Sunday, July 27, 2008

oh, come on!

Did John Edwards really get chased into a stairwell by the Nat.ional En.quir.er after he was visiting his harridan mistress and love child at the Beverly Hilton? I can't bring myself to link to Drudge, or the Nat.ion.al En.quirer. Bleah. Here's Slate's take.

I like(d) John Edwards. I want(ed) Obama to pick him for VP. I believe(d) in John Edwards and his message. And I love how he and his wife seemingly picked up the pieces of their life after heartbreak and loss.

Really John Edwards? Really?

You're at the top of your game (well, not the top, but close). Your wife is fighting for her life. You have small children who need you and her. And a close to adult daughter who needs you. Please don't be true.

Sigh. How naive am I?

5 comments:

niobe said...

Mmm....in my view it's pretty safe to assume that just about every married politician (the male ones, anyway) has had at least one affair -- and usually several. I think it just goes with the territory. Power corrupts and so on. The smarter ones just don't get caught.

Which Box said...

Niobe, I don't disagree with you, I actually think there is something about the heady nature of power that does tend to lead to highly sexualized people in senior positions - not just politics but business, too. I just....in my "heroes" I don't want it to be true. The Slate piece was interesting because it hit on the hypocrisy angle - Edwards is nowhere near the 'wide stance' level, but he runs as a family guy, as a team with his wife. We probably know as much about his family as any other politician out there. It's integral to who he is. And I bought into it - maybe it was the whispers that as good looking as he was, why was he still with his wife. I wanted - want - to believe in the story. I want it not to matter that she gained weight and wasn't the looker she was in the beginning, but he was sticking with her, not looking for some trophy.

It's not just my recent experiences with fidelity or lack thereof (though of course that plays a part). I really, really hate the trophy wife thing. Though the Enquirer has gone out of their way to make sure no one thinks trophy wife when they look at the 'mistress.'

I cried when I watched the press conference announcing the return of her cancer. And I cheered that they were 'fighting on.' I believed in them, and in hi, and if it's true, I feel betrayed. Not personally betrayed of course, but, yeah, betrayed.

Tash said...

Let's just say I know people who know people who are saying this is true. And let's just say given the people I know and the people they know, I'm not surprised.

But dude, sleeping around on the wife while SHE FIGHTS CANCER? Not a good move.

Anonymous said...

Has anyone ever considered the fact that perhaps he and his wife have an understanding? When I was fighting cancer, and unable to have for several years, my husband had a f-buddy. It didn't happen often, but it happened. It's been 10 years since then, I'm over my illness, and our marriage is stronger than ever.

On the flipside, a friend of mine (female) had a f-buddy during the time when her husband was undergoing some health problems, with her husband's blessing... but it wasn't very good for their marriage.

All I'm saying is that this is a personal thing - and none of our business. We don't know what goes on behind closed doors.

Anonymous said...

For some reason the word s.e.x. was removed from my comment above - I was unable to have s.e.x. with my husband for several years.