# John Edwards getting married **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 7, 2011, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-getting-married/566740 "2011-01-07T12:22:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-getting-married/566740/21 "2011-01-07T20:09:43Z")
I think it is a given that his political career is pretty much over, but John Edwards at least stepped up and married the woman. One problem with public marriages is that it is quite easy to point fingers. Yes, he lied about the affair and the child, but who knows what was really going on between him and his wife at the time? It gets particularly messy when a partner has a serious illness. I know of many people, married or partnered, who were having difficulties coping with a partner’s illness but felt obligated to stick around, even if their relationship wasn’t all that great before the illness struck. Not too long ago, someone on this board was torn about a similar situation - I believe someone they were dating had a serious illness and, even though they were not married or had lived together, they wanted out but felt like it would be a horrible thing to do. We don’t know what goes on behind closed doors. So yes, Edwards lied and cheated - certainly not the first guy on earth to do so. However, we don’t know if Elizabeth had written him off months or years prior to that, and was sticking by his side for the sake of the children, or politics or simply an agreement. John Edwards will always be painted the bad guy now - whether or not that is 100% accurate - but who knows if there were other marital problems long before Elizabeth got seriously ill (for the second time). ---
**Author:** ![lindsaybluth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90db22/32.png) [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-getting-married/566740/22 "2011-01-07T20:18:59Z")
> [@PunditLisa](#): > > I’m no fan of Edwards, but that’s ridiculous. He’s the children’s father and has parental rights, which cannot and should not be severed absent some extremely extenuating circumstances (e.g. he’s a meth addict). > > If the children want to be with their sister, on the other hand, then they can work that out privately. No need to involve lawyers to spend a bunch of money when there is zero doubt in my mind that she’d LOSE. My husband’s parents both died when he was in his late teens/early 20s and his older brother got custody of the two minors. It wasn’t an ideal situation because he was in his early 20s and the siblings didn’t respect him as an authority figure, nor did he act like one. Thank you for your pointless personal anecdote. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-getting-married/566740/23 "2011-01-07T20:25:59Z")
This could be a trial balloon then. Start the story and see how much heat it raises. Then deny if needed. Standard politico stuff. 🙂 It matters little to me anyway. Elizabeth is dead, the kids inheritance is secure. Edwards in my mind is finished as a politician. Now, the job is raising the kids and that includes the new baby (she’s what? 3 now?). > [@lindsaybluth](#): > > Looks like it was a fake story [Link 1](http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/gossip/2011/01/john-edwards-engaged-national-enquirer-rielle-hunter.html) [Link 2](http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0111/47182.html). > > If it IS a real story, I’d hope the oldest child would sue for custody of the younger ones. The oldest is in her late 20’s an an attorney. The two younger ones are 10 and 12. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-getting-married/566740/24 "2011-01-07T20:32:28Z")
> [@lindsaybluth](#): > > If it IS a real story, I’d hope the oldest child would sue for custody of the younger ones. The oldest is in her late 20’s an an attorney. The two younger ones are 10 and 12. Yeah every cheating husband should lose all parental rights of their children. :rolleyes: Thank you for your ignorant opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-getting-married/566740/25 "2011-01-07T20:35:21Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Elizabeth is dead, the kids inheritance is secure. More idiotic thinking. What evidence do you have that Edwards was going to shirk his parental responsibilities and not take care of his kids? ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-getting-married/566740/26 "2011-01-07T21:20:03Z")
> [@Wilbo523](#): > > Yeah every cheating husband should lose all parental rights of their children. :rolleyes: > > Thank you for your ignorant opinion. Not only that, but the oldest sister, who has a career and a life of her own, should be saddled with two pre-teens because of it? Is that even related to earth logic? ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-getting-married/566740/27 "2011-01-07T21:28:37Z")
I never said or implied Edwards would shirk his parental responsibilities. By all accounts, Edwards is a loving & caring father. Elizabeth changed her will days before her death. That eventually gives her children whatever money and property she had. Elizabeth had her own law career for decades, and royalties from books she wrote. Her estate should be a substantial inheritance when the children are adults. They may inherit from their dad too. That may be 30 or more years from now. A lot can happen in that time. > [@](#): > > More idiotic thinking. What evidence do you have that Edwards was going to shirk his parental responsibilities and not take care of his kids? ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-getting-married/566740/28 "2011-01-07T21:44:52Z")
> [@lindsaybluth](#): > > Thank you for your pointless personal anecdote. When you have some life experience under your belt, and by this I mean acquire a husband or raise a child, perhaps your off-the-hip opinions will hold a tiny bit of credibility. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-getting-married/566740/29 "2011-01-07T21:48:35Z")
Please keep your vituperation for Mr. Edwards – personal attacks on each other in MPSIMS are not allowed. **twickster** , MPSIMS moderator ---
**Author:** ![PotLuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bbce88/32.png) [@PotLuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PotLuck)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-getting-married/566740/30 "2011-01-07T22:19:21Z")
> [@Wilbo523](#): > > More idiotic thinking. What evidence do you have that Edwards was going to shirk his parental responsibilities and not take care of his kids? Taking care of his kids includes considering their emotional well-being, and publicly announcing your engagement to your baby mama/mistress less than a month after your wife’s death is a poor example of that. Thankfully, that apparently never happened (or, like **aceplace57** suggests, Edwards back-pedalled in the face of public opinion). Time for another pointless anecdote. When I was about 11, the mother of a classmate who lived on my street (let’s call her “Jenny”) died of cancer in one of those awful diagnosis-quickly-followed-by-death scenarios. The mom was buried on Saturday, and the young woman Jenny’s dad had been cheating with moved in on Sunday; they had an elaborate wedding two months later. The ensuing shock and gossip was mortifying for Jenny and the expectation to instantly accept her dad’s mistress made her grieving process that much more difficult. Now, during all this Jenny’s dad technically didn’t “shirk his parental responsibilities”. Jenny still had a roof over her head and food in her belly, was healthy and well-groomed and always had her homework done. But she also had to deal with a Dad so selfish that he evidently gave little or no thought to how his love life would affect his children. That’s shitty parenting. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-getting-married/566740/31 "2011-01-07T22:21:40Z")
_the National Enquirer reported yesterday._ I stopped reading the cite in the OP right there. Is this really true? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-getting-married/566740/32 "2011-01-07T22:24:00Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > _the National Enquirer reported yesterday._ > > I stopped reading the cite in the OP right there. Is this really true? The Enquirer did break the story of Edwards’ affair - and for a long time nobody believed them. Which is not to say they’re right about the proposal. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-getting-married/566740/33 "2011-01-07T22:28:30Z")
The National Enquirer is very careful not to print outright lies. That they made up themselves, that is. ---
**Author:** ![lindsaybluth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90db22/32.png) [@lindsaybluth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lindsaybluth)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-getting-married/566740/34 "2011-01-07T23:48:39Z")
> [@PunditLisa](#): > > When you have some life experience under your belt, and by this I mean acquire a husband or raise a child, perhaps your off-the-hip opinions will hold a tiny bit of credibility. Are you saying all the cohabitating couples this board attracts are devoid of life experience? Or the childfree by choice ones? Gay couples? No, of course not - you simply chose to attack me on that basis due to convenience. You’re in your mid 40’s and don’t even text, right? Good luck getting your kid to communicate with you in the future. > [@pepperlandgirl](#): > > Not only that, but the oldest sister, who has a career and a life of her own, should be saddled with two pre-teens because of it? Is that even related to earth logic? Where did I or anyone else say saddled? I said she should sue. My exact words. If she didn’t want to, fine. It’s not exactly “saddled” either - they’re not going to be wearing hand me down clothes, all cramped into a 3 bedroom with one bathroom. A 60 mil estate split 3 ways is plenty to maintain their lifestyle of maids, nannies, cooks, et al. But it sure would shield them from the emotional turmoil. > [@PotLuck](#): > > Now, during all this Jenny’s dad technically didn’t “shirk his parental responsibilities”. Jenny still had a roof over her head and food in her belly, was healthy and well-groomed and always had her homework done. But she also had to deal with a Dad so selfish that he evidently gave little or no thought to how his love life would affect his children. That’s shitty parenting. Finally! Someone with reason. I’ve seen this happen before - not _quite_ so drastic a timeline - but the kids were extremely messed up emotionally as a result. Of course, to the outside they looked just fine - fed, clothed, were given some money for college, got good grades. But some of them rebelled, drank or did drugs with no family history of such. All were in therapy. And all faulted themselves for their father’s actions. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-getting-married/566740/35 "2011-01-08T01:25:53Z")
The marriage had been over for some time, and the kids are old enough to be fully aware of that. I only wonder, had he pushed through the divorce while his wife was on her deathbed, how many of you would be excoriating him for _that_? I’m also uncertain as to what it proves that she didn’t leave him anything in her will. He has plenty of money of his own; he didn’t need more. Now her children have money too. Anybody that is truly trying to be fair about this subject would simply acknowledge that it is none of their business. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-getting-married/566740/36 "2011-01-08T01:52:53Z")
I wonder what its like to know that your dad spends $400 for a haircut. What a clown. What an embarrassment. What a pathetic piece of shit. How can those kids ever warm up to Hunter. It is simply impossible. He need to maintain a double life for the sake of all his kids. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-getting-married/566740/37 "2011-01-08T02:17:31Z")
> [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](#): > > I wonder what its like to know that your dad spends $400 for a haircut. I’d probably think it was normal. You don’t think he takes his kids to Great Clips, do you? ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-getting-married/566740/38 "2011-01-08T03:29:05Z")
> [@lindsaybluth](#): > > Are you saying all the cohabitating couples this board attracts are devoid of life experience? Or the childfree by choice ones? Gay couples? No, of course not - you simply chose to attack me on that basis due to convenience. You’re in your mid 40’s and don’t even text, right? Good luck getting your kid to communicate with you in the future. Woah, are you saying that as a childfree child of wealth at USC you’ve got solid experience as part of texting cohabitating gay couple? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-getting-married/566740/39 "2011-01-08T03:42:52Z")
Normally I wouldn’t give half a crap about how public figures screw up their lives. But. What in the world is that man going to say to Frances Quinn about denying _on national television_ that he is her father? Even her spacey mother has expressed concern and hurt about that. I can’t imagine how I would feel about that if I were her. That’s what makes him a world-class douchebag. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2011, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-getting-married/566740/40 "2011-01-08T03:55:15Z")
> [@](#): > > "After discussing it with a friend, Rielle said she decided to tell John’s kids, ‘Call me Mommy,’ " Um, no thanks. Would you rather I call you “Rielle” or “you bitch?” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-getting-married/566740.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/john-edwards-getting-married/566740.md?page=3)