Had Edwards become President, this would have been downplayed as a “private matter” and all investigations would have been tainted afteward.
Edwards’ use of campaign funds for the coverup would have been ignored by the media as well as the DOJ.
Had the Kerry-Edwards ticket won in 2004, Edwards’ life would have been different as the incumbent VP, and he might never have gotten involved with Rielle Hunter. So the affair isn’t really his fault but the fault of all of us who voted against him in 2004.