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RSS FeedShould John Edwards continue his campaign for the US presidency or stay home with his wife as she battles cancer?
Results so far:
| Stay home | 66% | 249 votes | Total: 380 votes | |
| Campaign | 34% | 131 votes |
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Add to FavoritesDue to the special circumstances related to John Edwards' wife ,his decision to run for Democratic nomination was a big surprise.For me his ambition to campaign was unacceptable .
Her health condition,took him o a very precious time,being far from her.The priority for him,should be in her company and their children.The passing time will be the best judge.But in these circumstances,the personal ambition or strong feeling for your country,have to take the back seat on his priority list.
Instead,his wife in several appearances ,during this long , exhausting campaign,exposed to the people a different picture.A devoted wife ,made serious effort to be next to him on the podium.She looked tired and weak.She tried to support him.Her energy level less than 4 years ago was very clear.The motivation and her strong support,could be very well turned down by him,in the very simple explanation.For him the welfare of his wife and children counts more than anything at this difficult time.
His appearances in this campaign,exposed a different John Edwards' performances ,than four years ago.Knowing these circumstances of his wife and the results registered during the debates and first elections results,his postponing the closing campaign,represent an other mysterious fact.The full development of his campaign,the appearances on different TV programs,were confused. He tried to present himself as the real candidate and concerned husband and father.It wasn't easy for him to spread hope to America,when he feels inside a different feeling of failure.
He looked tired,unable to face the other candidates attacks.His speeches lost clarity,without a very clear message.All these can be an excuse for him.He can invoke that he was unable to deal with two target in the same time.He isn't a superman.He is a real man,with feelings and concerns.He feels the responsibility for both,the family and country.
But, to renounce this campaign, he needed to exhibit a stronger power to be next to his wife.
This decision,could placed him in a better position ,if he stayed next to her. When American people evaluate a candidate for the highest position in the country,the first they judge your attachment to your family.
Learn more about this author, Peter Akermann.
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Campaign
When this issue was first debated by the media, I was on the exact opposite side of this debate. I felt that, with all the medical trauma experienced by Elizabeth Edwards, John Edwards's wife, that the Edwards family should rally round and forget about campaigning and focus on her. What changed my mind? Elizabeth Edwards herself.
More than anyone, Elizabeth has determined her own fate, which she discussed in a televised interview, Elizabeth Edwards was frank about her diagnosis of cancer, saying that doctors had determined that no treatment could effectively forestall the inevitable. She also spoke about her determination to go on with life, to live it to her utmost, including participating in her husband's campaign for the presidency.
At that point, she had made the choice to approach the rest of her life (however long that might be) with a determination that it would not be spent living as a sick person, but as someone who lives to embrace every new day's adventures. In many ways, this determination was larger than herself. Many Americans who find themselves in similar situations were no doubt looking to see how she would handle this.
No doubt there will be days when Elizabeth Edwards won't feel like embracing life at all, as illness takes its toll. But her example of making the most of what life offers speaks to all of us, not just those who face chronic illness. Those who are healthy can also look to her example, and ask themselves if they are making the most of every day, and count themselves lucky to be in good health.
As most people know by this point (long after the election has come and gone, and we all face new economic difficulties), deciding to face her illness was not the only problem that would dog the Edwards's marriage and family life. Reports of John Edwards's extra-marital affair would also pose a challenge for the Edwards family. Through it all, they have stuck together as a family, weathering illness and personal weaknesses.
I think all of this has demonstrated just how strong one woman can be. Her approach is brave. Not necessarily what I would choose, if I was in her situation, but I respect the decisions she and her family have made and believe that they were undertaken with a lot of thought and care. The campaign had many lessons to teach the American public: about candidates, about choices, and about coming through to the other side of the challenges we all face as Americans.
Candidates and their families are in a unique situation because they open the door for the public to look in, risking judgment and criticism. Every problem is likely to come out at some point, and the most successful candidates and their families address them head on. Few have to face the overwhelming nature of something like terminal cancer in the public spotlight, but Elizabeth Edwards and her family did so with grace, determination, and a point to make: that life is precious and is meant to be lived fully.
Learn more about this author, Christine Zibas.
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