I'm confused- are we supposed to care about poltician's sex lives?

Cause we weren't supposed to before, when it was Clinton. Now it's Edwards it seems like we do? And I KNOW that if we can ever get to the bottom of that McCain "love child" then we certainly will, right? So what's the procedure? Incumbent Democrats nay, ex-candidates and Republicans at all times yay? Can anyone help me out here?

Seems like the Republicans scandal of choice is corruption and insider trading. (Enron, Oil Contracts, Outing CIA agents, lying about war intelligence, etc.)

The Democrats scandal of choice are sex scandals. (Cheating on your wife,paying for sex,etc.)

Since sex sells, the media and people in general find sex scandals steamy and fun where corporate scandals such as insider trading is just boring. The Edwards scandal is not going to go away, unless the McCain love child turns out to be true(The National Enquirer also broke that story as well)

The best chance the Edwards Scandal has of going away is if Obama announces his VP choice this week or if something really bad happens at the Olympics.

I have said I am surprised the Edwards scandal did not break while he was running for President this past February or March. But now that I think of it I am more surprised it did not break sometime this October or a day or two before the election.

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Updated On: 8/10/08 at 01:54 PM

Joe, I think he is just saying that the VP announcement would take the focus off of Edwards. Actually, I think it has already started to go away. I went for drinks yesterday and all everyone was talking about were the opening ceremonies at the Olympics. A few people didn't even know about Edwards. I noticed, at least here that the Edwards thing came out after the pictures of the opening ceremonies came out. Everyone was already talking about them before they came on at 7:00 on Friday evening.

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My hoping Obama picking his running mate this week will, I hope, draw attention away from Edwards. Oh, and the convention is 2 weeks away. He should be announcing his VP choice anyway.

People put politicians in a very high standard. I think they bring it on themselves as being moral and good and will fight for you and the underdog. So, when they are caught being like the rest of us its kind of like they are now down to our level. In Edwards case his hypocrisy was exposed not to mention his true character. He made himself out as the guy who helped people. Instead he turns out to be the type of guy who cheats on his dying wife and then lies about it while running for office and endorsing candidates.

We care about the private lives of those we elect into office. There are some things that for me, really don't matter.If Elizabeth came out when this story broke and said she wanted John to have someone for when she died and knew about the affair all along, I would see this very different. I would say then yes, it is a private affair. There would have been no lying to his wife or cheating involved. Thats not what happened though.

Movie stars getting caught is more humiliating then anything. I still like Hugh Grant and other stars who have been involved in sex scandals but politicians sell themselves as something much higher.

Sex sells.

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Updated On: 8/10/08 at 02:28 PM

I am sure that is not what Obama is focusing on and isn't worried about his announcement taking the attention away from Edwards. The press will jump on it if he does, of course and that is what may take the attention away. But it seems that it is already not the "big" story. Some people speculated that he made the announcement on the opening day of the Olympics so that it would not be as big a story as it might have been before the start of the Olympics. I don't know anyone who watched his big interview on Friday night about it. Everyone was watching the opening ceremonies. Even my friends that didn't watch the ceremonies didn't watch the interview. I can only speak for here, but people seem to be over these "scandals". Just my thoughts!

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We cared about Larry Craig's.

Personally, I don't care what Edwards does or did. It's not like he's been out there trying to pass anti-adultery legislation.

Larry Craig had a homosexual encounter in a bathroom.

That's much worse than sleeping with another woman. Unless you're a woman, too.

(God, wouldn't the world freak if Hillary was caught in a lesbian scandal?)

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edwards lied to the media. lied to them and ridiculed them while lying to them. they believed him and now they are pissed. the story will last until they feel they've gotten their pound of flesh.

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Because the Bushes are better at hiding secrets than Edwards is. Edwards was arrogant and felt only "other people get caught". Again, I know his wife is ill and all but I thought she was his Jiminy Cricket. The one who watches over him and, as she said in 2004, keeps him honest. She is just as guilty knowing about his affair and letting him continue to run for President and endorse a presidential candidate. Its too bad this all happened, but they both deserve it as far as I am concerned.For him to deny that his political career is over again shows the man's arrogance and denial. You KNOW he is paying this woman off. I am certain he said he would gladly take a paternity test because he knew he paid the woman off to publicly say she would NEVER allow to have a paternity test.Again, how is this woman able to afford a 3 million dollar home?

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PJ - no offense, but aren't you (and by 'you', I mean we) at an age where you'd have to be the benefactor providing the financial support?

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There are more things on heaven and earth that are dreamt of in your philosophy, Madbrian.

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Here are two.

We're supposed to care about their sex lives because we need to constantly be reminded that our country was started by Puritans.