The Edwards Non-Event

I despised former Senator Edwards years ago, for his pandering, his hypocrisy on countless issues, and for his complete lack of a moral compass. So discovering that he cheated on his wife while she was battling an incurable form of Cancer, and possibly fathering a child with no real intention of doing right by the child or the mother, did not really change my opinion of the man; he’s just about as scummy as anyone I have ever heard about, and this was – sadly – not a real surprise. But with that said, I also found myself thinking that this one is not front-page material, at least not where politics is concerned.

The situation for Mister Edwards would be relevant were he still running for President, or were he a serious possibility for the running mate to Senator Obama. Neither is the case, however. In fact, John Edwards’ sole capacity for which he is suited just now, is as a laughingstock, a fool who has wasted his future chances because he could not manage to remember his wife even when she needed him the most, a moron who thought that he could have an ongoing affair and lie about it with no fear of discovery or consequence, in the age of the blogs and 24-hour news services. Edwards is useless to his party, an embarrassment to be hidden away.

But there are other reasons to let this one drop. Like many men in his position, John Edwards never once thought about what this affair would do to his wife Elizabeth, and to his surviving children; Cate, Emma Claire, and Jack (the first son, Wade, was killed in a car accident in 1996). They are innocent in this thing, and so we should be careful not to cause them any pain which can be avoided.

Senator Edwards is what he always was – a self-centered criminal who doesn’t care who else gets hurt as long as he gets what he wants. But as long as he goes away and takes the consequences that are coming to him, I’d just as soon not make any more of the story than has already been said. Unlike John Edwards, I want to do right by his family.