Well, whoop-de-do! Another sex scandal in politics.
(sigh)
As I've been hearing this all morning on the news stations, I'm led to one final question: why are Americans so obsessed with where politicians dip their wicks?
Seriously. Life isn't a soap opera and the adolescent-like obsession with sex is not only tiring but stupid. It is inconceivable that grown people would find someone else's sex life of interest on any level.
His infidelity is a matter to be taken up with his wife and family. It is not the public's business. It's impossible to say what his personal family agreements might be and it simply doesn't matter.
It is not an indicator of how well he can establish public policy or run a business. It's irrelevant to the things that matter in a political setting.
The western mind seems unable to cope with moral ambiguity, the fact life and morality isn't black and white, that decisions aren't made on a concrete list of virtues that must be met all the time and in all settings. Life is messy.
Saying he "shouldn't have" is ridiculous. Life ain't like Beetlejuice. Saying it over and over again doesn't make it so.
Men have had mistresses since the beginning of time, in all cultures, east and west. Deal with it.
Can we move on now and talk about the things that really do matter?
~*
Friday, August 08, 2008
John Edwards and his Mia Noy....
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20 comments:
John Edwards has a mistress?
It's amazing how insulated one can be from breaking news with a little determination and a lot of ennui.
I agree - but the disappointing thing was that he knew what the public would do w/ this information and he still chose to run a campaign that would have been highly damaged by this news, a misstep that we who believe we need a democratic leader can ill afford.
I disagree. Because it is a mark of character. Then to repeatedly lie about it, say that you are an advocate for women all the while lying about the truth?
It matters. Character matters.
This is so funny. I thought I was reading the blog of a very Christian and conservative writer (above or below you on my list). I was going to compliment her on her mature view. lol
There is a good good movie called. hem...haw.....The Contender, I think that is what it is. And it deals with this very issue.
Chani,
I found out about this story from your blog; I hadn't heard about it either. But of course it's all over the news. I watched the Nightline interview so that I could be informed before I responded.
I think this story definitely is sensationalized in very silly ways.
However, what matters to me most about this story is not the sex but that he lied and even in "being honest" continues to lie. He said that being 99 percent honest wasn't enough for him, so now he wants to go the full 100%, framing himself as someone of integrity simply wanting to strive for more. I find this disingenuous. I want to trust a public official to be truthful, and his inability to be honest would affect how much I trusted him. I know, though, good luck in finding an honest politician, right?
He should have simply refused to comment on his personal life.
I suppose though we do judge candidates on their personal lives. His wife reflects favorably upon him and he was willing to disclose many positive things about their relationship. This did enhance his campaign.
Now, I just feel very sorry for him. I think I would have felt entirely differently about this matter if he had been totally honest now, including about his lying, and not tried to spin this too. He comes across now as someone who spins and lies and who struggles with various issues of character.
I do think that his personal family agreements are his business; however, his involvement in public life makes his character relevant. He's pretty much made a mess of things, and so he may have more limited options to serve, which is what he says he wants to do. He will always have innumerable less powerful, lower profile, lower paying opportunities to serve, though, and maybe those jobs will suit him better.
And now, see I find myself wondering if he really wants to serve or if that's just a line too. I just don't trust him...
Okay, now I guess I'm ready to move on...but now...I wonder...IS it his baby?...and man, I wish I had friends who would clean up my messes to the tune of $15,000/month and not mention it to me...
The moral of the story = I should stay away from the media and not get drawn in in the first place!! I get ultra curious and just "want to know" (I guess I'm one of those enquiring minds) :)
Thanks, Chani, you do ALWAYS give me something to think about.
Nitey nite,
O
Rereading my comment, I'm realizing that I have better friends than Mr. Edwards would ever have. I take that back.
Unfortunately, sometimes famous people don't know who their real friends are and who they aren't. I am blessed to know. :)
I just feel sad for his family and for our values in terms of politics.
Bush is in the White House. His lies have been responsible for killing 1000s of people and destroying the lives of countless others. Yet he is not impeached.
Bill Clinton was impeached for disgracing the office of the President. A bl*w jop is more disgraceful than mass killing? Come on. Not that I'm a huge fan of Clinton, but yes, our priorities are screwed.
This is just the kind of distraction that the Shadows want us to have so that we will momentarily drop our focus of holding the vibrations of Light, which is a very powerful focus to have right now. If we can just see it for what it is: a distraction, from our real work of raising the frequency, then, we can hold our focus and not get all involved in the distraction. There have been several ploys lately, run up the flag pole of distractions to keep us off center and weakening our connections. Remember, this is just a game....It doesn't really matter what the characters have done, our job is to hold the Light filaments strong. John Edwards latest revelations are just surface world stuff. It's really hard to keep the focus, however, when the distraction is something really terrible like loss of innocent life, or wonton distruction of the earth. We are here to move forward, John Edwards drama or not.
I agree it's a matter of character. Although in one sense, yes it's none of our business, as Olivia commented, if you choose to put yourself in the public eye, your life does become the public's business. For better or for worse.
Even though I've never been a fan of Edwards (I'm a North Carolinian), I also don't feel any satisfaction in this. It's a deeply humiliating place to be, and I feel for his family as well, having it thrown in the spotlight. Having been in a similar situation on a much more private level(no, I am not the one who had the mistress :-)), it's very traumatic for the family, and to have it made public must make it all the more difficult.
Poor them really, though for Edwards himself, he made his choices.
We are definitely on the same page (as you know from reading my post - thanks for the comment). I agree that it could have been a disaster if he had won the primary, but it wasn't, so let's move on. As for the words "character" and "morality" mentioned in the comments, I guess I'd ask whose definition of character and morality? Because those are definitely mutable not so concrete.
Moral ambiguity is a fact and the Puritan roots of USA hinder us yet in keeping our eye on the ball, on staying on track in the real conversation. Just as a related observation, did this come out now because Mr. Edwards was a keen contender for the Vice Presidential nomination? I'm trying to understand better what purpose is served by this revelation at this point in his wife's illness. How that woman has suffered in this life.
I agree with you, that it's a personal matter between himself and his wife, but the lying about it - that's where it gets him in public trouble. How can you trust a man who can't 'fess up to his own wife?
I've said all along, that Edwards is too slick and too ready to walk away from his job as a senator before he's even gained a name or reputation as a senator. And I'm from NC!
Bravo, Chani!
Take care,
Maria
I completely agree with you. I was so glad to find this post here and know that I'm not alone.
This is but another entertainment news. He is but another man who has a penis to which he decides who he wants to give to....why does that make it such a big hoo-haa? Oh Ya, all because he is a figure on our TV screens ya? So that makes him alittle more different? a little more attention-needed?
i agree with you that it should be a non-issue, however, he really should know that that's not the world we live in, and not run for president while lying about such crap. it he had just said, AGES ago when he was first accused of it, "yup, i did, and I'm sorry, get over it" - but this.... arg. very frustrating to me
(I'm almost done with The Shack - I'll e-mail you when I am!)
Exactly.
I am so disgusted with the fact that this is still in the media. While I do agree with flutter that it shows his character in a negative light, I personally think it's an issue that should be resolved with his family and it's not the public's concern.
Unfortunately, with the media being what it is, I think the smart thing to do would have been to come out with it before hand ~ to make it a non~issue so that his name wouldn't be dragged through the dirt like it has been.
I do feel badly for Elizabeth. I know how it feels to be in her shoes. The lies and deception... the life you thought you knew in pieces. I also know that a marriage can survive something like this and that mistresses have been a part of many men's lives for as far back as history has been recorded. But I can't imagine going through this in her shoes... in the public eye.
I agree - although the news saddened me for his wife's sake, it truly is their business and not ours. I think GWB has done far, far worse than cheating on his wife. And, just for the record, the rates of infidelity are nearly as high among women. You just don't hear about it as often because there are fewer women in high political positions.
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