My John Edwards conundrum..*NOT a JE bashing thread*

[youthere]

This is actually more of a Youthere bashing thread. I've fallen into this really circular logic of him (that I'm almost ashamed to admit to), and I can't seem to reason my way out of it.

If John Edwards were to win the presidency and Elizabeth should take a turn for the worse (god forbid), would he put her first? Would he step away from his presidential duties to be with her? If he did, I would be angry, because he continued his bid for the whitehouse knowing her cancer had returned and that is a definite possibility. If he didn't I would be angry as well..how can I respect someone who puts a job before their terminally ill loved one? So in effect, I would EXPECT him to do something I would HATE him for. Crazy, huh?

Irrational..absolutely, but I have to be honest. It just goes to prove there's no pleasing youthere sometimes.

Some other insights would be much appreciated.

[Adelante]

1. Well, you're in for it

Best of luck.

[youthere]

2. I'm sure I'll be fried and dried on this thread.

[Freddie Stubbs]

3. As long as he chooses a solid runningmate this should not be an issue

[w4rma]

15. Agreed. (nt)

[nini]

4. He would also be in a position with lots of help to handle both things

He wouldn't be the sole care provider for her and would have help unlike many other folks. That would free him up to be there emotionally for her but not have to worry about physical care.

Presidents also have lives to tend too, sometimes things get bad and they are stretched to their limits. I believe he can handle it.

[youthere]

9. You're right...and I'll be the first to admit that I've been very myopic in my thinking.

[Merlot]

5. Any president's spouse could get ill

JE's chances are greater unfortunatly, but at the age that most men become president there is a good posiblility that someone close to them could get sick.

They deal with both things. That's what they do. People who become president (at least legitimatly, but I won't go there*) know that being president is more than just a job. They also have a strong support system and access to the best medical treatments.

I'm sure JE would not put either first, but would manage both. And hopefully we will never find out how he handles both.

[BonnieJW]

8. Let's not forget

that Betty Ford had a mestectomy while her husband was in office as did Nancy Reagan. Their husbands did just fine.

[waiting for hope]

6. There are many examples of

Presidents having to cope with an illness of a loved one or with themselves and have managed to still be an effective public servant. Abraham Lincoln comes to mind, as well as Woodrow Wilson, FDR, John Kennedy and eekks, Gerry Ford. I am quite sure President Elect Edwards (yeah, I'm getting ahead of myself) is going to surround himself with good, qualified, capable people to assist.

[GeorgeGist]

7. Edward's first choice is clear ...

so why bash yourself for it?

[youthere]

10. It's not so much a bash as it is..

my way of acknowledging a glitch in my own reasoning that I'm having trouble getting past. I can't take myself TOO seriously.;-)

[mnhtnbb]

11. I think your answer is in getting to know Elizabeth.

There's a fairly good synopsis of Elizabeth talking about the cancer
in an interview she did with Oprah right after the announcement.

http://www.oprah.com/tows/slide/200704/20070406/slide_20070406_284_101.jhtml

Even better would be to read her book, "Saving Graces".

This is a couple who adapts to the worst that life can throw at you, and
they've had it with the death of their son, Wade, and now Elizabeth's cancer.
I don't for a minute believe that he would neglect his duties as President
because of her illness--and she'd be the first to tell him to get back to business!

[youthere]

17. Thanks for the link!

[mnhtnbb]

19. You're welcome.

[colinmom71]

12. No, I don't think he would leave the campaign or Presidency...

BUT, I think it would be at HER urging all along. The impression I got from the news conference when they announced her cancer reoccurence was that his not dropping the campaign was completely at Mrs. Edwards's request... And I think I can understand why...

I have to admit that if I were in her position - the wife to a man who I felt was this nation's best hope for a good President (especially after the Bush Part Deux years), I would likely have urged my husband to also remain with the campaign. No matter where my health went, I would want him to continue what we felt was a good fight to restore this nation to it's former glory.

And in the (hopefully unlikely) event of my untimely passing, I would want him to have something to continue to fight for beyond our marriage and family life together... Leading our nation to a better, more fruitful, and more moral place than it was when I had no choice but to leave it to him and our children...

[AtomicKitten]

13. this is one of those calls that is only his to make

... but the good news is that Elizabeth's prognosis is better than they first thought.

[CreekDog]

14. Such a thing could happen for any candidate

I guess the risk seems to be higher with Edwards, because he wife has this diagnosis, but in theory, it can happen to anyone. If he is the best candidate, you don't want to choose a lesser one, that could have the same thing happen, on the chance that Edwards would have to step down.

[youthere]

18. And logically I know that something like that could happen to anyone..

at any time. I think it's just the fact that we know about Elizabeth's cancer. She could very well survive many years after his second term! I think I just spend too much time on the "what ifs" and over think it.

[JohnLocke]

16. I think Edwards would probably use the 25th Amendment...

And the powers of the President would transfer temporarily to the Vice President who would become Acting President:

"The Twenty-Fifth Amendment addressed the issue by providing that the President may, by transmitting to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives a written declaration to the same effect, declare himself unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office. Until the President sends another written declaration to the aforementioned officers declaring himself able to resume office, the Vice President serves as Acting President."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twenty-fifth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution#Text

So Edwards could concentrate fully on his wife if the need arose, and his Vice President would act as president until he could resume that role.

[Czolgosz]

20. What if Bill has another heart attack (his last heart attack led HRC to miss the bankruptcy vote)?

What if Obama gets lung cancer from those cigarettes he famously smokes and is now famously trying to quit?

What if, what if, what if ...

Who's offering any guarantees?