It’s hard to recall a political burial as fast and cold as that of John Edwards. After all, the former North Carolina senator had been a serious contender for president until a few months ago and possibly for VP until last week. Had his cheesy affair not surfaced, he would have commanded a choice speaking slot at the Democrats’ convention.
The tabloids and cable television are still having fun with the story, but the more serious news outlets express little sense of tragedy in Edwards’ demise or even interest in it. Respectable media had long ignored the sordid details being reported in the National Enquirer, but not to protect Edwards. They just didn’t care enough to check them out.
Why would this be for the man who had finished second in the Iowa Democratic caucuses, ahead of Hillary Clinton? The reason is that the John Edwards story never quite held together. As a trial lawyer, Edwards had ridden the frustrations of the poor to fabulous wealth. But one could never be sure that, as a politician, his populist spiel wasn’t part of a plan for further self-enrichment. He seemed to love money too much.
Last year, the Edwards family moved into a new 28,200-square-foot manse, the biggest and most expensive residence in North Carolina’s Orange County. John’s perfectly tailored suits and famous $400 haircut spoke of extreme self-pampering. In short, the sleek, rich lawyer in tasseled loafers clashed with the tribune of the oppressed.
Despite an appealing message, the cracks were always visible in the Edwards edifice. That’s why astute observers were not surprised when it came crashing down. They walked around the smoking ruins and never looked back.
