# John Edwards and his Wife's Cancer **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 22, 2007, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-and-his-wifes-cancer/397055 "2007-03-22T18:41:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2007, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-and-his-wifes-cancer/397055/41 "2007-03-22T20:06:19Z")
[QUOTE=John Corrado] All this shows is that Edwards knows that he’s a fading star with no future chance, and that it’s more important to him to make a quixotic run for the fame and glory than it is to spend his time with his wife in the last few months of her life. [/QUOTE] Ah, yes. The fame and glory of a failed presidential nominee. Even today, we speak in hushed tones of such giants as Edmund Muskie, Stuart Symington, Arthur Vandenberg, and William G. McAdoo. Truly, what man among us could resist the siren song of so lofty a political perch? ---
**Author:** ![Caridwen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c89c15/32.png) [@Caridwen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caridwen)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2007, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-and-his-wifes-cancer/397055/42 "2007-03-22T20:09:34Z")
You never have to apologize to me **Jim**. 🙂 Do people think that campaigning is harder than having the job as president? For people calling for him to drop out, do you think that if the spouse of the president has cancer or a fatal disease they should leave office too? If that’s the case I guess we should pay a little more attention to the health of the first lady. People in this country work every day and have family members that are ill or dying and most don’t even get time off. If everyone is so concerned with him being at her side maybe we should have some sort of national paid leave for everyone going through this. ---
**Author:** ![SpartanDC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@SpartanDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpartanDC)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2007, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-and-his-wifes-cancer/397055/43 "2007-03-22T20:10:15Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] A few of us are just being pragmatic and looking at the fact, he has no chance and he might as well drop out and concentrate on helping her. Jim [/QUOTE] He’s leading in Iowa polls. He has the backing of organized labor. He’s been working nonstop since '04 on building a national organization. He’ll have plenty of money (Clinton and Obama will have more, but so much that the Law of Diminishing Returns will take hold). Polls taken this far out _never_ have the eventual winner in first place. And no one ever lost a bet picking the white guy to be president. I’m not saying he’ll win, but to say he doesn’t have a chance is just ridiculous. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Corrado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a88e4f/32.png) [@John\_Corrado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Corrado)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2007, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-and-his-wifes-cancer/397055/44 "2007-03-22T20:15:08Z")
[QUOTE=Miller] Ah, yes. The fame and glory of a failed presidential nominee. Even today, we speak in hushed tones of such giants as Edmund Muskie, Stuart Symington, Arthur Vandenberg, and William G. McAdoo. Truly, what man among us could resist the siren song of so lofty a political perch? [/QUOTE] All the more reason why I think it’s so telling that he hasn’t dropped out of the campaign yet. He’s a failed nominee. He won’t win Iowa, he won’t win New Hampshire, and he’ll be lucky to pull out a few southern states somewhere down the line. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2007, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-and-his-wifes-cancer/397055/45 "2007-03-22T20:19:16Z")
[QUOTE=Mr. Moto] I’m not going to second guess any decision they make here. Even with a devastating illness to deal with, there are other matters in life that have to be dealt with, and the importance any of us place on them is for us and our families to hash out. I do wish Elizabeth Edwards well in her treatment, and my best wishes go to her and her family. [/QUOTE] See above. Repeat as necessary, especially the last part. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2007, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-and-his-wifes-cancer/397055/46 "2007-03-22T20:19:37Z")
[QUOTE=Caridwen] You never have to apologize to me **Jim**. 🙂 Do people think that campaigning is harder than having the job as president? For people calling for him to drop out, do you think that if the spouse of the president has cancer or a fatal disease they should leave office too? If that’s the case I guess we should pay a little more attention to the health of the first lady. People in this country work every day and have family members that are ill or dying and most don’t even get time off. If everyone is so concerned with him being at her side maybe we should have some sort of national paid leave for everyone going through this. [/QUOTE] I thought he had no chance to win, so it was no sense tilting at windmills, however … [QUOTE=SNenc] He’s leading in Iowa polls. He has the backing of organized labor. He’s been working nonstop since '04 on building a national organization. He’ll have plenty of money (Clinton and Obama will have more, but so much that the Law of Diminishing Returns will take hold). Polls taken this far out _never_ have the eventual winner in first place. And no one ever lost a bet picking the white guy to be president. I’m not saying he’ll win, but to say he doesn’t have a chance is just ridiculous. [/QUOTE] Sorry, I am guilty of only looking at national polls where he is not doing well. I did not realize he was ahead in Iowa. If you can cite this, I will happily withdraw my statement. Jim ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2007, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-and-his-wifes-cancer/397055/47 "2007-03-22T20:25:57Z")
First poll I found has him second in Iowa, not what you said, but better than I thought. [http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/ia/iowa\_democratic\_caucus-208.html](http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/ia/iowa_democratic_caucus-208.html) Or course nationally in looks terrible and matches what I said. [http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/us/democratic\_presidential\_nomination-191.html](http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/us/democratic_presidential_nomination-191.html) Poor in New Hampshire: [RealClearPolitics - Election 2008 - New Hampshire Democratic Primary](http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/nh/new_hampshire_democratic_primary-194.html) Looking at various news stories it looks like he is doing well in Iowa while doing poorly nationally. I suppose he has a small chance as opposed to the no chance that I thought he had. Jim By the way check out the Head to Head polls. [http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/national.html](http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/national.html) ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2007, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-and-his-wifes-cancer/397055/48 "2007-03-22T20:35:43Z")
[QUOTE=Caridwen] Do people think that campaigning is harder than having the job as president? For people calling for him to drop out, do you think that if the spouse of the president has cancer or a fatal disease they should leave office too? [/QUOTE] Absolutely I do! And my feeling is of course in no way influenced by knowing that Laura Bush had cancer! ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Who](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Doctor\_Who](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Who)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2007, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-and-his-wifes-cancer/397055/49 "2007-03-22T21:11:48Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] I suppose he has a small chance as opposed to the no chance that I thought he had. [/QUOTE] How was Bill Clinton polling in Iowa this far out from the '92 election? Nationally? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2007, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-and-his-wifes-cancer/397055/50 "2007-03-22T21:14:13Z")
[QUOTE=Doctor Who] How was Bill Clinton polling in Iowa this far out from the '92 election? Nationally? [/QUOTE] I do not know, but it is not a fair comparison. Edwards is well known from his last run. Bill Clinton was a virtual unknown. I think another unknown Governor has a better chance of winning the nomination than Edwards. Jim ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2007, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-and-his-wifes-cancer/397055/51 "2007-03-22T22:57:05Z")
[QUOTE=John Corrado] All this shows is that Edwards knows that he’s a fading star with no future chance, and that it’s more important to him to make a quixotic run for the fame and glory than it is to spend his time with his wife in the last few months of her life. [/QUOTE] Shades of Terri Shivo. Your diagnosis is that she only has a few months to live? It’s up to the Edwards and they appear to agree that he should continue. Whether or not that pans out is up the the voters. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2007, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-and-his-wifes-cancer/397055/52 "2007-03-22T23:12:30Z")
It is way to early to predict the presidential races. Nobody knows. Many melt downs are possible. Surprises can happen. She is rich and will get very good care. The press conference says she will be fine for some time. I had a friend live 18 years with leukemia. Don’t look to make him seem heartless. They appear to be a loving respectful couple. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2007, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-and-his-wifes-cancer/397055/53 "2007-03-22T23:22:27Z")
[QUOTE=David Simmons] Shades of Terri Shivo. Your diagnosis is that she only has a few months to live? It’s up to the Edwards and they appear to agree that he should continue. Whether or not that pans out is up the the voters. [/QUOTE] All reports are she should be up to the election run and should be able to live quite some time with this recurrence. It sounds like he might as well stay in the race, even if people like me think he is wasting time and money anyway. 😉 Jim ---
**Author:** ![Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c4cdca/32.png) [@Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quiddity_Glomfuster)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2007, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-and-his-wifes-cancer/397055/54 "2007-03-23T01:22:20Z")
Seriously, put yourself in her place. Wouldn’t you want to see the family you love happy and fulfilled before you left the planet? My mom died once I was married, my dad when he knew I had a fellow. I have a friend whose mom died knowing my friend had found a lovely man. Surely the last thing you’d want would be for your family to give up their dreams and all of you go hide out at home and wait for you to croak? Geeze. You’d be fighting like a mofo, I’m guessing, and wanting to see as many dreams as possible come true for your family while you’re still around. At least I’d hope so. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2007, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-and-his-wifes-cancer/397055/55 "2007-03-23T02:18:41Z")
Not sure where the debate is. It’s their choice. If the debate is what each of us would do I vote to use that ginormous house of their’s to entertain friends in between vacations. Campaigning can’t be fun in any sense of the word and her illness will overshadow the process. I hope she does well. ---
**Author:** ![Orbifold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/779978/32.png) [@Orbifold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orbifold)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2007, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-and-his-wifes-cancer/397055/56 "2007-03-23T03:23:08Z")
[QUOTE=John Corrado] He’s essentially running off to pursue the Presidency for two years and leaving his wife behind to die. [/QUOTE] “Leaving his wife behind to die”? I can’t imagine a more disgusting spin on what must have been a heart-wrenching decision for the Edwards family. It never once occurred to you that maybe, just maybe, Elizabeth Edwards loves her husband enough that she doesn’t want his chance at the presidency to be ruined by her illness? ---
**Author:** ![Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c4cdca/32.png) [@Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quiddity_Glomfuster)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2007, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-and-his-wifes-cancer/397055/57 "2007-03-23T03:24:50Z")
[QUOTE=Orbifold] “Leaving his wife behind to die”? I can’t imagine a more disgusting spin on what must have been a heart-wrenching decision for the Edwards family. It never once occurred to you that maybe, just maybe, Elizabeth Edwards loves her husband enough that she doesn’t want his chance at the presidency to be ruined by her illness? [/QUOTE] Hey, if someone can bash a Democrat, even if in doing so they mark themselves hopelessly insensitive and rude, they’ll do what it takes. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2007, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-and-his-wifes-cancer/397055/58 "2007-03-23T03:37:05Z")
Only thing I have to add is to say that I appreciate **Shodan’s** and **Mr. Moto’s** grace and good wishes. I know y’all aren’t fans of Edwards’s politics, and it’s good to see folks setting aside partisan concerns like that. In some ways I feel like I’m complimenting you for not taking a dump on the dinner table–complimenting you for something that should be the most basic of courtesies–but this thread suggests that analogy is off. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2007, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-and-his-wifes-cancer/397055/59 "2007-03-23T03:50:16Z")
[QUOTE=Left Hand of Dorkness] Only thing I have to add is to say that I appreciate **Shodan’s** and **Mr. Moto’s** grace and good wishes. I know y’all aren’t fans of Edwards’s politics, and it’s good to see folks setting aside partisan concerns like that. In some ways I feel like I’m complimenting you for not taking a dump on the dinner table–complimenting you for something that should be the most basic of courtesies–but this thread suggests that analogy is off. Daniel [/QUOTE] A hearty Amen to that! (It’s GD; I can be religious ;)) I’m befuddled by the odd shaking-out of people on this issue, but I think these two gentlemen deserve a lot of commendation for not allowing politics to overcome human decency. Thanks, guys! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![cerberus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cerberus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cerberus)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2007, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-and-his-wifes-cancer/397055/60 "2007-03-23T04:34:53Z")
The issue with the rib finding isn’t so much the rib mass itself, but that the cancer had time to spread that far and accumulate mass to become detectable. It is quite likely at this time that there are other metastatic colonies in other organs and sites, and it is difficult to manage these unknown cancers properly. There are medications such as Taxol and the like, there are clinical trials, there are things like the gamma knife/cyber knife for focused, minimally-invasive radiotherapy. Survival is likely until a sufficiently significant mass develops in an important site such as the brain, kidney, liver or lung. Then all bets are off and it gets rather ugly. Cancer sucks, metastasis sucks harder. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-and-his-wifes-cancer/397055.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-and-his-wifes-cancer/397055.md?page=4)