The two Johns

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/16500.html

A tale of two affairs

Posted August 9th, 2008 at 11:25 am

Everyone in the political world has weighed in on revelations regarding John Edwards’ extra-marital affair. Edwards has talked about it, his wife has written about it, and his former aides have criticized him for it. Hillary Clinton has commented; Barack Obama has commented. Every pundit within reach of a microphone, telephone, or keyboard has said at least something.

But when asked at a press conference yesterday for a reaction, John McCain would only say, “I don’t have any comment on it.”

I continue to think there’s a good reason McCain should be worried about this story: if adultery and presidential candidates becomes a topic of discussion, he has a lot to lose.

Some media personalities haven’t quite figured this out yet.

On the August 8 edition of MSNBC’s Race for the White House, host David Gregory baselessly suggested that former Sen. John Edwards’ (D-NC) disclosure of an extramarital affair has some relevance to Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. Gregory opened the show by saying, “Tonight, more on Edwards and the fallout from his admission today about a sexual affair: Is this another skeleton in the Democratic closet that Barack Obama must struggle to overcome?” snip

{Edwards}, in explaining his view that his dalliance could remain private, cited Republican John McCain’s reported affair at the end of his first marriage almost three decades ago.

“What I was thinking was this was something that was personal to my own family,” Edwards said, citing other public figures having survived extramarital affairs. He recalled, he said, having heard “John McCain talk about the mistakes that he’s made in his past with respect to his first marriage…. I’m not the first person to do this.” snip

Indeed, for all of the media frenzy associated with yesterday’s revelations, this is really a tale of two affairs, one that news outlets want to hype, and one that news outlets want to ignore. One involves a senator who left public office four years ago, and who is not currently seeking any public office. The other involves a sitting senator who is about to become the Republican nominee for president. Both have admitted extra-marital affairs, and both have been dishonest about the circumstances surrounding their messy private lives.

And yet, one is a huge story, and one is a subject that is largely verboten in our public discourse.

[babylonsister]

1. One is a Dem, one is a thug, the most glaring difference that explains

it all.

I liked what Kristof wrote:

'Should the way a candidate mistreated a spouse, particularly so long ago, even be an issue? But if not, why should the candidate’s courage as a prisoner of war, even longer ago, be a benefit, as it clearly is?'

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=6615820&mesg_id=6615836

[undeterred]

2. Oh great, the Dems don't share a big tent, we share a common closet.

:banghead:

[undeterred]

3. oops

[eshfemme]

4. I think the one difference is that at least Edwards knew it was wrong.

McCain hasn't shown any contrition whatsoever for the repeated crap he pulled on his first wife. That his ex-wife forgave him wasn't because of any sort of atonement McCain undertook but because she had way more class than he deserved. And he still ended up dumping her for a marriage of convenience, which from all signs looks like is as unhappy for Cindy McCain as it was for Carol. At least the Edwards are trying to move beyond this together and since it was Elizabeth's decision to do so, I support her fully in this.

This whole affair just rips open a glaring double standard. The whole Clinton impeachment affair was really just one big moral Fuck you by the Republicans to the rest of the country-- that they hold everyone else but themselves beholden to the arbitrary laws and rules they believe in, whether it is legal, ethical or moral.

[ben_meyers]

5. This could be a dangerous issue to keep pounding

McCain obviously cheated on his 1st wife, but has he ever denied it? He wrote about it in one of his books. I don't recall him ever standing before a camera and wagging his finger in my face saying "I never had..." or "I won't comment on that tabloid trash..."

As usual, like it or not, it's not the "mistake" it's the lying and attempting to cover it up.

[NNN0LHI]

6. Have you ever seen the media ask him about it and follow him around until he answered?

Kind of hard to catch someone to lie if the media won't even ask him about it and follow him around until he answers like they did to Edwards.

Like impossible.

Don

[ben_meyers]

7. What is the lie? It's never been hidden, both he and his 1st

wife have talked about the situation openly.

Maybe his claiming that he came back from 5 years in a North Viet Nam prison camp left him a changed person is a lie, but how do you go about proving that?

And Edwards pointing at McCain saying "see, he did it too" is just B.S.

[NNN0LHI]

8. No Edwards was pointing out how politically speaking McCain survived his affairs

I don't see anything wrong with pointing that out.

Do you?

He just expects to receive the same treatment from the media that McCain enjoys. Is that too much to ask?

Or do you think Edwards who isn't running for anything should be held to a higher standard than the guy running for president?

And as far as the lies go let the media chase McCain and his former mistress around for a few months investigating the details of their relationship while he was still married to his first wife and then we can see if their story jives. But Repigs don't get that treatment. Just Dems.

Don

[depakid]

9. It's an EXCELLENT wedge issue

but the Dems will prove too timid to use it.

[ginnyinWI]

10. I haven't really seen the media all that excited about it.

They don't care about McCain's affair which turned into a second marriage, and they don't seem to care much about Edwards either. Maybe on some of the cable shows, which I don't really watch--but it's been limited to them and to the blogosphere. The MSM has the Olympics to cover, and Edwards was already a footnote to this year's campaign.
I predict a swift end to it, focus on the Olympics and then on to the Convention. I don't see Obama being hurt by this--in fact people might appreciate him more on the Dem side for not having a problem like this. If there were anything to come out about him, it would have leaked by now. This'll be a weekend wonder and then be gone.