Yes, it's a disappointing surprise, especially to fans of his wife Elizabeth, that John Edwards has admitted that the National Enquirer got it right when it reported he'd been having an affair, and that his denials have been lies. But the important thing to remember, in my view, is that his sex life is none of our business. We're interested in him because of his public life. Yes, he lied but, to me, that's a part of who he is that has nothing to do with his policy work -- the aspect of his life that we should care about.
If we limit political office to only those few of us who have lead pure personal lives, we're going to limit the pool considerably. I think FDR was a pretty good president but he had multiple affairs. So did Martin Luther King, Jr and I think he would've made a great president.
As Kay Steiger of Campus Progress blogs, "He's a politician and his life is public, but his sex life is none of my concern. Making this public certainly doesn't help his family, which is already dealing with a difficult situation. Millions and millions of people have affairs every year. Why do we care about Edwards? Him cheating on his wife doesn't diminish the work he has done on poverty and health care." I agree.
Peter Rothberg
Yes, it’s a disappointing surprise, especially to fans of his wife Elizabeth, that John Edwards has admitted that the National Enquirer got it right when it reported he’d been having an affair, and that his denials have been lies. But the important thing to remember, in my view, is that his sex life is none of our business. We’re interested in him because of his public life. Yes, he lied but, to me, that’s a part of who he is that has nothing to do with his policy work — the aspect of his life that we should care about.
If we limit political office to only those few of us who have lead pure personal lives, we’re going to limit the pool considerably. I think FDR was a pretty good president but he had multiple affairs. So did Martin Luther King, Jr and I think he would’ve made a great president.
As Kay Steiger of Campus Progress blogs, “He’s a politician and his life is public, but his sex life is none of my concern. Making this public certainly doesn’t help his family, which is already dealing with a difficult situation. Millions and millions of people have affairs every year. Why do we care about Edwards? Him cheating on his wife doesn’t diminish the work he has done on poverty and health care.” I agree.
What do you think?
Peter RothbergTwitterPeter Rothberg is the The Nation’s associate publisher.