agenda is himself. And he lied constantly about his Dad's career. Edwards  is fortunate that I am not his Dad, very fortunate.

[??????????]

No jury? Are you for real Tory? That would be horrible for the American system.

[jokerman]

JSojourner, you're not alone.  I never trusted Edwards either.

[JSojourner]

JSojourner, you're not alone.  I never trusted Edwards either.

I wanted to.  Because he was and is 100% right about Two Americas.  But mostly now, all I want is for him to get his life back together and realize what a tremendous GIFT he has in Elizabeth and those beautiful kids.  I hope he spends the rest of his life making it up to them.

[Keystone Phil]

I guess I should have my say on this issue here.

I'm not into beating up Edwards over this thing. I've never liked him; I've always believed that he was a phony. I like he deserves a lot of the criticism and disgust that has been directed his way over this thing. I'm no fan of adultery but this goes even further than just an affair. Doing this to his kids is bad enough but to do this to his ill wife, a woman who has stood by him through so much, is so very low. People are imperfect; we all make mistakes but a little bit of self control can go a long way, Senator.

This guy ought to feel horrible for what he did. While I have some very strong feelings on this subject, I certainly won't dwell on it, mainly because of what his family has already been through.

God bless Elizabeth Edwards for putting up with this guy.

[Storebought]

God bless Elizabeth Edwards for putting up with this guy.

Elizabeth Edwards strikes me pretty strongly as an enabler.

[YRABNNRM]

This is just one of those stories that prove my perception of a person to be correct.

[Iosif is a COTHO]

Wonder how the people who worked on his 2008 campaign feel.

[The Man From G.O.P.]

Wonder how the people who worked on his 2008 campaign feel.

Even his comm. director, who is usually a huge apologist for Edward's failures threw him under the bus on FOX yesterday.

[JSojourner]

I guess I should have my say on this issue here.

I'm not into beating up Edwards over this thing. I've never liked him; I've always believed that he was a phony. I like he deserves a lot of the criticism and disgust that has been directed his way over this thing. I'm no fan of adultery but this goes even further than just an affair. Doing this to his kids is bad enough but to do this to his ill wife, a woman who has stood by him through so much, is so very low. People are imperfect; we all make mistakes but a little bit of self control can go a long way, Senator.

This guy ought to feel horrible for what he did. While I have some very strong feelings on this subject, I certainly won't dwell on it, mainly because of what his family has already been through.

God bless Elizabeth Edwards for putting up with this guy.

::: applauding :::  Couldn't agree more.

[NDN]

I've always disliked Edwards but I honestly think people are making too big a deal of this. Yes it was horrible, stupid and hypocritical. It also happened 2 years ago and he admitted it to his wife then. There are more important things to be outraged about.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

I have a higher opinion of Edwards now that he was brave enough to admit the affair.

If Obama wins, I'm inclined to help launch an effort to draft Edwards as Attorney General. That's one office where he certainly has a future.

[Хahar 🤔]

You know, I liked John Edwards. I still do.

[Lunar]

I've always disliked Edwards but I honestly think people are making too big a deal of this. Yes it was horrible, stupid and hypocritical. It also happened 2 years ago and he admitted it to his wife then. There are more important things to be outraged about.

The problem is that after having the affair, he decided to risk destroying his party by campaigning for the presidency again.  If the Democrats had nominated him, and news of the affair had broken out late in the campaign, then the party would be in shambles for many years.  Even if the news broke before the convention, the party would still probably suffer a serious setback, having to go with their "plan B" at the last second due to their poor taste in candidates. 

He had the affair, ok, whatever.  But what a complete douche would run for president immediately afterwards and let the chips fall where they may!

[Beet]

I've always disliked Edwards but I honestly think people are making too big a deal of this. Yes it was horrible, stupid and hypocritical. It also happened 2 years ago and he admitted it to his wife then. There are more important things to be outraged about.

The problem is that after having the affair, he decided to risk destroying his party by campaigning for the presidency again.  If the Democrats had nominated him, and news of the affair had broken out late in the campaign, then the party would be in shambles for many years.  Even if the news broke before the convention, the party would still probably suffer a serious setback, having to go with their "plan B" at the last second due to their poor taste in candidates. 

He had the affair, ok, whatever.  But what a complete douche would run for president immediately afterwards and let the chips fall where they may!

How did Bill survive Gennifer Flowers again?

[Bandit3 the Worker]

I've always disliked Edwards but I honestly think people are making too big a deal of this. Yes it was horrible, stupid and hypocritical. It also happened 2 years ago and he admitted it to his wife then. There are more important things to be outraged about.

The problem is that after having the affair, he decided to risk destroying his party by campaigning for the presidency again.  If the Democrats had nominated him, and news of the affair had broken out late in the campaign, then the party would be in shambles for many years.  Even if the news broke before the convention, the party would still probably suffer a serious setback, having to go with their "plan B" at the last second due to their poor taste in candidates.

Then once again proving the media has a Republican bias.

[Lunar]

I've always disliked Edwards but I honestly think people are making too big a deal of this. Yes it was horrible, stupid and hypocritical. It also happened 2 years ago and he admitted it to his wife then. There are more important things to be outraged about.

The problem is that after having the affair, he decided to risk destroying his party by campaigning for the presidency again.  If the Democrats had nominated him, and news of the affair had broken out late in the campaign, then the party would be in shambles for many years.  Even if the news broke before the convention, the party would still probably suffer a serious setback, having to go with their "plan B" at the last second due to their poor taste in candidates. 

He had the affair, ok, whatever.  But what a complete douche would run for president immediately afterwards and let the chips fall where they may!

How did Bill survive Gennifer Flowers again?

A) He pioneered it.  It works less well for the copycat.
B) Bill didn't admit it until after he got reelected in December '96.  It's possible Edwards could try the same strategy. 

[Eraserhead]

I have a higher opinion of Edwards now that he was brave enough to admit the affair.

If Obama wins, I'm inclined to help launch an effort to draft Edwards as Attorney General. That's one office where he certainly has a future.

Haha. I think there are too many moralists in this country for that to go anywhere.

If can actually prove that he's not this woman's baby daddy then we'll talk.

[dead0man]

I have a higher opinion of Edwards now that he was brave enough to admit the affair.

..and I have a lower opinion of you for saying that.  I don't think you know what "brave" means.  You're not brave if you admit doing something wrong AFTER you get caught.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

Folks, doesn't the Bible say not to judge?

[Sam Spade]

Folks, doesn't the Bible say not to judge?

Maybe someone should have told that to John Edwards.

[YRABNNRM]

I have a higher opinion of Edwards now that he was brave enough to admit the affair.

..and I have a lower opinion of you for saying that.  I don't think you know what "brave" means.  You're not brave if you admit doing something wrong AFTER you get caught.

You're not taking Bandit seriously, are you?

[??????????]

Folks, doesn't the Bible say not to judge?

No, it says not to make rash judgments. It never says to not make any judgments ever.