Posted on 08/08/2008 2:32:37 PM PDT by SmithL
John Edwards. There, I said it.
I guess it's too late to be dramatic, now that Edwards has talked to a MSM outlet (ABC) about his affair. I really meant to say something earlier, when almost every daily newspaper, including The Chronicle, was not touching a story broken by, gasp, the National Enquirer, but I was tied up.
Most MSM in general had stayed away, picking at it with their noses held, as if looking for something valuable in a moldy dumpster. Of course the New York (City) Times said they were "looking into it" but certainly not printing a story. Oh, no. On journalism sites, the finger-pointing, self-loathing, self-righteousness and tut-tutting was massive. Don't touch that dirty tale! Don't trust but verify! Why are we ignoring this?
It's the same old problem when the most scandalous of the tabs breaks an actual story. It happened a lot with Bill Clinton, and Edwards now seems a little Bill lite-like ("I had sex with that woman but she meant nothing to me." I'm sure Rielle Hunter feels as good as Monica Lewinsky did about that.) The perp is a little ashamed but leave it to the Mrs. to take the real humiliation hit.
As always, the most interesting thing (OK, to me) about this are the cultural currents and implications. Is it worse when a darling of progressives betrays you than if it's Newt Gingrich? Better? The same? Was there a conspiracy to out Edwards hatched in a political brain? Will the MSM ever figure out the journalistic etiquette following a big tabloid scoop? Does anyone really think that a story splashed in the tabs and debated on blogs like a powerful fire back draft is somehow...
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
“just like Edwards, who is EVEN NOW saying, he’s 99 per cent innocent.”
Taken at face value Edwards’ story is this:
1. I cheated on my wife, BUT:
a) that was a long time ago (2006);
b) Elizabeth’s cancer was in remission at the time; and
c) I don’t even love the slut I slept with.
Therefore, it’s really not that bad.
2. Admittedly, I lied repeatedly about it to my wife and the public, BUT:
a) Elizabeth found out anyway;
b) She (apparently) forgave me (since she supported my run for president rather than dumping me for being the dirtball that I am); and
c) I am confessing everything today and apologizing for my behavior.
Therefore, you can believe everything I now say about this matter.
3. I am NOT the father of that child because:
a) Andrew Young already told you he was the father;
b) Rielle Hunter has confirmed this;
c) The National Enquirer says otherwise (and if you believe them, you probably believe UFOs hid the WMDs in Iraq);
d) If I were, the REAL professionals at NYT, WP, LAT would have already found this out and told you so.
Therefore, you can take this to the bank.
4. For those interested in reading between the lines, that inconsequential incident at the Beverly Hilton reduces to I visited that slut, kept it secret from Elizabeth AND lied to you all about it even though:
a) I don’t love that slut;
b) Her child isn’t mine; and
c) I earlier had gotten Elizabeth’s forgiveness by swearing up and down that:
—I didn’t love that slut,
—the affair was a mistake,
—the affair was over,
—it would never happen again, and
—most assuredly I would NEVER lie to her again or risk her being publicly humiliated by my shenanigans.
Therefore, can’t we just move on?
No difference; they're both poisonous.
Yes, hard hitting investigative reporting is reserved exclusively for Republicans. Dems enjoy the security of knowing their transgressions will not be viewed as newsworthy.
Fidelity not only saves the family, it saves husband and wife a lot of aggravation.
We were presented with an unfortunate adultery/divorce case recently. At the bottom line, husband and wife realized they couldn't afford to divorce, funding both a mortgage on a house and monthly rent on an additional residence for the husband. They would lose their house. So they reconciled with much grief and discomfort in order to keep the house for their children. Destruction of marriage is always a tragedy. It affects everyone.
Oh I agree, I believe that sexual immorality of any kind is destructive to a civilised and orderly society, I’m just saying that the rats either really believe that it’s not or pretend to believe that it’s not, in order to give cover to their many immoral rat politicians.
I thought Edwards was still in the VP race until this fiasco. Someone dropped the dirty laundry just prior to the VP designation for a reason. Why Now has this came to light. Hillary wants to win something.
he is a DEMOCRAT so it is not a story.
Remember when George Bush was caught in a hotel room with his suspected mistress and their love child?
Remember the 24/7 reporting coverage of that?
(use your imagination and compare the indifference to the Breck Girls’ coverage of the same thing)
Yes, my first thought was “Hillary & Bill - good work.” Now, if BO has the same problem, she’s “in.” Natl Inquirer’s stock went up, so, who knows what’s next.
Hillary wants to be President or Queen.
MSM drop the ball, they weren’t in the stadium they were in Europe covering the Savior.
Sheesh, Phil - - cut to the chase.
If the subject was a Republican politician, the story would have been above the fold, big and bold, for weeks, even if the “story” was still in the rumor stage. Everybody knows this. Have some guts and say it, Phil.
But, if Edwards had an (R) next to his name, we'd never hear the end of the story. The media was already trying their hardest to bury it, just hours after it broke, even going so far as to get John McCain to respond to it. The left-winged bias was just stunning and outrageous but not surprising.
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