"Ma Ma, Where's my pa? Gone to the White House ha ha ha!"
Okay okay, it's true. John Edwards screwed up bad.
I personally don’t believe marital infidelity disqualifies a person from being able to be a good president or effective leader. I don’t know any perfect saints. But the reality is that this kind of mistress/love-child/scandal is clearly enough to take down a candidate and lose an election.
So, I am disgusted and bitterly disappointed. Edwards was my presidential choice. I liked his progressive message, his vision of helping the helpless poor and keeping the hard working middle class from sliding deeper into poverty...his ideas about health care.
I am just so thankful he didn’t get the nomination...just think of this blowing up in the middle of his presidential campaign. I will never forgive him for taking that chance. I still don't understand why his wife Elizabeth apparently thought it was okay to proceed with a bid for the White House with this scandal hanging overhead, because she knew since 2006.
In a perfect world running for President of the United States would be a noble ambition, good men and good women would want the job for the best of reasons.
But in the real world they're only human and, while they may start out with the best of intentions, soon power corrupts and they can easily become motivated by vanity and ego...they start to feel invincible enough to choose a momentary thrill above their family and career.
Let's face it, no shrinking violet ever thinks they can be the most powerful leader of the free world.
Even the noblest among us can repress ugly traits of vanity and ego...the wisest of us can be self-destructive enough to chase a dangerous folly...the most strong-minded of us can give in to temptations we didn't even know were out there...and do the very things we've devoted our lives condemning.
No, I'm not making excuses for John Edwards, I'm just trying to understand.
So, have your fun righties, it's your turn...lord knows I needled toe-tapping Sen. Larry Craig enough .. and Diaper Guy Vitter .. and Newt Gingrich, etc., etc., etc.
Any rightie who wants to feel righteous ought to just google “Republican Sex Scandals” and see how many hits you get.
