Why Did Elizabeth Edwards Let John Run?

That's the question that continues to haunt the painful saga of John and Elizabeth Edwards. Not that she loves him and stayed with him after he confessed to having an affair (and possible lust child; though whether he told her about that we don't know).

If we have learned one thing watching Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton, it is that marriages are complex, each and every one, with its bargains, and attachments, and wounds that run deep. After, of course, insisting she was not some little woman standing by her man, Hillary Clinton was in many respects just that. It was clearly what she needed to do, sailing on post-presidency into the Senate and her own fierce run for the White House.

No, the question in Elizabeth Edwards's case is: Why in the world did she go ahead and let him run -- run with him, run hard all across the country, giving her all despite her stage four cancer and her two young children -- after she knew. After she knew about his dalliance with a bouncy, blond so-called filmmaker with a penchant for New Age spirituality.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[StrategicThinker]

Why did she let him run?

Because she's smarter than MOST AMERICANS?

Because she knew about the affair, and had moved beyond it?

Because she said it was HIS DECISION?

Because she minded her business?

[antaeus]

How ironic that such a headline could appear on a site funded by one of the most well-known beards of the 1990s.

[meanguy]

"SPOT ON!"

[LorettaSingbiel]

"if you want to keep it really private, you can't run for public office. Not today."

Obama might be the only president who hasn't cheated on his wife. (We already know McCain lost that moral authority!)

[BobSF94117]

Why? Because she really wanted him to be president. Just thinking outloud...

[Ergon]

Maybe because she still believed in him. Now leave them alone!

[TRichards]

Could it be that both of them considered their agenda to be of more importance than a sexual dalliance?

McCain married his mistress and gets to run for president while Edwards is considered fair game for public stonings. Hey, whatever works, eh?

[Beninn]

Whether it's fair or not, it's what it is. Why that may not be so in a minute.

After the CIint0n i.m.p.e.a.c.h.m.e.n.t, any candidate who thinks, "That's over and done with, voters won't care anymore" is seriously deluding himself or herself.

There is nothing, absolutely and positively nothing that can't be spun negatively. One example from the 2000 election was Boosh's campaign strategists, including K.arl R0ve, devised a push poll against Mc.Ca.in. South Carolina voters were asked "Would you be more likely or less likely to vote for Mc.Ca.in for president if you knew he had fathered an illegitimate black child?". They had no interest in the actual percentages in the poll, the goal was to suggest that he had. This was particularly vicious since Mc.Ca.in was campaigning with his adopted Bangladeshi daughter. The sight of the little dark skinned girl made the seed planted earlier grow and Mc.Ca.in lost South Carolina, effectively ending his run for the presidency.

[Lotto]

The Edwards "gamed" a lot of people who wasted their money, time and vote for Edwards while he was lying to them. That changes it from "private" to public.

[StrategicThinker]

He didn't "GAME" anyone. Has Barack Obama or Mitt Romney told you the last time they masturbated? If someone slips up and says they walked in on Barack Obama masturbating one time, I guarantee you he loses support in the polls, even though ALMOST EVERY PERSON ALIVE MASTURBATES, and yes, a SHOWER HEAD is masturbation, as is CROSSING YOUR LEG AND BOUNCING YOUR FOOT if that works for you.

So, why would Obama lose votes for doing something that EVERYBODY DOES?

The same reason Edwards loses votes for cheating, even though MOST AMERICANS HAVE OR WILL CHEAT, and most politicians cheat...

...BECAUSE PEOPLE WOULD KNOW ABOUT HIS MASTURBATION.

Seeing is believing. As long as the media doesn't cover anyone else's cheating, to most ignorant people out there, it doesn't exist.

[OldSchoolLiberal]

Because she did not know. Because he did not tell her. This is a post facto fabrication. Next is the slow let down to the reality that that is his child which she might be just starting to suspect.

[NYCMami]

Did not know what? She says he told her in 2006. He ran in 2007. There is no doubt he is a horrible, selfish man as is his trashy mistress. I guess for me it's that she knew he did this, was a willing participant in this charade, knowing that this is a pheonominally important election.

That took her down a notch in my sympathy for her. Having said that, I wish her well. She deserves to spend the time she has with people who respect, love and value her. (Who doesn't?)

[LorettaSingbiel]

"There is no doubt he is a horrible, selfish man as is his trashy mistress."

John & Cindy?

[tbone99]

Elizabeth must have believed him when he said his affair was history.

My advice to her - leave him Elizabeth, and run for office yourself...you're more than half of where he got his credibility.Maybe you can get some kind of position in the new administration. She's got a law degree-DOJ - channel that anger into justice, preferably for the present administration.

He's so over!

[Swerinjer]

Because she's a forgiving human being? Is that too far out a concept to even suggest?

[NYCMami]

The problem is that his choice to run might have severely affected every last one of us. That's putting it lightly. What kind of judgement and consideration does that show them to have?

[Beninn]

It's one of the reasons why I think that the health of a candidate and his family members is within the public's right to know. I have no doubt that Elizabeth's health factored into her decisions about this matter, as did her health factoring into John Edwards' affair with Rielle Hunter in the first place. People do not make great decisions when they are under emotional stress.

From several accounts, Rielle Hunter seemed to be the pursuer in this relationship. Unless it's been well-hidden, this appears to be the only time Edwards has strayed. There's not a hint or glimmer of a rumor following him around, unlike BiII CIint0n, whose reputatation dogged him for years.

It seems to me that there is more to this story, and I wouldn't be surprised if he was set up. It's true that nobody forced him into this affair, but it wouldn't be the first time that a political adversary helped serendipity along by placing temptation in the path of an opponent, and had a photographer standing by.

[Bulbul]

Are we that naive ?
Could it be it is Elizabeth`s political ambition was Edwards to run ? If Elizabeth ran four years ago she would have scored much better, or may be not , look how Hillary was treated...Elizabeth is a very smart woman, and now her being sick that is the best she can do.
On the other matter, no advice necessary, it is between a husband and wife and their call.

[Revanchist]

"He's A Runner"

The late and lovely Laura Nyro sang;

He's a runner and he'll run away. Soon
there'll be no man. Woman ain't been born who
can make him stay, woman get away while you can.
He's a runner.

He's a runner and he'll run away with the
midnight train. Woman ain't been born who can
make him stay, come the judgement day, come the
rain, he's a runner.

There'll come the running, he knows he's got
to. Don't ask him not to or why, oh why, oh why
did you leave me and run off with tomorrow? Now
I'm in chains till I die.

[BigLib]

After being decisively put in their place and called out for the "tabloid trash" that they are by John Edwards, the National Enquirer continues to just dig its own grave even deeper -

NOW, The ENQUIRER has uncovered more blockbuster information, including:

After Edwards confessed the affair to his wife, he restarted it, and was sexually involved with Rielle when she became pregnant.

Despite his denials, Edwards WAS aware that his former finance committee chairman, Fred Baron, was funneling money to Rielle.

Experts are now calling for a federal investigation into Edwards" use of campaign funds.

¦

The ongoing ENQUIRER investigation has also confirmed that he has been with Rielle and the baby three times this year in California.

"John Edwards is still lying!" a close source told The ENQUIRER.

"He lied to his wife Elizabeth, he"s lying to Rielle and he lied all the way through his TV interview!"

For THE FULL STORY pick up this week"s ENQUIRER.

They are even quoting UNNAMED SOURCES! Don"t these people have any journalistic integrity? Can you name me even one other paper that would have the chutzpah to do such a thing?? That proves you can"t believe them.

John Edwards gave a convincing denial, as these other sources will attest to.

That should be the end of it. Stop dragging his name through the mud!

THINK OF ELIZABETH!!!!

[RodgerLodger]

This is satire, right?

[olivia]

Please, please, please,

ENOUGH ABOUT THE EDWARDS

Shame on you John. What were you doing with an artificial bimbo who will not even use her own, perfectly fine first name?

At least you are taking interest in and supporting your child whom you allowed to be born. You should acknowledge her to the world.

I'm sorry for the poor people who will not benefit from your fight for them anymore, all because you're weak like too many other men.

Enough now.

[biglover]

I heard this morning by Andrea Mitchell that Elizabeth says he didn't tell her - she confronted him and it was after he had already announced. I honestly don't care about this affair and it is none of our business but I was ready to give the guy a pass after the interview when he said it wasn't his child and he would take a test but now more and more it seems he paid here off to not take the test and he is a goddamned liar. Rielle's friends say it was an immediate affair - an instant attraction and she was very in love with him.

He's a cad but yes it is still none of our business

[fcsakes]

I don't find it particularly 'haunting' that Elizabeth Edwards continued to support her husband's bid for the White House. Frankly Scarlet, who gives a damn?

Let's see, she had cancer and she knew her husband was unfaithful and worse, lying to the public about it as well as to her. Somewhere in there it requires a genius to figure out why she kept quiet? Please. She doesn't quite come across as a lady riding a horse naked through the streets now does she?

John Edwards committed the sin, not Elizabeth. How many times does the public get to flay her?