I was bothered by the little blurb about Edwards continuing his campaign in spite of the resurfacing of his wife's cancer. Granted, there are naturally pieces of the story that have probably been left out; but the face value presentation of the article gives the impression of Edwards saying: "Yep, she has cancer; we'll deal with it as we go . . . What's the next stop on our tour?" This is not some kind of some minor bout with bronchitis or a bad case of the runs because of some weird Chinese food; this is cancer! Not only is it bad enough that it's cancer, the article explicitly states that it is "incurable". Edwards . . . hello??!!
The other interesting (yet, bothersome) part about the article is that the decision to remain in the race for Presidency appears to be his and his alone. None of his comments suggests that he cleared this with his wife before deciding to continue on his (current losing) trail;* and none of the comments mentioned from her speak about his campaign. Instead, the implication seems to be her willingness to fight with further implication that she is in this fight alone. Again, there may be another set of comments that are not mentioned in the article; but that's precisely my problem with it. If there are other comments, they should be included so that a really bad light is not shining on Edwards right now. If there are no other comments, then Edwards is the one holding the bad light and shining it upon himself.
The reason this bothers me is because it appears as though he is more focused on achieving a personal goal (if not trying to make a statement--i.e., "I'm better than Bush; elect me and I'll prove it") than caring for his wife--the one he committed his life to when he said, "I do". She is more important than this campaign. She is more vital to his life than making a statement. She is more valuable than any personal goal he could ever attain. But the article--and his decision to remain in the race--seems to flip those comparisons in a really bad way. Edwards, if you read this (though I highly doubt that he will): Step down from the race and care for the most important person in your life--unhindered. There is no problem in doing so. I would highly respect you for doing so. She needs you more than this country needs you--and that's not being rude or impolite.
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*According to recent polls, Edwards is a bit behind in the race.
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2 comments:
I have to say that I disagree with you. I have seen interviews with both Elizabeth and John. They were both in complete agreement that he should continue the race, it was not just his decision as you suggested. Being President is not just his dream, it is something that Elizabeth believes in as well. They both love this country, and want to make it a better place. We should not fault them for that.
Dear "Anonymous" :-),
Thank you for your comment. In my defense, this blog was originally posted well before later interviews were issued, which enabled both Edwards' to voice their position. When the initial announcement was made, there was no mention of Mrs. Edwards' feelings on the matter; nor were any of Mr. Edwards' comments "we" related--i.e, both were in agreement. His comments were more "This is what I want to do". Hence, this post.
I admit that the two of them have both, more recently, emphasized their commitment to the race; but I still stand behind my thoughts about what matters most: fulfilling a dream, or fulfilling a larger and more precious commitment. Granted, in the end, both are temporal; but one is certainly more valuable than the other. I was not questioning their love for this country, nor their desire to make it a better place; nor was I "faulting" them anything of the sort. (In fact, the only ones I "faulted" were the media and their portrayal of the situation).
All I was suggesting was the possibility that in the midst of ardently pursuing a personal goal, what truly matters might be only receiving residual attention. This is something we are all guilty of at one time or another--even me. This admission is not said for bragging rights--it would be foolish for me to be proud of something that plagues my mind and heart.
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