Edwards, the waterskiing squirrel

How far has John Edwards' political stock fallen?

Only a few months ago, he was a contender for the Democratic presidential nomination, a former vice presidential nominee and a former North Carolina senator.

On Friday, he admitted to being unfaithful to his wife.

And on the Sunday morning talk shows, he was hardly even a topic of consideration.

On "Fox News Sunday," the host grilled John McCain's campaign manager about his energy plan, on "Meet the Press" Tom Brokaw put the Treasury secretary on the spot about the mortgage crisis, and "Inside Washington" covered a range of non-Edwards-related issues.

In previews of the show, only "Meet the Press" mentioned that it will talk about Edwards — at the very end of the show.

That's the spot on local news usually reserved for the waterskiing squirrel segment.

Update: In the middle of an extended riff on how much time should be spent on the Clintons at the Democratic convention, "Inside Washington" pundit Mark Shields briefly touched on Edwards.

"John Edwards is a separate case altogether," he said, then moved on.

Second Update: On "Fox News Sunday," Democratic Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin said that the Edwards' affair had a "quantum difference" from the Congressional interns scandal.

He was asked if if Barack Obama would consider Edwards for vice president.

"I have no idea. I've not spoken to him about that," he said. "As you're aware, Senator Edwards announced through one of his staffers he would not be attending the convention in Denver."

Third Update: The dean of the Washington press corps dismissed Edwards' political future on "Meet the Press."

David Broder said he never thought there was any likelihood that Edwards would be the vice presidential nominee again, but he worried the revelation would hurt the next president's ability to ask the American people to sacrifice.

"He's not really very important in American politics right now, but I'm afraid this will just deepen the cynicism that the American people feel towards politicians and politics," he said.

Meantime, Wall Street Journal editorial page editor Paul Gigot, no fan of liberals, congratulated the Democratic electorate on "their wisdom" in not nominating Edwards, saying the party would be in "desperate straits" right now if it had.

Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne agreed, saying that there would be talk of an open convention, with Edwards delegates rebelling, if he had won the nomination and the affair came out.

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Re: Edwards, the waterskiing squirrel

Submitted by RaleighRendezvous on August 11, 2008 - 9:43am.

I wonder what the infidelity rates are in the world of media/journalism?

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Type in "McCain's Adultery" Into Google: 530,000 hits

Submitted by RaleighRendezvous on August 11, 2008 - 9:42am.

John Edwards' Affair Also Brings John McCain's Marital Split to the Surface

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003837486

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An appeal to Dome....Help Us!

Submitted by domewatcher on August 10, 2008 - 12:45pm.

Help! Does the Dome provide any type of keyboard cover?

I mean every time I log on the tears from dahedgehog’s crying are spilling out onto my keyboard. I fear an electrical shock. And I understand that tears can spread bacteria. This is a serious problem and the Dome needs to respond.

Dahedgehog’s whining about this not being a story is getting more airtime than the story itself. Why doesn’t the Dome allow dahedgehog the right to censor all the N & O’s reporting. He knows the difference between “public and semi-public and private and what we readers really need to read or know.”

I do not want my keyboard to be damaged! And if dahedgehog cries so much that he gets the hiccups….well, I’ll be mad at Dome. And what if he threatens to hold his breath until you quit running this story. This situation could get serious.

Give the readers a break! Just let dahedgehog decide what we need to read. I believe it is safe to say that everyone would agree with whatever he thinks ‘cause I can tell he is smarter than the rest of us. Or either he is my wife. (She knows what is best for me too. And what I should read. And see. And wear. And on and on.)

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Re: Edwards, the waterskiing squirrel

Submitted by liam on August 10, 2008 - 12:00pm.

I know right!? It's like these other media outlets are wasting their time with this historic presidential election, the outbreak of a new proxy-war between Russia and the US, the Olympics, a failing economy and all the rest of that other garbage "news."

Thank god the Raleigh News and Observer & the McClatchy Company for their two days straight of above the fold front page coverage, including today's 2 page spread with a column by your chief political correspondent on how... wait for it... some folks here in North Carolina didn't like John Edwards from the get-go. Now there's journalism for you. Eat it, Brokaw!

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Re: Edwards, the waterskiing squirrel

Submitted by dahedgehog on August 10, 2008 - 10:46am.

The double standard on display here is shocking. Did Mark Shields pontificate on how much time the Republicans should spend on adulterer John McCain at their convention? Does David Broder think McCain's past hurts his ability to ask the American people to sacrifice? Has McCain's adultery deepened "the cynicism that the American people feel towards politicians and politics"? Has the Wall Street Journal editorial page questioned the Republicans on "their wisdom" in nominating an adulterer? Are the Republicans in "desperate straits" right now? Is EJ Dionne thinking that the Republicans will be having an open convention since the Republican nominee cheated on his wife?

Secondly, RTB, you seem surprised (and maybe a bit disappointed?) that this story isn't bigger than it is. As I (and others) have tried to explain to you in comments, John Edwards isn't running for office. Nor does he hold an office. He is just a private citizen. His infidelities, while disappointing to his supporters, are of no consequence to anyone outside of his family.

Given your enthusiasm for reporting on the private lives of other semi-public figures, I have to ask: will you breathlessly post to Under the Dome if there are rumors that one of your editors or fellow reporters at the N&O has cheated on his wife?

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