I love Elizabeth Edwards. Which is odd, since I've never met her.
When it comes to celebrity, I'm not much impressed. In fact, I find the whole concept of idolization abhorrent. More like insane. But when it comes to Elizabeth Edwards, I'll relinquish a bit of my 'sanity' and let awe take command over me.
Elizabeth is an anomaly. She's that rare public person who can take center stage and yet remain REAL. She's unaffected by fame. Impervious to admiration. Strong in the face of catastrophe and humble in the face of success.
Not long ago I watched an event on Cspan where Elizabeth Edwards discussed her book, "Saving Graces." Elizabeth gave a detailed account of her recovery from grieving the death of her teenage son, Wade. She shed no tears, but the depth of her pain was palpable. She paid minor attention to despair and major attention to healing. Not as a preacher. Or authority. But as a vessel of resolve and understanding. She freed the audience from fear of discussing her child by explaining how his essence is honored whenever they mention his name. She explained that avoiding discussing him was like erasing him and that he should never be erased. A simple lesson, but profound.
Elizabeth was neither morbid nor self-pitying. She was inspiring. She talked of the "grief" website she frequented and the anonymous chat friends with whom she battled back from devastation.
And she talked of her husband, John. How they survived the pain together and how strong their bond became. She talked of her recent bout with breast cancer and how John was there every step of the way. Not boastfully as some women might do. But humbly. She looked beyond her own comfort to focus on the many who faced illnesses alone. Those who entered the halls of treatment with no one and struggled back to their homes weakened by chemo and radiation. This struck her so deeply that she implored her audience to enfold those in need and offer them comfort to make it through.
Bottom line, I am a John Edwards supporter. I like his straightforwardness and candor. I appreciate his working class, blue collar roots. His support for unions. His goal to uplift the low income and middle class. His desire to stop the War On Iraq and bring our troops back home. His solid healthcare plan. His aggressive stance on global warming. His commitment to negotiate with other nations. His plan to end Bush's tax cuts. The integrity he showed during the '04 race by NEVER parlaying the tragedy of his son for sentimental favor. I particularly like how his deep understanding of the loss of a child makes him less likely to sacrifice the child of another. I respect his deep love for his children and his deep love for his wife.
My mention of John and Elizabeth Edwards in a previous article (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/linda-milazzo/a-woman-in-the-white-hous_b_42060.html) was posted on his campaign blog, for which I was pleased. Interestingly the statement that posted was more about Elizabeth than John. It read, "Along with John, give America a truly great woman for the White House. Give us his wonderful wife Elizabeth Edwards who will instill in the White House the humanity and warmth it has lacked for so long. The Edwards are a masterful couple. They've weathered unfathomable personal tragedy with dignity, humanity and grace. Characteristics America sorely needs to restore its image at home and abroad."
I believed that then and I believe it now.
Obviously as of this writing, I don't know what lies ahead for Elizabeth Edwards. Nor what her husband will say at his press conference a couple hours from now.
What I do know is this. The last great lady to occupy the White House was another Elizabeth. An Elizabeth who preferred the name Betty. Betty Ford. The valiant First Lady who battled health issues and addiction, then served as an example for us all. Since Mrs. Ford, we've had a Nasty Bush and a Barbie Bush. We've had Roselyn Carter who worked admirably in the field of Mental Health. Nancy Reagan whose "Just Say No" (to drugs) campaign was a dismal failure. And Hillary, whose primary dilemma was mastering her first-mate persona.
The truth is, the American Presidency going back to the days of Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt, has been a partnership between husband and wife. First Ladies are monumentally important. Even with Nancy Pelosi being second in line to the President, unless a woman President is elected in 2008, the most powerful woman in America will still be the First Lady.
With all my heart I want Elizabeth Edwards to be our First Lady. What a White House she would have. The first Italian American First Lady. (Yes, she really is Italian). An accomplished attorney. A dedicated wife. A devoted mother who'd work tirelessly to prevent others from losing a child and enduring the pain she's gone through. A genuine, warm and gracious woman who would restore honor, gentility and humanity to the leadership of this nation which it desperately needs.
Again, I don't know what lies ahead for Elizabeth. What I do know is that millions are pulling for her. Millions believe in her. And millions believe in her husband, John, too.
Buona fortuna. I wish them both the best!
_______
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as first lady
As First Lady, Elizabeth Edwards could well be another Eleanor Roosevelt: one of the all-time greats. This press conference business sounds omenous.
For anyone, it would be difficult to be such a disaster as Laura Bush has been. Rumors abound about the many nights she has had to spend in her private suite at the Mayflower because there is no living with George when he is drunk. And George is a mean, surly, foul-mouthed drunk. Yet Laura denies there is any problem at all and keeps on enabling George. Yuck!
Transitions by Lynx says: Fight Ebola. Not people with Ebola.
CNN is reporting that
CNN is reporting that Politico.com is reporting that Elizabeth's breast cancer has returned and Edwards will either suspend his campaign or drop out completely. The Edwards campaign is refuting that report.
EDWARDS CAMPAIGN TO
EDWARDS CAMPAIGN TO CONTINUE!!
Barbara The Gorgon
One look at Barbara Bush--aka "the pants in the family"--and it wouldn't be beyond the pale for even the most detached of observers to consider (regarding her progeny), "how?"
Sorry, but I'd need about a pound of viagra and one of those pneumatic pumps...unless there's chicanery--oops, "chimpcanery"--afoot (pardon the pun).
A true First LADY
Yeah, with Babs, it'd have to take some horse viagra, a whole lot of tequila, and a loaded gun pointed at my head just to be able to look at her naked, let alone perform... I mean, who fantasizes about the Quaker Oats guy? Other than maybe female Quakers?
As for the Edwards', they have a rough road ahead of them. Unfortunately, they have been down this road far too many times for one young family. Most families would be crushed by any one of these events, yet they muster the courage to pick up and carry on.
I'm encouraged to hear that the campaign will continue. John Edwards has everything that it takes to be a great President, and I hope he has a chance to prove it. I just hope Elizabeth's treatment plan goes well. Stage 4 breast cancer has about a 7% 5 year survival rate. Not good odds, but the fact that they have such positive attitudes about what the future will hold should serve them well. In many of these cases, the will serves as much a role in treatment as chemo or radiation, and their will is strong.
I'm off now to go make a donation to the ACS and to the Edwards campaign...
John and Elizabeth Edwards '08
John and Elizabeth Edwards are still in the race, very much so. I admire their courage, their patriotism, and their commitment to each other.
Caught so early, with such careful medical attention, her small lesions will be a chronic, manageable condition, not a major drama or debilitating illness. It's more like diabetes, at this point -- tiring, frustrating, but OK.
I have been a monthly contributor to the Edwards campaign since December. I just sent them an extra contribution, both to say I'm with them today and to make sure that, when the quarterly reports come out in 2 weeks, Edwards is clearly in the race, doing well, and competing with Obama and Clinton.
His principles, his character, his patriotism, his opposition to the war, and his concern for the poor and working America make him a great candidate. The strength of his wife and his marriage will make him a great president.
John and Elizabeth Edwards '08
_______Riverside Liberal
All class
All I can say is that she comes off as a real classy lady.
Edwards
Hey, it's tough having cancer. My mother battled it courageously for 14 years (while getting a doctorate and teaching poor at-risk inner city kids) with far less resources than Edwards has available to her.
That Edwards is handling this problem nobly and openly is admirable, but hardly a reason to elect her husband.
And I think both John and Elizabeth might consider what her situation would be like were she an Iraqi woman with the same condition, dealing with it in Iraq right now, a country seeing its best medical professionals fleeing daily.
Or what it would be like to be a Palestinian with the same condition, unable to even reach a hospital.
Considering that her husband supported the first example (and now "regrets" it) and still supports the second, with undying zeal, makes him unsuitable for the highest office, and her determination in the face of her disease irrelevant.
Yes, we must educate all our candidates...
on the Palestine/Israel issue. You make a valuable point. It's an issue I'm working on, as are many others I know.
Thank you for addressing this matter. I hope you'll continue your own work to bring change to America's blind support of Israel and blind eye toward Palestine. Unless America develops a fair and balanced policy toward Israel and Palestine, middle east peace will never be achieved. I join you in the effort. Hopefully Senator Edwards can be enlightened. I believe he's a decent, educable man. Let's work on it.
Israel and Palestine
I hope with all my heart that President Edwards will be able to see that Israel is not always right and Palestine is not always wrong.
Unfortunately, during campaign time, as it has been every year since World War II, what used to be called the Jewish/Arab problem has been overly important. Who do you suppose paid for foundation of the Israel that we know today? Wealthy Jewish people in the United States. Those people also used their wealth (and before Bill Gates, a large number of the millionaires in this country were Jewish) to "purchase" political assistance for Israel from the US government. Both sides of the aisle in Congress, both parties in the US political arena, anyone who needed big bucks for a campaign had to go to the well. I'm not saying this with malice, if I had been a Jew after World War II and had lots of money, I'd have probably been right there buying politicians. The point is, name another candidate who hasn't taken money with strings attached. Especially, name another viable candidate who hasn't taken money with Israeli strings attached.
What you as a citiaen must do, is let your candidate know how you feel, let your government know how you feel, and let the media (if only thru a letter to your local newspaper) know how you feel. If we raise our voices honestly to viable candidates (and, again I'm sorry, but Rep. Kucinich is not viable nor is or was Ralph Nader) then perhaps the candidates will begin to understand that we are in major complicity with major moral wrongs in more than one place in the world.
In the meantime, what would you do? Throw away a decent, honest, caring candidate because he doesn't agree with you on every single item that's important to you? The Republicans have done that. Look what that's done to our country and the world.
I would ask you to be open to the best person who has a chance to win the office in 2008.
_______"That we accept the world as it is does not in any sense weaken our desire to change it into what we believe it should be"
First Lady Elizabeth Edwards
About a month ago, I was reading "Eleanor and Franklin" by Joseph Lash. I was struck by the comparisons my mind would make with Eleanor and Elizabeth.
I had not realized how very much Eleanor had to do with Franklin's presidency; but it was obvious that throughout her life when tragedy befell her or someone close, or when she became aware of how "the other half" lived, she used the experience to become stronger as a person and to work for change and betterment of our citizenry.
Having also read "Saving Graces," which made me laugh and cry and laugh again, and having seen many, many interviews on TV, I see great similarity between the two women. Elizabeth has taken her experiences to heart and used them to work for change and for the betterment of our world.
I believe an Edwards presidency will be in the best interests of our country, our people, and the people of the world. And I believe Elizabeth Edwards will be one of the greatest First Ladies in our history.
Better start thinking about that Inaugural Ball Dress - you've only got two years to choose a designer and get the most fabulous gown since Jackie Kennedy. You go, girl!
_______"That we accept the world as it is does not in any sense weaken our desire to change it into what we believe it should be"
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I, too,love Elizabeth Edwards
Elizabeth Edwards is, as anyone who's seen her be interviewed will know, a Class A lady .There seems to indeed be something genuine about her. She'd make a fine First Lady.
And John Edwards would make a great president--because he has been a lone voice in the wilderness speaking for the American worker, the laboring man or woman. He remembers that there's more to America than just the top one percent, the super-rich.
In addition, Edwards seems to be concerned with her well-being,and to be with her not for reasons of power but of love. I'm sure it's the same for her.
One can't help but dread what the noon announcement will be.Good luck to the Edwards family, and to Elizabeth most of all.