Elizabeth Edwards answers gather member questions...Check out the video!

It’s not every day that an average mom from suburban Boston gets to sit down with the wife of a presidential candidate. So when I was asked by Gather.com to conduct an interview with Elizabeth Edwards, I jumped at the chance. Like so many other women in America, I have been fascinated by Mrs. Edwards. Her very public battle with breast cancer, and her decision to keep campaigning (with her children) despite the disease, left many moms questioning her priorities. From the playgrounds to the blogosphere, tongues were wagging. In this way, Mrs. Edwards is no different from Mrs. Smith or Mrs. Greene. Who among us hasn’t felt unfairly judged at one time or another by moms who know little about us and even less about our family?

 CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE INTERVIEW

The night before our interview I logged on to my computer, eager to review the questions submitted by members of the Manic Mommies group. At the same time, Gather staffers were reviewing questions from all of the political junkies and Democrats on Gather. I was told I’d have only 10 minutes for the videotaped interview, which is not a lot of time for someone like me who truly loves to gab. And frankly, the fact that this was all being recorded made me a bit nervous. I’m no stranger to the media, I’ve worked in the field for more years than I like to admit, but I’m not usually the one on camera. Did I mention I produce an audio podcast for moms?

The questions that came in from Gather members were terrific. There were more good questions than there was time to ask them. In the end, we whittled the list down to six: three from the political junkies and three from the mommies. OK, maybe there was one extra one thrown in from me, Erin K.

The hotel function room where we conducted the interview was non-descript, save for the secret service agent outside the door. Mrs. Edwards had a few handlers, including Hargrave, her assistant, friend, and travel companion on the road. Hargrave was with Mrs. Edwards on the campaign trail in 2004 when she first discovered a lump in her breast. Little did I know it was she sitting there with us, when I asked Mrs. Edwards to elaborate on this from Saving Graces: “I needed a grown-up, and I asked Hargrave to join me. She had no experience on campaigns, but she was a teacher and what's more, the mother of three boys. That's enough experience to handle any job.”

Once I started chatting with Mrs. Edwards about Darfur, healthcare, and what it was like to tell her children she had cancer, I nearly forgot I was talking to a presidential candidate’s wife. She was warm and genuine, generous with both her time and her candor. She is as she appears: polished and well-spoken. She seems like someone you would want living in the white house next door. She might be the neighbor who’s not around much because of her busy travel schedule, but when she was home, she’d probably invite you over for a casserole. And you’d be thrilled to accept.