We have this weird notion in America now that if a politician is caught in an affair that his career is done. We seem to be saying that what he did in his private life effects his policies or how he governs. But we all know that isn't true. We know that because almost all of our great presidents, and great leaders throughout history, have had numerous affairs. Obviously it didn't hurt how they governed at all.
I love the idea of someone saying Alexander the Great can't lead his empire because he's cheating on his wife (by the way, doesn't Alexander's bisexuality single-handedly destroy the idea that gays can't serve in the military). How about Genghis Khan? He had so many affairs that nearly 1% of the entire world population has his genes. Not fit to lead? And there have also been men of great compassion who led noble fights while still doing ignoble things in their private lives. We are all human at home.
We have now heard the stories of JFK receiving sexual favors after speeches in his limo and partying with several women on a yacht while his wife was delivering. But those are all in the past -- so they don't count. But John Edwards is caught having an extramarital affair and the overwhelming assumption is that his political career is absolutely over. How does that make any sense?
Does John Edwards care less about poor people today than he did yesterday? Would his affair lead him to change his position on NAFTA? How would it alter his policy on Iran?
Some will claim, as they did with Bill Clinton, that it's not the affair but the lies that went along with it. Really? Did JFK come out and tell the American people - or his wife - "by the way, while my wife was in the hospital I was having an affair with not one, but several women at the same time"? No, of course, he lied too. Every man that has ever cheated on his wife has lied (and so has every woman who has ever cheated). It is part and parcel of the affair.
Now, we get to the most relevant question - if John Edwards' political career is done, why isn't John McCain's? John McCain had a well-documented affair on his first wife, with his current wife. He has admitted in the books he has written about his life that he ran around with several different women while still married to his first wife. And don't forget that he left her for a younger, richer woman - multi-millionaire Cindy Hensley who is now Cindy McCain - after she had been severely hurt in a car accident.
So, why are McCain's actions any more excusable than Edwards'? Because it was thirty years ago? Does that wash it away? Will we be fine with Edwards running for office again in a couple of years because then it will all be in the past? What is the statute of limitations on an affair?
Remember Ronald Reagan, Nancy Reagan and Ross Perot were so upset with how John McCain dealt with his first wife that they didn't forgive him for a very, very long time. Perot still hasn't forgiven him. In fact, he said recently about McCain dumping his first wife for Cindy, "McCain is the classic opportunist. He's always reaching for attention and glory."
So, I want every pundit who condemns John Edwards today to tell me what the difference between him and McCain is and why John McCain shouldn't also be run out of politics for his adulterous affairs and what he did to his first wife.
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When the going gets tough, the tough leave their wives.
I agree... Edward's blatant lies when confronted with the so-called "rumors" are very disturbing. What's worse is that Edwards stated he had told Elizabeth about the affair shortly after it happened (or at least, quite some time before he threw his hat in the ring for the pres. election.) I believe this was a serious error in judgment - how could they think this story would NOT come out? I shudder to think of the consequences had Edwards been the presumptive dem. nominee.
the death of thousands of people.
Why don't you shudder to think about the consequences of the many lies the Bush-McCain administration has told the American people?
So maybe the difference is that Edwards feels some shame about what he did, and McCain and his Republican brothers are shameless.
The media is so horrid that they've taked to blaming Elizabeth Edwards for not coming forward about the affair. It's not bad enough that this poor sick woman was cheated on by her husband but we should blame her for his decisions.
Sometimes the MSM really makes me sick.
I remember when Governor Patterson of NY immediately announced that he and his wife each cheated on each other years earlier when they were having problems in their marriage. They then decided to go to counseling and work on their marriage. At that time some people were saying it was too much information - but in the long run, it protected him from being blackmailed later.
Paula Jones was wanting to bring a lawsuit against Bill Clinton before he became President - that didn't seem to hurt him much. I remember people attacking Paul Jones and Gennifer Flowers as if they were worst than Bill.
Because somehow, John Edwards' is going to cost Barack Obama votes.
However, as far as I know, journalists didn't repeatedly drill John McCain (as they did Edwards), asking him over and over again on multiple occasions if he was having an affair and if he had a love child. He had an affair, but no one asked him about it at the time, right?
I suppose that's the slight difference, although both lack integrity in my opinion. John Edwards had the arrogance and complete lack of judgment and integrity to repeatedly and explicitly lie each time he was asked if he had an affair and if he had a love child. He denied it emphatically over and over and over again. The height of stupidity and arrogance when running for President.
That, I believe, is the difference. That being said, I still wouldn't vote for John McCain. In fact, the idea of him being President terrifies me. Just pointing out the difference between two jerks who cheated on their wives, probably more than once.
Duh.
We are asked to vow our honesty before God on a few occasions in life... when taking witness during trials, when taking a spouse and when assuming a political office. Apparently you seem to think that those vows and promises aren't important to public trust and credibility.
They are to me. Cheaters and liars are cheaters and liars. What are we going to say next? Oh, its ok if he stole a little bit of money, it just shows that he is ambitious, all politicians lie. Its ok....
Or as Mukasey claims, not all violations of the law are crimes... especially if you are a politician and you can wail "mia culpa" loud enough while hiding emails and denying everything and claiming "executive privilege" ...
We try to trust these people and affairs and dishonesty are a sure sign that our trust is misplaced. I hope you never end up in court worrying about how seriously the witness is taking his vow of honesty....