Media asleep at the wheel on Edwards affair

August 8 , 2008

 

I hate to say I told you so but . . .  The National Enquirer now appears to be the source for breaking news stories concerning Democrats.  Sad, isn’t it?  Since the mainstream media have ignored breaking news stories about Bill Clinton, Jesse Jackson and now John Edwards, it appears we can no longer trust them to tell us the truth.  Like that’s news.

 

The National Enquirer has been all over the John Edwards/illicit affair/love child story since October of last year.  The mainstream media all claim this most recent revelation wasn’t newsworthy because Edwards wasn’t an elected official nor was he running for office.  In October he was.  Where were they then?

 

And, since when do the mainstream media limit their attacks to elected officials.  Was Ted Haggard an elected official?  Is Victoria Osteen?  No, they’re members of organized religion, seen by many in the mainstream media as evil incarnate.

 

The John Edwards story was news if for no other reason than the guy’s wife was battling cancer and he was off gallivanting across the country with some hussy he met in a bar.  She was hired on to be the videographer for the Edwards campaign with apparently little experience in the field.  If that whole scenario doesn’t scream “Dateline” or “20/20” I don’t know what does.

 

Imagine for just a moment the man in question happened to be Mitt Romney.  Let’s say Mitt had been having an affair and fathered an outside child.  Do you really think the mainstream media would’ve ignored it?  Not a chance.

 

Therein lies the issue.  It’s not necessarily about John Edwards and his lack of judgment.  It’s about the mainstream media and theirs.  It was and continues to be a legitimate news story.  This is a guy who was John Kerry’s running mate four years ago.  This guy was running for president up until just a few months ago.  The fact that he’s traipsing around the country with a mistress and may have fathered an outside child isn’t news?

 

Then there are the “private lifers.”  These are the people who claim affairs by public people aren’t any of our business.  I was talking with someone who is rather forgiving on the extramarital affair front.  He faults no man in trying to quench his sexual desires.  His problem with the Edwards affair is that it demonstrates his gross lack of judgment.  As this person pointed out, if Edwards is stupid enough to carry on an affair at a time when his wife is fighting cancer while the glare of the media is all over him, he’s not worthy of making the important decisions incumbent upon a commander in chief to make.

 

What’s so stunning about the Edwards affair is no one saw it coming.  I talked with people who associate with his inner circle and no one ever thought it was even remotely possible that he would do something like this.  All the scarier when you think that he was that good.  He was a master at manipulating his image to the point that he could make us believe whatever he wanted us to believe.

 

The question remains is he done?  Most certainly if he were a Republican there would be no question.  However, Democrats tend to get away with much more than Republicans.  Look at Bill Clinton.  Look at Jesse Jackson.  Newt Gingrich toys with returning to public office but he would never survive the onslaught from those in the Republican Party who can never forgive him for being a cad.  And, when was the last time you heard the name Bob Packwood?