Trailing Badly in the Dim 2008 Race, Edwards Eyes the Sympathy Vote
March 22nd, 2007 at 11:59 am by Preston Taylor HolmesRunning hard, but losing ground while chasing the political ambulances of Hitlery and Osama Hussein, John Edwards has decided to play the “C” card. C for sympathy.
“The biopsy showed the cancer had returned, It was malignant, so the net result of all the tests is that her cancer is back, it is largely confined in bone, which is a good thing,” Edwards said from their hometown of Chapel Hill, N.C.
Edwards made no plans to suspend his campaign. He and his wife attended a campaign-related barbecue in their hometown of Chapel Hill, N.C., on Wednesday night. The couple is going together to California, Boston and New York for events scheduled through the week end.
“The campaign goes on, the campaign goes on strongly,” John Edwards said.
“I intend to do all the things I did last week, next week,” Elizabeth Edwards said.
It is not clear how many points Edwards will now rise in the polls, but the Senator is hopeful that this turn for the worse will ignite his third-place-and-falling candidacy.
UPDATE: I’m not the only one calling it like it is.
UNINTENDED HILARITY UPDATE: As the silky pony show was initially leaked to the news media, the scuttlebutt was that Prince Edwards was going to drop out of the race. Ryan Sager (via Insty) notes the difference in before & after coverage from Emotional Andy:
What will all the folks say who just said Mr. Edwards had his priorities straight in dropping out?
Particularly amusing: Andrew Sullivan vs. Andrew Sullivan…
Here’s Mr. Sullivan at 12:17: “Edwards Suspends Campaign: He does it because his wife has a recurrence of cancer in some degree to be further explored. It is of a piece with his character to do this; and a simple testament that he has the right priorities and values to be a president of the United States.”
Here’s Mr. Sullivan at 12:39: “Edwards Forges On: The campaign should go on, as life goes on. It should neither help nor hurt it. But I will say this: Elizabeth Edwards is a truly remarkable human being. And her marriage is an inspiration to all of us.”
Heh, Indeed! Which is it, sweetcakes? Family hero or The Greatest American Hero? I guess he’s just the Greatest American Situational Hero.
UPDATE THE THIRD: Right Wing Duck has a very insensitive poll. Horribly insensitive.
March 22nd, 2007 at 12:14 pm
Global warming causes bone cancer. The Goracle said so.
March 22nd, 2007 at 12:18 pm
The man’s wife is fighting a deadly disease, and you’re poking political fun of it… swell.
See you in November ’08, you asshole. Maybe you’ll get bone cancer in the meantime.
March 22nd, 2007 at 12:32 pm
Oh, that’s right. Only John Edwards can use his cancer-riddled wife for political gain. And wishing bone cancer on someone is horrible. You can pray for it, but prayer is beyond the scope of liberal atheists.
March 22nd, 2007 at 12:46 pm
“See you in November ‘08, you asshole.” Ugh, I sure hope not, you miserable shitsack.
Any person with one eye and a lick of sense would understand that this commentary is about the shamelessness of Ghoul Edwards using his wife’s illness as a sympathy ploy, because that’s all that press conference was about.
Personally, I hope she has a full recovery. Her husband, on the other hand, has a terminal case of Scumbagitis. Anyone who has gotten rich off of channeling the “spirits” of dead babies for juries ain’t gonna get much sympathy around these parts.
March 22nd, 2007 at 12:47 pm
How is announcing his wife’s cancer “using” it for political gain? Believe it or not, there are a lot of people in this country that care about the Edwards family as human beings. Should he have kept this family crisis to himself so as not to bother you?
You ought to STFU and get back to the issues that really concern you people… you know, like flag-burning, gay marriage and blocking congressional subpeonas.
“Global warming causes bone cancer.”
*chuckle*
And you have the nerve to preach to me about God and prayer. Pig.
March 22nd, 2007 at 1:21 pm
poor, confused jblaque. flag-burning is for liberals and blocking gay marriages is something we do for fun -get it right.
as for edwards, pfft. if the C card is all he’s got….sucks to be him.
March 22nd, 2007 at 1:34 pm
Waitaminute. This is just satire, just like Marcotte! We’re cutting-freakin’-edge!
Maybe we can write for the Edwards campaign.
March 22nd, 2007 at 2:06 pm
I guess I see this diferently. Edwards’ wife was diagnosed when one of my closest friends was. Edwards’ wife’s cancer wasn’t even as advanced as my friend’s at the time. Both went into remission at the same time as well. So I watch her like a thermometer, and this is very troubling news for me. There are a lot of women out there who do this watching thing. We watch Suzanne Somers, Laura Ingraham, and Mrs. Edwards. What would people say if he hadn’t come out with it?
Now, I will shut up if he starts campaigning on the back of her suffering for federal funding to fight this or that illness.
March 22nd, 2007 at 2:17 pm
Michele,
The watching thing? No, only a camera-hog would call a press conference to announce that his wife has cancer. He could have simply faxed a fact sheet to any of the 300 press agencies for a press release if he wasn’t going to stop campaigning and simply “wanted to get the word out.”
Liberals have a long track record, and a somewhat successful one, of playing the victim card so that any criticism can be squelched.
Now you can’t call John Edwards a commie faggot because hey, take it easy, man- the dude’s wife has cancer.
I hope its in her leg below the knee. That way they can saw it off and she will be the next big thing on Dancing with the Stars.
March 22nd, 2007 at 2:33 pm
Michele, that’s what Edwards is counting on. An emotional response to give him further victim status.
This was not a newsworthy event. If Edwards had announced he was suspending his campaign (as he should), then it would have been newsworthy – and perhaps even worthy of a press-conference-side-show.
Instead, nothing about the race has changed, but Edwards got his big mug up in front of the cameras again.
I feel sorry for his wife and I hope she somehow beats the disease, but Edwards himself is diseased in many other ways.
And his own financial attacks on the medical industry has only increased healthcare costs for the rest of us – many of whom are suffering with cancer but can’t get anyone to come to their press conferences. He is a shameless, disgusting person.
March 22nd, 2007 at 3:59 pm
Did someone mention me? Am I relevant again?
Whoohoo!
On a serious note, let’s all say a pra…whoops, let’s all get in a f***ing circle and bang some drums for Elizabeth.
Cancer sucks…even a f***ing bitch like me knows that.
March 22nd, 2007 at 4:08 pm
“Now you can’t call John Edwards a commie faggot because hey, take it easy, man- the dude’s wife has cancer.”
Edwards is a commie faggot.
Edwards is a commie faggot.
Edwards is a commie faggot.
Whew. That felt good. Still think it was a newsworthy event.
March 22nd, 2007 at 6:49 pm
John Edwards: “The Campaign Goes On”…
John Edwards said his wife’s cancer has returned, but said he will continue his campaign for the Dem…
March 22nd, 2007 at 8:44 pm
I love how the libtards can scream for tolerance and compassion when it comes to someone like John Edwards calls for a 12noon press conference to announce that his wife, Elizabeth has a resurgence of cancer. Now where were any of these tolerant and compassionate libtards when Vice President Cheney had recurring episodes of heart trouble?? Has anyone noticed that the people that scream the loudest for tolerance and compassion are always the least tolerant and compassionate.
March 22nd, 2007 at 9:48 pm
It’s possible to feel a full measure of sympathy for the Edwards family and vote against him for President.
March 22nd, 2007 at 11:10 pm
You are like so insenstive, Holmes.
Next thing you’re going to tell me is that if they legalize stem-cell research that Elizabeth will be able to grow one of her tits back.
You know, Elizabeth Edwards used to post on Democratic Underground. Maybe she got her cancer from there. A cursory viewing shows the whole place is infected and in desperate need of a massive dose of radiation.
But forget you hatemongers. I’m slapping a pink ribbon with “My Tits Vote Silky Pony ’08″ in the morning. Try to stop me, beotches.
March 23rd, 2007 at 2:20 am
Smantix and Preston…
Can we get a correct spelling? Is it “beotch” or “beatch”?
And Preston, are you gonna let that leftard jblaque tell you to “STFU” on your own blog? I think giving that hippie lib a bigger smakdown is in order. You are showing amazing restraint.
But my serious take on this. Had Edwards called the press conference to announce his wife’s condition to let us all know that he would be dropping out of the race, then I think it would have been completely appropriate…AND, I might surprisingly add, the noble thing to do.
I would have sincerely applauded him for putting his wife and family ahead of personal ambition.
But then again, Democrats in the White House have always had a stellar record of upholding the sanctity of marriage…uh, right?
Anyway, Edwards is “forging ahead”. OK, fine. I am sure his wife is strong enough to fight her battle with cancer and support her husband as well.
But wouldn’t a simple press release about her condition been more appropriate, with the phrase “the family wishes you to respect their privacy in this matter.”
I mean, it seems to me that this is a family issue…certainly nothing to call a presser for.
Unless of course you want millions of Americans thinking, “awwww….how brave of her, I think I’ll vote for her husband.”
Sympathy card? Absolutely.
Elizabeth…my prayers are with you. Beat this disease and live to tell us all how you did it.
John…you and your “handlers” suck. Your wife doesn’t deserve an opportunist like you.
March 23rd, 2007 at 5:50 am
jblaque says “Maybe you’ll get bone cancer” That gets my vote for the most hateful speech on this thread. Typical nutroot.
Marcotte
Marcotte
Marcotte
Ha, ha. Made you look ego hound.
March 23rd, 2007 at 6:25 am
Billy, you just crystallized my point better than I have thus far. Thank you sir. Very well put.
March 23rd, 2007 at 6:49 am
I don’t suppose it will matter to any of you that it was Elizabeth who insisted John not drop out of the race.
She stated that yesterday, and everyone who knows her knows she is the one who made that decision.
She wants to keep her family “normal” for as long as she can, which includes campaigning.
She has stage 4 cancer. 80 percent with stage 4 die within 5 years. On top of the bone cancer, her doctor said there are suspicious areas in her lungs and other organs. They’ll know more on that soon.
Elizabeth is an extraordinary woman putting on a brave face to do what she does best, which is helping others and being a supporting wife to the love of her life, her husband.
BTW, I am not a John Edwards supporter.
March 23rd, 2007 at 8:36 am
Sharon, I’m sure you’re right and nowhere have I said anything negative about her – quite the contrary, I hope she somehow recovers, though that doesn’t look likely. My beef is with Silky Pony’s track record of shameless beyond-the-pale behavior and how this political stunt fits right in with his MO. He is disgusting.
March 23rd, 2007 at 10:10 am
This just in! John Edwards was available for further comment this morning regarding his continued campaigning. Here’s what he had to say: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AE847UXu3Q
March 23rd, 2007 at 10:11 am
Sharon,
Thanks for making our point. If Elizbeth wanted to keep her family “normal”, then I think her husband drawing attention to it was the wrong thing to do…at least not in the manner in which he did it.
Now that the precedent has been set, questions about Elizabeth’s health will ensue in every press conference he has from here on out.
And dare I say, in debates. Can you imagine his response to a question on health care?
“We need comprehensive health care reform (well, primarily because as a malpractice lawyer, I helped make all y’all’s health insurance premiums skyrocket), because AS YOU KNOW MY WIFE HAS CANCER…
March 28th, 2007 at 7:25 pm
You might want to check out Instapunk. Here’s link to today’s latest entry and a new challenge.
http://www.instapunk.com/archives/InstaPunkArchiveV2.php3?a=1004
I think you’ll enjoy it.
April 4th, 2007 at 12:53 pm
In case anyone was wondering whether or not John Edwards would take advantage of his wife’s illness, here’s proof.
That son of a bitch.