The Cruelest of Ironies

Some might not exactly like the fact that I'm going after this, but I think it warrants a conversation at the very least.

John Edwards' decision to continue running for President, despite his wife's being re-diagnosed with cancer, disturbs me.

I cannot support any person that makes a public exhibition out of a loved one's illnesses for political gain. Yesterday's staged event was meant to do that. The day before getting ready to take off on a fundraising tour that would include a stop here in Massachusetts, John Edwards wants everyone to know his wife's cancer has reoccurred. There was John, Standing about five feet away from her, not holding her hand, not consoling her, leaving her off to the side like a beaten puppy dog, he addressed the nation as if he were President already, chalking up sympathy for his utterly listless campaign.

This just goes to show how different politicians are than us. John Edwards 'needed' to tell the world about his wife's cancer. She 'needed' to 'come clean' to the public and show that she was going to conquer all. Deval Patrick held a press conference to tell us his wife was combating depression. Senator Chuck Hagel decided to stage a press conference to let us know that he hadn't made a decision yet on whether or not to run for President. The vanity of today's modern politician is unbelievable and frankly, inexcusable.

Not running in today's political culture is akin to death. These people have no shame and will continue running, even when it isn't time to run. Running sustains their unending vanity. At least John Edwards, unlike our own John Kerry was at least good at something, and that was raking hospitals over the coals. I find it to be the cruelest of ironies that Edwards is now going to have to depend on the same doctors and hospitals he's swindled millions from over the years, to save the life of his wife.

I wish the best of luck to his wife and my prayers are with her. However, I couldn't imagine running for any office being more important than tending to the health of my own wife. Birch Bayh, father of Senator Evan Bayh (D-Indiana) ran for President in 1971. When he discovered his wife had breast cancer, he dropped out. I would urge John Edwards to do the right thing, and drop out of the race himself.