John Edwards & Family ... now you made me choke up. NBC news

[Botany]

Well I knew the story was going to be about John's dropping out
but what made me choke up was the last 15 seconds of the broadcast
from New Orleans .... Shot # 1 John Edwards with his son screwing in
a wood baluster (railing) for a house to help some Katrina victims. He was
holding his son and smiling .... talk about really getting "it" boy does
John get "it." Shot # 2 Elizabeth being bugged by a reporter well what
do they do now ..... "Well it is complicated." She said with a smile and
walked away.

My dream for John Edwards and family is really a simple one ... I want them
to have many days together such as a perfect fall afternoon where his younger
kids and John jump into a big leaf pile as Elizabeth and Cate look on and laugh.
After that I hope they have a nice family dinner and watch a DVD with some popcorn
and drinks. As Neil Young once said, "Long may you run."

[malaise]

1. His exit is really sad n/t

[bigbrother05]

2. He does get it

[NJCher]

3. somehow your post made me feel a little better, Botany

I've been feeling sad about him dropping out all day, but as you point out, there is nothing like being with family and he will now have time for that.



Cher

[Botany]

5. John Edwards a class act and a kind soul ......

In late summer or early fall I went to an Edwards event in Columbus @
a union hall. Edwards was late so I got up by the rope line that was close to the
stage so I could see him coming in and when he left. Well, he shook my
hand and then went on to give his stump speech all nice things but that
is not the point of this post.

After John was done talking and as he made his way out of the building he
shook hands and signed pictures for different people and then John met
this elderly women who couldn't get up out her chair. John got down so they
were on the same eye level to talk. Well the women got so overwhelmed
she started to cry and then John reached out and held her face in his hands.
He thanked her for coming out to see him and spent a few minutes just
with her. John also waved away cameras too.

That happened 10 feet from me. America is a better country because of John.

[MissDeeds]

4. Long may you run, indeed

That's one of my favorite Neil Young songs. Today has been hard. I am sitting here with tears in my eyes, feeling like so much hope and promise has been lost, abandoned, something. This is going to take a long time to get through. I came of age during the Watergate era, and have fought many battles for our party since then. This one is especially hard. After seven long years of the Bush administration and the havoc it has brought to bear, I was looking for a leader to bring us back to our moral and ethical moorings. I believed - and believe - that was John Edwards. And now this. I'm sure some will flame me for this, but for me, there is simply no substitute. No BO, no HRC, no one to fill his shoes.

[Botany]

6. Sure you hurt .... but not as much as John

and look what he did help somebody get a home back in New Orleans.
And maybe a child of that house will grow up to be a teacher, a doctor,
or a fireman and touch the lives of somebody else.

[MissDeeds]

7. Agreed

:grouphug:

[Critters2]

8. Thank you for this beautiful message.

I wish them nothing but happiness.

[DemoTex]

9. As a big JE supporter, I'm relieved that he is out of the race.

I once had a mentor who was a pediatrician. My pediatrician, in fact. He was also a civil rights worker in the South in the early 1960s. He had a cool TR-3 with a Johnson-Viking CB rig (his call was 6Q5702). He organized a civil rights march in my hometown (about 40 miles south of Atlanta) in about 1963. Maybe 1964. The local KKK-types petitioned the FCC to get Doc's CB rights rescinded. It did not fly.

Doc was a pilot too. That's where he really helped me, career-wise. But, more importantly, he turned me on to the editorial pages of a number of liberal papers.

Doc went to Viet Nam in 1965 or so. He was a volunteer for COORDS somewhere down in the Delta. My Tho was his nominal address. Doc took care of Vietnamese kids: sick, hurt, or maimed. That included kids of known VC. He did not care. He stayed in Viet Nam for several years. He was a medical John Paul Vann, if you know what I mean.

At some point, probably 1966, I wrote Doc that I wanted to go into medicine. He replied quickly: "NO! You have much better talents .. writing .. that need to be exploited. Avoid going into politics, but keep the burner on high for those that do chose politics."

Doc ended that letter by saying, "Mac, you have the fever. You need to keep them accountable."

Like Doc said to me: "You are too good for medicine." (Maybe, maybe not).
John Edwards is way too good for the White House. He will do great things with Elizabeth and his family by his side. I can't wait! Long live them all!

Doc Fitzhugh died a couple of years ago in Little Rock, Arkansas, where he had spent his post-Viet Nam years as a professor of pediatrics. I still love his ex-wife and 5 kids, especially the oldest "girl" who is my age, like family.

[Botany]

10. Damn you .... now I am crying

As a dad watching John w/ his son today was like a light from above.

The press will go away and John will help people ... sleep in a house that
will be a home .... Now that is a story that needs written.

[Gloria]

11. I wouldn't be surprised if Elizabeth wanted him to come home...

Being slapped down by the media, herself being patronized by Tweety and wanting to "ear her hair out" with frustration....too much stress for her. His running around in all sort of bad weather, in cars and planes....she knows life is too short...She saw the political terrain, I'm sure. They deserve to be happy together as a family while they have the time... Godspeed to all of them!

[Gloria]

12. What did Eliz. say?? I caught, "It's a complicated.....what was the last word she said???

[DemoTex]

13. Matters not, really.

[Missy Vixen]

14. John's going home with his wife and his children

They'll continue to do good.

I will still vote for him next Tuesday, too. It will mean nothing to anyone else, but it will mean a lot to me.

DemoTex is right. He's too good for the White House.

Julie

[DemoTex]

15. I voted for him last Saturday here in Greenville, SC.

Best vote I've ever cast!

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

16. If he is still on the ballot here in NY, I'm going to vote for him on Tuesday. nt

[kelligesq]

18. Yes, DO vote for him - it gives him delegates & more power to extract

promises from the remaining two, neither of which I could vote for.

I voted for him yesterday

he may keep coming in third, but those two will want his delegates.

stick with John

And I agree. I hadn't seen Elizabeth around , I noticed , for about a month so
I thought maybe she isn't well right now .

John Edwards is a champion and we do need that honest man to change this govt and restore America.

He waged a mighty war and changed the issues, but he isnt superman and the MSM screwed him over.

I really would like to urt the MSM financially by our boycotting sponsors until they change their methods of biases reporting...the worst being CNN and that dog Wolf.

[kurth]

17. Do something to honor Elizabeth Edwards: Vote for her husband next Tuesday

Pull the lever for John if his name is still on the ballot. Otherwise, just write it in.

[Janice325]

19. Thanks, Botany.

You made me feel a little better.
I'm in Georgia, and we have early voting. I'm going to vote for John tomorrow.
I wonder what would happen if all the Edwards supporters WOULD STILL VOTE for John, that is if they are able/allowed to... if he's still on the ballot by Tuesday.
k&r