by Robert F.
Member since:
July 4, 2008

Is John Edwards 'affair' Worse for McCain or Obama? Does it Matter?

August 09, 2008 11:58 PM UTC
views: 0 | comments: 21
It is always helpful to add an element of sexual intrigue to spice up a Presidential campaign.  So it is with Senator John Edward's admitted affair with Rielle Hunter.

But is this news worse for the Democrats or Republicans?

This news story relates how Democrats are closing ranks and trying to avoid damage from this event:

"WASHINGTON (AFP) — Democrats moved Saturday to staunch the damage after one-time party star and presidential hopeful John Edwards admitted having an affair during his White House run as his wife battled cancer.

With the party's national convention to officially crown Senator Barack Obama as its White House candidate just over two weeks away, Democrats sought to minimize the scandal as a personal matter for the Edwards family.

"We have unrealistic expectations for people. John Edwards like the rest of us is only human," said Howard Wolfson, a former senior official for the rival presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton.

"The truth is a lot of ordinary, average Americans have affairs," Wolfson told Fox News.

Edwards, a North Carolina senator before he joined the presidential race in 2004, went public with his long-rumored affair on ABC television late Friday, conceding that it went on as he prepared his White House run and while his wife was being treated for breast cancer."

But perhaps the Democrats don't need to worry.  Most Americans don't even know about Senator John McCain's problems with this story.

As this news story explains:

"NEW YORK Reaction from across the political spectrum has been strong to the news of John Edwards admitting he had an affair in 2006, with many condemning Edwards' actions and denials. But it may also produce an unwanted aftershock for John McCain, reviving references to his own extramarital affairs back in the mid-1970s.

Steve Chapman, the generally conservative Chicago Tribune columnist observed today, "Not that Republicans would be able to make full use of this exposure had Edwards been the nominee. Their prospective nominee, after all, was guilty of the same sin during his first marriage.

"But that was 30 years ago. Good news for Edwards: Come 2038, he may be viable again."

Edwards himself, in his interview on ABC's Nightline, referred to McCain admitting that he had made many mistakes in his first marriage.

Cenk Uygur, in his regular blog at AOL News, observes, "Now that Edwards has admitted to an extramarital affair, everyone will now condemn him and say he has no political career left. I want to ask all of those people, how is Edwards' affair any different John McCain's? If Edwards is disqualified from running for office because of this, isn't McCain as well?""

What do YOU think?  Is this affair admission from a former Democratic contender for President damaging to the Democrats?  Or will this be such a hot political football that the Republicans would like to avoid dealing with this as it might just backfire on their presumptive nominee?

You tell me---is this worse for Obama or worse for McCain?

Comments: 21

Bruce K. Aug 10, 2008, 12:10am UTC
Hi Robert. That is a tough one, I just have to say I doubt it makes that much difference. I thought Edwards is an OK guy, he just never caught on, there was something about him that people did not attach to for whatever reason. Trying to associate that with anyone else is going to be tough except for the subset of Republicans who start firing guns in the air and hooting like Palestinians widows whenever any Democrat makes a misstep ... nevermind what their own party is doing lately ... think foot-tapper.
Bruce K. Aug 10, 2008, 2:27am UTC
Hmmm, Edwards himself might try the old Newt Gingrich Republican tactic of trying to shame the Democrat, saying he is going to withdraw from politics due to his understanding of his "mistake" and that he challenges John McCain to join him since McCain is an even greater cheater?
David K. Aug 10, 2008, 3:01am UTC
Not sure why John Edwards' infidelity would have anything to do with either Obama or McCain. We should be basing the selection of our next President on their ability to do the job, not on what they might have done 30 years ago or that someone unconnected with either campaign does in his personal life now.

Frankly, we have to stop being so stupid.
David K. Aug 10, 2008, 3:03am UTC
Bruce - I would suggest that like McCain, Gingrich recovered from his "mistake" and is fully involved in politics with his Drill Here Drill Now lobbying campaign that McCain has adopted as his own. Talk about shameless. Basing the main pillar of your "energy policy" on a lobbying campaign? Please.
David K. Aug 10, 2008, 3:05am UTC
Thanks for posting to Political Futures
Karen R. Aug 10, 2008, 3:11am UTC
As long as he is not a vp canidate I don't know why it would matter.
lynn a. Aug 10, 2008, 3:13am UTC
I think it is bad for either side. We still have not forgotten Clinton's fiasco with Monica Lewinsky. I wouldn't want to go through that again. It cost us a fortune and issues of dire importance were competing with Clinton's behavior. No, if a man has to play, maybe we need to pick someone else. And when it comes up about Edwards, yes, I definitely think it will cause people to be reminded of McCain's infidelity.
Julia Star Aug 10, 2008, 7:35am UTC
Obama hasn't had any affairs that I've read about and isn't being nominated by the holier than thou family values party who is nominating a man who cheated on a disabled first wife to marry a young heiress. Human perhaps but not exactly a character reference.
Julia Star Aug 10, 2008, 7:39am UTC
And, as a woman, I have to say that I don't like the idea of both parties and the larger society poo-poohing the notion of women being used and discarded in the "everybody does it" sense. I am so tired of political wives standing up there by their doggy men sharing the public humiliation. I would so like to see one of them give them the Alanis Morrisette what for with the cameras rolling.
Ladybounty ~. Aug 10, 2008, 9:00am UTC
I'd say it's right there on the list of non-political issues with Clinton's Lewinsky trysts and McCain's affair with his current wife Cindy....
But you know, the Repubs are going to have a field day with this and end up blaming Obama somehow!
Carla G. Aug 10, 2008, 11:57am UTC
Robert, at least the Edwards are trying to work through this. McCain had an affair with Cindy when he was still married to his first wife, Carol. Carol had patiently and faithfully waited for him to come home from Vietnam. She had a car accident during that time and endured 23 surgeries after a car accident. She did not tell John about it, not wanting to worry him. (Another piece of interesting trivia...Ross Perot covered many of her medical bills.)
Mike W. Aug 10, 2008, 5:58pm UTC
We cannot ignore the fact that all these cases of infidelity are breaches of sacred vows and commitments which many of our politicians profess to value.

Infidelity reflects directly on a person's integrity, yet does this also reflect on a person's political abilities?

We don't tend to think so of JFK, or of Clinton, really, although in Clinton's case his indiscretion indirectly impacted his politics because the Republicans chose to impeach him on it.

Then again, we have many politicians who remian true to their wives, yet engage in terrible politics.

Here's my point. More people are impacted by the decisions a politician makes in his political life as opposed to his personal life. There is no correlation between personal fidelity and political ability.

We should ignore the personal and focus on the professional aspects of our politicians.

To answer the question concerning who is hurt more by this news of Edward's affair I would certainly say it would be McCain. Since our political focus concerns the personal over the professional, Edward's admission reflects more on McCain, a fellow adulterer, than Obama, a fellow Democrat.
Carla G. Aug 10, 2008, 10:00pm UTC
Roccoco, John McCain had an affair with Cindy, his current wife, before he left Carol, his first wife. Carol had waited patiently for him while he was in Vietnam and had suffered through 23 surgeries after a bad car accident during the time he was away. John McCain was pretty selfish and self-centered too.
Bill B. Aug 11, 2008, 9:35am UTC
I think people will concentrate on this whenever they want to draw attention away from the facts. That was what these sex scandals are about, usually. That's why JFK has mistresses and no one said anything. Similarly G.H.W.Bush. Clinton was not impeached because of any sex scandal, he was impeached because he vetoed the congresses tax cuts that would have crippled the economy, and got away with it.

Therefore, I don't think anyone will try to bring the subject up until it looks like they're going to loose. (Has McCain brought it up yet?)
Carla G. Aug 11, 2008, 2:07pm UTC
McCain wouldn't because it would be like the pot calling the kettle black. He has his own marital skeletons in the closet.

And Bill, Clinton was not impeached because of that. Where did you get that idea?

As far as other affairs...in the JFK, Roosevelt, Eisenhower, and Clinton situations, they did not leave their wives for the other woman, unlike McCain.
Elmo A. Aug 11, 2008, 6:28pm UTC
The press had a different kind of code in years gone by. Reporters knew a great deal but did not tell all. No that there are 200 TV Channels. YouTube, etc, you are much less likely to get away with anything. a lot of stories are needed and a NEW story is a prize. Also lies will not work as well, but everyone will continue to give them a go.

But, with so many stories, sometimes they lose steam pretty fast. Remember the governor (former) of New York? Now, who cares?

Ole Newt was a prince of a husband to. Dogs that we are, men vary in what they like: hookers, girlfriends, serial marriage, pages, and a few the old high school sweet heart they married I guess.

Are women just as bad or sneakier and better at concealment?

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