The Rude Pundit: A Random Observation or Two Regarding John Edwards

[meegbear]

So, now that John Edwards has admitted he fucked around with Rielle Hunter, can we stop caring about poor people? 'Cause you can pretty much bet that the poverty tour Barack Obama promised he'd take in exchange for an Edwards endorsement is off. Even without the former Senator/VP nominee/P candidate along for the ride, any bus ride through Anal Rape, Arkansas or Crystal Meth, Montana or Shoot Snitches, Michigan would be mired in the stickiness of Edwards' semen.

Let's put aside for a moment the retarded, adolescent, Clintonesque narcissism of a man thinking he can run for President in this post-Clinton day and age and think that he can get away with an affair like Bill Clinton. Let's put aside the whole "is it his child or not" discussion. Let's put aside John McCain's extramarital fucking. Let's put aside Edwards' utter betrayal of all of his supporters by daring to attempt to become the nominee while this was still a secret (if the Rude Pundit had donated money to him, he'd be really fuckin' pissed).

In fact, let's put aside the sickening thought of "What if he had been nominated?" It wasn't gonna happen. Think about it: how many of the Democratic elders came out in support of Edwards this time around? Yeah, he got a bunch of endorsements, but any of the bigwigs? He was the vice-presidential nominee back in 2004, an obvious and safe choice for many. The extramarital fucking happened in 2006 (as far as we know so far). You don't think that Edwards was vetted to the nth degree? You think this was a secret to the party's leadership? Even when he was polling second to Clinton, there were precious few in the party willing to come out and endorse him. And once Obama became the story, there was little reason to bother.

But let's get a few things back on track here: John Edwards fucked the woman, not Barack Obama. The Sunday chat-o-causts were filled with people wondering how in the world John Edwards' nailing of Hunter would affect Obama's campaign. Over on Fox "news" Sunday, Chris Wallace, asking Illinois Senator Dick Durbin about if Edwards' coming in the orifice of a woman not his wife hurts Democrats, said, "The reason I ask is the revelation late in the 2006 campaign that Congressman — Republican Congressman Mark Foley had had relationships, involvement, with congressional pages seemed to be very damaging to the GOP in that election. What's the difference?" That's not the difference between apples and oranges. That's the difference between apples and sexual predators. Durbin should have just stared, appalled, like Wallace had just shat into his own hands and eaten it. The right is looking for another Reverend Wright to associate Obama with, and Edwards will serve for them until something better comes along.

So, yeah, John Edwards boned a nutsy New Age chick who probably fucked all tantric and shit and didn't call him on his self-loving bullshit the way Elizabeth does. (And, by the way, the great loss for the party this year is in silencing Elizabeth Edwards, who kicks multifarious ass in ways great and small.) However unjustly Edwards may have treated his wife, his causes are just.

In other words, who John Edwards fucks won't get anyone job training, education, food, or health care.

http://rudepundit.blogspot.com/

[lame54]

1. I donated to Edwards and I don't feel betrayed...

I knew he was a long-shot at best.
He raised the level of the debates and did less bickering than the other two
I still believe in his policies and and his sincerity in these areas
I hope , after some time, he can make a come-back politically
We need him and Elizabeth to be involved in the national dialogue

[liberalmuse]

2. I love this.

He has a great point. Even though Edwards personal life should have no bearing on Obama's campaign (or is deserving of anything more than a page 6 paragraph being how Edwards is out of the game), the MSM is doing it's best to try and make something stick. They're desperate for anything to make Obama look bad. It's is not going to work in this case.

[mnhtnbb]

3. I did donate to Edwards--several times--and I do feel betrayed.

"Let's put aside for a moment the retarded, adolescent, Clintonesque narcissism of a man thinking he can run for President in this post-Clinton day and age and think that he can get away with an affair like Bill Clinton."

If I'd known he'd had an affair and tried to hide it, I would be several hundred dollars ahead.
I would never have supported him. You just cannot lie about it. I wouldn't have thought
well of him either, for cheating on Elizabeth, but if he'd owned up to it, instead of trying to hide it, I wouldn't feel so betrayed.

[sshan2525]

4. Frankly I don't care who Edwards chooses to fuck...

IMO, monagamy is just another scheme by Western religions to keep the masses in check but let's be real here. You cannot be screwing around in America circa 2008 and hope to be elected president. I know that this is ridiculous, prudish, repressed and god knows what else, but it's a fact. What the hell was Edwards thinking? I donated money to him and I'm pissed, only because if he had been the front runner, this would have derailed his campaign, wasted my money and probably have handed the election to gramps.

[mnhtnbb]

5. I care that he's a hypocrite. While he's trying to convince people

that he can't see his way to support gay marriage because of his Baptist upbringing, he's
been out screwing around on his wife. Last time I checked, the Baptists didn't support
that concept. So stop talking out of both sides of your mouth.

If you take vows, keep them. If you can't keep them, get a divorce.

I'm frankly pretty damned sick of all the holier than thou attitudes from people
who want other people to behave according to their values, but when it comes to living out
their own values, they not only pass, but then lie about it. And then they excuse
themselves by saying, "my Lord forgives me". What a bunch of crap. Try behaving
according to the standards you SAY you support and stop hiding behind 'forgiveness'
when you choose not to live up to your own standards.

Hypocrite.

[MonteLukast]

6. The problem with that is...

...who want other people to behave according to their values, but when it comes to living out
their own values, they not only pass, but then lie about it...

He DID, except for this affair, live according to those values. He's not in the same league as Clinton at all.

I do want to know what his voting record says about LGBT rights. Did he only have a personal objection to gay marriage, or did he actually vote against it, against toughening hate-crimes laws, and other bills aimed at making life easier for gays?

[mnhtnbb]

7. From the debates in 2004

He uses the same logic that condoned slavery and allowed it to exist in some states.



Opposes DOMA because states already can ignore gay marriages
Q: You oppose gay marriage?

EDWARDS: I do. But I believe that this is an issue that ought to be decided in the states. I think the federal government should honor whatever decision is made by the states. I would not support the

Defense of Marriage Act today, if there were a vote today.

Q: You would not vote for it?

EDWARDS: I would not. I would not for a very simple reason. There's a part of it that I agree with, and there's a part of it I disagree with. The Defense of Marriage Act specifically said that the federal government is not required to recognize gay marriage even if a state chooses to do so. I disagree with that. I think states should be allowed to make that decision. And the federal government shouldn't do it. The part I agree with is the states should not be required to recognize marriages from other states. That's already in the law, by the way, without DOMA. The law today does not require one state to recognize the marriage of another state.
Source: Democratic 2004 primary debate at USC Feb 26, 2004

Enormous strides for gays and lesbians without gay marriage
Q: How is your stance on gay marriage moving the country forward on gay rights?

A: There are a whole group of issues on which we can move the country forward. For example, the recognition of partnership benefits, changing our immigration and adoption laws, so that they provide equality to gay and lesbian couples, a re-examination of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy with our military leadership. There are fundamental things that we still haven't done.
Source: Democratic 2004 primary Debate in Greenville SC Jan 29, 2004