I watched John Edwards' press conference on CNN today at lunch time. I was impressed by his wife and his ability to remain so composed during the discussion of horrible news. I was also glad to see that they decided to get this all out in the open and have her doctor there to answer any medical questions the press had. It was very noble of them and I appreciate their honesty and openness in such a stressful time.
Now, what surprised me was the fact that he did not announce that he was quitting his campaign. What in the world? Does he hate his wife? After 30 years of marriage he said, they have been through some rough times and they know that they must hold their head up high and keep looking at the positives. FINE! GOOD! WAY TO DEAL! But anyone in their right mind and anyone who loves their wife so dearly would have quit no matter what. I don't care if Elizabeth said keep running. I don't care if she said she would kill him if he didn't continue to run. He is being a fool if he thinks that it was the right thing to do to keep going.
SHE HAS CANCER! BONE CANCER! IT IS INCURRABLE! Do you know what that means? SHE IS GOING TO DIE! It may not be tomorrow and it may be many years to come but she is going to go through chemo again and have other treatment and she is still going to die. The right thing to do is quit the campaign and stay home with her. Her time is limited and he is a selfish fool if he thinks that he has plenty of time with her. Her days are limited.
Okay, let's play this out. He continues and wins let's say. Then we have a president who is worrying about his wife while trying to run the country. AND I hear it is no small feat to run the US. And we will have a president who is distracted? Nope, sorry you lose my vote right there. I can't have a president who is distracted and not totally focused on our country and able to make sound decisions. What if she gets sick while they are in the White House? He will so regret not having the ability to spend time with her in her healthy days before she got sick. Now let's talk about the campaign itself. It is a tough and gruling road to the White House. We have seen candidates collapse from sheer exhaustion. She has to be there with him and campaign next to him. Her days are going to be gruling too. Won't that stress affect her health? Yup it will and she is a FOOL if she doesn't think so! Let's say they campaign to the end and he loses. Then she gets sick and he will again regret not being able to spend time with her while she is healthy because he was so selfish and has no presidency to show for it.
My suggestion to you Mr. Edwards, quit the campaign. You are third in line for the Democratic ticket right now, you lost the last campaign with Kerry, and in recent polls when Al Gore is thrown in the mix you are behind HIM who is not running! You need to bow out now while Elizabeth is still well, enjoy your days, weeks, and months, and years with her and your two little kids and have no regrets when she dies.
You won't get my vote this time. I can't in my right (or left) mind give my vote to a man who doesn't want to spend every living waking moment with the woman of his heart who's days are numbered. May that number be high and you have many happy years together. Just do the right thing.
3 comments:
I don't know ... i'm kind of mixed emotions about it. my mom was diagnosed with the same type of metastisis (how ever you spell that) 7 years ago. They gave her 6 months to live - she is still alive, with a 'controlled remission'. She has some injection that she gets every month and it keeps the tumors at the same level as they were 7 years ago.
I think part of what the message is "we are going to keep doing our daily life as it was". i don't have a problem with him staying in the campaign at this point - i think they are doing what feels right for them in the moment.
my mom is still working, my dad is retired (or retarded if you ask my nephew) and we all hold our breath every 3 months with the bone scans but i think part of the reason she has been in this controlled remission is because of her willingness and insistance to live like she doesn't have cancer.
I figured you would have a better view of it.
Your mom has a great attitude and she will live longer because of her strength in fighting it.
yeah, she has been fighting it. she was also lucky (like mrs. edwards) in an early detection. the other thing to keep in mind is that it isn't bone cancer: it's breast cancer in the bone - you follow a breast cancer treatment protocol, it is weird to think of it that way but that is how they distinguish it.
i wish their family well. it is such a sucky thing to go through.
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