Oprah Winfrey, second from right, with former presidential candidate John Edwards, his wife Elizabeth and daughter Emma Claire Edwards at their home in Chapel Hill, N.C., for a taping of "The Oprah Winfrey Show." (Photo by George Burns, Harpo Productions, Inc.)
by Mark Silva
Elizabeth Edwards has "resilience.''
She says so in her new memoir by that title.
She will need it for the round of media appearances that she is taking to promote a book which, for all that it may contain, interests the world for one tawdry reason: Her take on the affair that her husband, John Edwards, the vice presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in 2004, had with a campaign videographer as he was launching his bid for another, 2008 presidential camapign.
She appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show today, she will appear on National Public Radio's All Things Considered this evening, and she will join Larry King Live on CNN Tuesday night. The new Time magazine, meanwhile, is running excerpts of the book.
Elizabeth Edwards had this to say about Rielle Hunter the videographer who changed the reels on her married life: "There is no excuse for women to do this..
"Women need to have respect for other women," Edwards told Winfrey. While placing much of the blame for the affair on her husband, she said, his mistress had to know that his wife had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and had two young children as well as an adult daughter. That should have prevented Hunter from going after her husband, she said.
"You can't just knock on that door and say you're out, I'm in," Edwards said. "If you admire that life, you can't just take it. Build your own."
While avoiding use of the word, affair, as well as Hunter's name, Edwards said the woman had seduced her husband with four words, "You are so hot."
"If you asked me to wager this house we were building whether my husband would've responded to the come-on 'You are so hot,' I would've responded, no," said Edwards, interviewed at the couple's home in Chapel Hill, N.C. "And I think if you pulled him out of the situation, he would've said, no, and he doesn't know to this day why he said, yes."
Comments
While I agree that Hunter had no business tagging Edwards, the bottom line falls with Edwards himself.
Posted by: bill r. | May 7, 2009 3:19 PM
We'd have an easier time staying out of trouble if there weren't temptresses out there.
Posted by: rupert | May 7, 2009 4:29 PM
As an infidelity expert who has been researching infidelity for the past 15 years, I am frequently called on by the media to comment on high profile infidelity and popular infidelity issues in the news. I disagree with those who are criticizing Elizabeth Edwards for writing about her husband’s affair, and for speaking about it so candidly in her interview with Oprah today. What she has done is commendable. By sharing her intimate thoughts on this matter, Elizabeth Edwards has performed a valuable service to betrayed wives and other women with cheating mates. Usually the media coverage of high profile infidelity is all about the cheater -- who he is, why he did it, how he got caught, what it will mean to his career. The betrayed wife’s voice is seldom heard. Elizabeth Edwards has shown the public a side of infidelity that is seldom seen. Having interviewed and consulted with numerous female victims of infidelity, I can assure you that other betrayed wives desperately need to know that they are not alone in what they are feeling or experiencing. Men who are cheating, or who have cheated on their wives need to see and hear firsthand the hurt, humiliation and heartbreak they inflict when they become involved in extramarital affairs. I feel that Elizabeth’s book and her interview with Oprah will focus attention on aspects of infidelity that usually go unnoticed or ignored. Further comments and insights based on the portions of the book that have been leaked to the public thus far can be found on my Infidelity News and Views blog at http://infidelitynewsandviews.blogspot.com and at www.InfidelityAdvice.com
Posted by: Ruth Houston | May 7, 2009 10:15 PM
Why couldn't John just ask her for a divorce while she's lying in bed in a hospital the way Newt Gingrich did? After all, the Republic Party has forgiven him for doing that and letting him run around talking about "family values", so it's not like they have the right to throw stones at Edwards anyway.
Posted by: BC | May 8, 2009 3:26 PM
Dear Elizabeth, I am a 17yr Breast Cancer Survivior, I so admire you for your strength. When i was diagonosed with Breast Cancer i was in a very abusive marriage, However, I eventually realized the stress I was enduring was far less important than my surviving. I want you to know you are the strength to your healing and i so admire you for your comitment to your Family. Most of all right now be selfiish you are the only one that can save you. Stay strong,support your children. If your man cant handle the pressure of your illness, so be it. The life you have created is admirable, but you wont be worth anything to anybody if you arent here for yourself. Stay Strong, be aggressive with your treatment, but most of all find how much you love yourself. I totally support your decisions, but dont forget to love you 1st. Debra
Posted by: Debra | May 9, 2009 11:27 PM