Any political theme song nowadays should include the lyrics “I’m sorry…so sorry” with the latest revelations about the former Democratic Vice President Candidate and U.S. Senator John Edwards. This is not only a personal tragedy for Elizabeth Edwards and her family, but for the nation as well. It lends credence to the popular saying to trust no one. Not being able to trust those who make decisions that affect us all undermines the very underpinnings of our foundation for a stable and strong society, and is a particularly harmful during this period of economic instability.
As a Democrat, I supported Edwards when he was on the ticket with Kerry. I even supported him during the 2008 campaign as the candidate of the working people. However, that soon changed during the Democratic Presidential Debates when he began to side with Obama and become part of the good old boys tag team against Hillary Clinton. At the time, it seemed odd that he would be aligning himself with Obama as part of the “real change,” villifying Hillary and portraying her as the politics of old–an example of what was wrong with Washington. In retrospect with the information that we now have, Edwards may have known at the time he was doomed by this scandal and was trying to salvage a place in an Obama Administration. Who can say? The fact that these musings have entered my head gives legitimacy to the idea that personal lives and public lives of our elected officials are irrevocably intertwined.
But As For Me…
Scandals from both parties are the prime reasons for more and more of us calling ourselves Independents. It is apparent to this writer that no political party nor political ideology has the corner on morality, either personally or professionally. Maybe this is why our national motto reads “In God We Trust.”
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