John Edwards: ‘I Alone Am Responsible’
09 August 2008 12:15 pm by Scott Hopkins
Guest post by Scan
One thing that I will give John Edwards credit for in this mess…at least he didn’t call an Eliot Spitzer-type press conference with Elizabeth standing sadly by his side as he confessed his sins.
In his Nightline interview, there were moments when Edwards did seem genuinely sad, regretful and angry with himself regarding the affair. At other times, he seemed scripted for maximum sympathy. But mostly, I came away with more questions than answers. There were portions of his interview which simply did not ring true and didn’t come close to putting this story to bed, though Jeralyn at TalkLeft has an intriguing take that is worth considering.
Many held back on reporting this story and there can be no doubt that it was largely because of Elizabeth. I understand this, as there are few people more universally admired than her in American politics today. But the fact that she knew about this two years ago raises an uncomfortable question: As the decision was being made to proceed with his candidacy, did she assume, along with John, that it simply would not be discovered? That is a huge assumption, and if recent history is any indication, it’s one that should have never been made. If John Edwards were the nominee, we would be ceding the election to John McCain right now as a result, and the chances of Democrats across the country would be harmed greatly. That’s why this is serious. That’s why there is reason to be angry with both of them.
Beyond hypotheticals, there’s another reason to be angry. Even if this mess has no direct impact on the Obama-McCain race, it’s still a distraction from the important issues facing our nation which should be front-and-center. And it’s simply not helpful that this scandal involves one of the most recognized Democrats in the country, the man who should be Vice President right now. And if you doubt that, imagine for a second if it was Mitt Romney in the middle of this mess instead.
As for the other, more tabloid, aspects of the story, the floodgates have opened and there’s no going back. Already the calls for paternity testing have begun. Brian Ross has already teased new details and video for the next Good Morning America. This story is simply too tantalizing for the mainstream media to ignore, so don’t expect them to.
So why even discuss it? Because as much as many of us would like for this to go away…it doesn’t appear likely. John Edwards’ fall from grace has officially become one of the stories of the 2008 election. All we in the blogosphere can do is report on it and discuss it in a responsible, meaningful manner and hope that others follow suit.
Don’t hold your breath, though.
