John Edwards Is A Good Guy, After All

While we're never surprised to hear that a married politician has stepped out on his wife with one or a million "other women"--often the type with unreasonably puffy bangs and the kind of teeth that beg for fluoride (or something)--it never fails to disappoint us to find out that another one of our potential leading men is, simply, a dog.

It makes us particularly squeamish to hear about these stories, such as the now-galactic John Edwards scandal, in which the fellow's wife is also terminally ill, the situation is blown out far and wide, and the family--already dealing with so much dark, sad, shit--is also then condemned to a very public hell of shame.

While we heard loud murmurs of the Senator's alleged love child and affair with actress/filmmaker Rielle Hunter (pictured above) along the DC gossip chain during the madness of Super Tuesday, we tried deftly to ignore it. We didn't want to hear it. Edwards wasn't a bad guy, we thought, he's a good guy. The story probably wasn't true, or if it was, then he was a bad husband (not our problem) going through a bad situation (not our business), and this is personal crap (not politics), and that was that.

But the story actually is true, and the family shame is both huge and real, and Edwards is going to tell Bob Woodruff on Nightline all about it in an interview broadcast tonight.

Among other topics discussed in the interview, according to The Corner, Edwards will confidently deny the paternity of Hunter's 6-month old baby.

He will also clarify a most important distinction about the relationship: how he only began the affair when he knew his wife was in cancer remission, not dying of cancer:

"ABC reports Edwards said his wife and other family members learned about the affair in 2006. 'Edwards made a point of telling [ABC] that his wife's cancer was in remission when he began the affair with Hunter,' ABC News says. 'Elizabeth Edwards has since been diagnosed with an incurable form of the disease."

Oh, PHEW! That changes everything. Edwards must be a good guy, after all.

Comments

[jackie4444]

Thinking about the previous comment, perhaps the problem is that Edwards is stuck dealing with
not just the public lies, but a more personal lie. Perhaps he indeed told Elizabeth about the affair
when he says he did two years ago - at which time he tearfully swore up and down that it was over and he would never go near Hunter again. So If he now admits the child is his, he is also stuck
admitting to Elizabeth that he broke his promise to her. What a sorry mess.

[jackie4444]

Right on target article. Edwards still doesn't get it and he never will. Likely he's had serial affairs throughout the marriage, and this is just the one that came home to haunt him publicly.
But maybe someone could offer the psychology on this. There's a child, purportedly the result of this liason. Without the child, whether or not Edwards had an affair with Hunter (or Smith or Jones) can simply be denied, as long as both partners are denying and no third parties have caught them in flagrante delicto . So if he's not acknowledging the child and not acknowledging an ongoing relationship with Hunter, what does he get out of admitting to the affair at all?

[MBryant]

The level of hypocracy in the comments about Edwards is astounding.

Mr Edwards is a very attractive celebrity. During the time of this affair he was under enormous pressure - both from his career and at home - and just because we like John and Elizabeth Edwards it doesn't mean we have any idea what might be going on in their bedroom or in their marriage (and we shouldn't know). With his looks and star power - like Bill Clinton - he is subject to temptations that many of us aren't. Reille Hunter is a "free-thinker" and if you read the Newsweek piece - thought it a service to "liberate" men from bad marriages by having affairs with them.

John Edwards made some mistakes. He says as much. He has confessed. Elizabeth is dealing with it - but as far as we are know - she thinks he's a good guy. Regular Americans are not that successful with monogamy. Celebrity politicans with marriages in an uncertain state traveling hard in a high pressure campaign have trouble too. Surprise.

Yes, John Edwards is a good guy after all. This doesn't change that. Only messiahs (like Obama I guess) don't make mistakes.

[HowardMac]

I realize how harshly this is going to read, but my father taught me the following:"A charletan fools other people, but it's a fool, who fools himself". John Edward, like all of us is just a person flawed and subject to falter to temptations. My father also said, "No matter attractive or wonderful a man or woman appears to be, somewhere there is a person who has gotten tired of making love to that person.

[MaryscottOConnor]

SO, is it true Rielle has rejected a DNA test?

And if so, what are the chances this a pre-arranged agreement with Edwards? Because I'm going to be even more disappointed in him than I ever thought possible.

And if it is true, his hubris knows no bounds, because there is NO WAY it won't come out.

[Trollstakeyourmeds]

You know, this stuff gets really tiring. Not the affairs, so much. But the fact that anyone, anymore would act stunned when the affairs are revealed. I have been divorced for seven years now. More than one of the men that my husband and I used to associate with (along with their wives) have called me to let me know that if I "needed anything" to be sure to call them. When pressed as to what they meant, they stuttered and stammered about how "well, women have certain needs, and I'm always available to fill yours". These are men I would have bet everything I have, would have never, ever been unfaithful to their wives. And I'm as sure as I am sitting here, that their wives have no idea either. Men cheat. Women cheat. It still, as far as I'm concerned, is no reason to end a marriage if everything else is in order.