John Edwards

John Edwards was caught with his mistress this past weekend, according to the National Inquirer. While not always accurate, the Inquirer does get the dirt sometimes. DocBrain thinks the story may be false, if only because the picture circulating of the woman shows a woman desperately in need of a $1000.00 hair styling, something that Mr. Edwards certainly could arrange for her!

Is the John Edwards dalliance important to anyone but his wife and family?

At least one middle aged woman has told DocBrain that it matters little to her who he sleeps with as long as he can perform his duties in public life to her liking.

DocBrain sees several problems with having no concern over Mr. Edwards dalliance.

• DocBrain concedes that leading a dissolute life does not make one bad in politics or government. Winston Churchill was not a paragon of virtue and yet was arguably the greatest politician of the century. However, hiding one's behavior and lying about it are two issues that show a lack of courage and a lack of honesty, both needed in public life. One is given pause thinking of the President (or VP) hiding in the bathroom when it is time to give the nuclear launch codes.
• If Mr. Edwards wife was your daughter/mother/sister, dying of breast cancer, how would you feel about Mr. Edwards trysts? Would you find them irrelevant in your support of him? Looking at the world with passion only for your own position is both narrow-minded and cruel. I think many Germans during WWII believed in the value of economically uniting Europe, which turns out to have been a good idea. It is in their lack of empathy for those suffering that we hold them most responsible. With the exception of a few minutes of his personal life, O.J. Simpson has led an exemplary life as a football hero, actor, and celebrity. So, taking a few moments out of a person's life, separating personal from professional, has its risks. Just as some have held Newt Gingrich to account for similar dalliances during his wife's bout with breast cancer, John Edwards is not any better.
• The President and Vice President lead by the bully pulpit, not by any specific power. The ability to lead is based upon not only fear but also trust. If a person would cheat on a dying wife, what is sacred? How much trust would still be there for most people? Could you count on the person's promise to be there for you and your causes even when securely in office?

The decision to cut someone a break for bad personal behavior depends on how desperate you are and how irreplacable that person is. DocBrain does not feel any desperation and does not believe that John Edwards is irreplacable.