It is first and foremost a sad story: another wife has been cheated on by her politically ambitious husband. Adding to the sadness is the fact that the wife is a cancer victim, and that her husband, when asked about rumors about his affair with an aide, unequivocally denied the affair to the American public.But according to John Edward's own words, he is a victim: the nature of political success inflames a man's ego, making him vulnerable to a sense of invincibility his many adoring friends unwittingly fuel. Because the world gives a popular politician too much, he believes the world is his for the taking. Here's his explanation of why he committed adultery, given in an interview on ABC's Nightline:
Here's what, can I explain to you what happened? First of all it happened during a period after she was in remission from cancer, that's no excuse in any possible way for what happened. This is what happened. It's what happened with me and I think happens unfortunately more often sometimes with other people. ... Ego. Self-focus, self-importance. Now, I was slapped down to the ground when my son Wade died in 1996, in April of 1996. But then after that I ran for the Senate and I got elected to the Senate and here we go again, it's the same old thing again. Adulation, respect, admiration. Then I went from being a senator, a young senator to being considered for vice president, running for president, being a vice presidential candidate and becoming a national public figure. All of which fed a self-focus, an egotism, a narcissism that leads you to believe that you can do whatever you want. You're invincible. And there will be no consequences. And nothing, nothing could be further from the truth.
It is a serious admission. I respect that Mr. Edwards recognizes the gravity of what he has done. He was dishonest with his wife, and then dishonest with a nation.
But it does seem that he is not really willing to take full responsibility for what he did. Having lied to himself that there would be "no consequences," he still seems intent on minimizing those consequences. For he makes two appeals to sympathy: First, his wife was sick and second, his son had died in 1996. These two facts are indeed facts, and, as he said, the former does not "excuse" a thing, but they are inserted not merely to provide context but to foster sympathy in his listeners. Why else are they part of the explanation if they do not excuse a thing?
A minor point, I realize. But the other point is not so minor. Mr. Edwards is a victim of the process of running for office, as "adulation, respect and admiration," things he can only receive, proved too irresistible for him. This, he says, is "what happened with me and I think happens unfortunately more often sometimes with other people."
There are two things that trouble me in this whole story that are not part of most of the initial commentary. The first is that John Edwards has told us his wife knew about his affair before America entered the heart of the election season. What was SHE thinking campaigning for her husband? If it's true that he repeatedly denied the affair to media inquiries, was she not actually complicit in this dishonesty as she campaigned at his side? Did she think they would deal with the issue later, perhaps after securing the nomination or even the presidency?
Perhaps one can defend her silence and acquiescence because she believed marital difficulties are private. And, indeed, they are -- in most cases. But the highest offices in the land demand some transparency: it is not a good thing that a president takes office with divorce lawyers knocking on the White House doors looking to settle child custody rights. Privacy sort of goes out the window when you seek the office of Body Politic Incarnate; and it definitely goes out the window the moment you DENY having had an affair, for such a denial tacitly admits the question is legitimate.
The second disturbing part of this tale is that Mr. Edwards quite clearly has more to tell: the issues about his mistress, the paternity of her child, and various suggestions of payoffs for his mistress' silence, all scream for more than Mr. Edwards' dismissal. That he admits he was recently at his mistress' hotel in the middle of the night -- to tell her that she should "not tell the public what happened" -- is suspicious and unconvincing.
An unfortunate story all around, one that will, I am afraid, have more details forthcoming than we presently have before us.
©Bill Gnade 2008/Contratimes. All Rights Reserved.
Tags: John Edwards, Infidelity, Victim, Admission, Guilt
