Elizabeth Edwards has breast cancer. She and John have lost a son. To most of us, these are personal matters. To the press and campaign operatives, they are motives to be questioned and less than subtly, implying that there is something more sinister there, as I watched this morning on CNN when John Dickerson from Slate was interviewed about his less than insightful commentary. CNN's news team asked Dickerson if he thought that Elizabeth Edwards had been talking about her and John's personal losses in the new Edward's campaign ad.
Elizabeth Edwards responded to his commentary by suggesting that he look at John's record as a trial lawyer, as therein lies examples of the "toughness" that is referred to in the ad. But that wasn't enough for CNN or Mr. Dickerson. There was a need to dissect the ad which, is intended to battle a different issue, the barrage of innuendo about Edward's "manliness".
Whether it is the droning on about the haircut or the oft repeated "Breck Girl" comments, Edwards is being set fire to, not unlike how Harold Ford, Jr. was in his Tennessee Senate race. This version of Swift Boating is the latest in an attempt to sink the campaign of a very qualified candidate, in terms of knowledge of issues and his ability to connect to people.
Whether you support Edwards, as I admittedly do, or not, we all should be outraged at the underhanded tactics that are being employed. Clearly the same knives that are out to gut John Edwards will be out for whomever the Democrats ultimately choose.
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