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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsI have to say it.
What did Democrats do when presented with evidence of John Edwards' affair? Excommunicated him. A man has an affair on his wife while she has cancer? To hell with him, then. What did South Carolina Republicans do? When presented with a different man who had an affair on his wife while she had cancer, South Carolina Republicans gave him an overwhelming primary victory.
If that wasn't enough, Newt had an affair on the second wife with his third wife. Picture a world in which John Edwards marryies Rielle Hunter, then divorces her for a younger woman after an affair, and then wins a Democratic primary. Really, what's the difference between the two men?
I submit that Newt Gingrich is John Edwards, but older and uglier. If you crossed John Edwards with Jabba the Hutt, you'd have Newt Gingrich.
Xipe Totec
(43,872 posts)Guess which is which.
99th_Monkey
(19,326 posts)RZM
(8,556 posts)And the whole thing was very recent. Newt's cancer incident was many years ago and his wife was not somebody who was well-known.
Plus, Edwards really didn't have a lot going for him, other than the money and the hair. He seemed like a chameleon to me. Newt may be a prick, but he did have a record of exercising real power, for better or worse. Edwards was a one-term senator and that's about it.
Zoeisright
(8,339 posts)While Newt was screwing around, he was publicly chastising Bill Clinton for doing the SAME THING and impeaching him. And Newt isn't only a complete lying hypocrite: he's a mean son of a bitch who thinks little children should scrub toilets instead of learning how to read.
If you think that Gingrich is just like John Edwards but fatter, I feel sorry for you.
RZM
(8,556 posts)Take them up on that.
That being said, I never liked Edwards, going back to 2004, when I thought he was an opportunistic phony. That was only confirmed in 2007-2008 with his faux left populism. The revelations about his personal life were only icing on the cake. I already thought the guy was a douche and the Rielle Hunter thing was just further confirmation.
Newt's also an asshole. But the point here is that the circumstances were way different. Newt's bad personal behavior took place a long time ago. Edwards' is fresh in people's minds and his 'victim' was somebody with her own political profile. That was my point. Both are assholes, it's just the circumstances were different.
Angry Dragon
(36,693 posts)GaYellowDawg
(4,443 posts)I said older and uglier - and I meant ugly to the bone. As in, ugly inside and out. Should have been more specific. Jabba the Hutt wasn't just fat - he was fat, wrinkled, greedy, and flat out evil. So I don't think it's a stretch.
CAG
(1,820 posts)He repented and found God! You can tell because of the charity he now touts, you know, teaching blacks about work ethic, getting poor 12 year-olds out of homework as they clean the school toilets for the rich kids.
mojowork_n
(2,354 posts)...going in to what we see on the nightly news.
John Edwards didn't spend any. No one from a progressive PAC
pulled any strings, or strong-armed any editors or news directors.
But Newt's still regarded as a useful tool, someone who might be
handy to have around. To serve as a mouthpiece and spokesperson
to advance "conservative" (make the super-wealthy even wealthier)
agendas.
So one hand washes the other. The good name and reputation of
the former House Speaker is magically sanitized. It's somehow off-
limits or "indecent" or cruel to point out his human flaws. (For your
protection and mine.)
elleng
(130,156 posts)I think its the timing that makes a difference; Edwards stuff contemporary, grinch's ages/'generations' ago.
RichGirl
(4,119 posts)A rising star in the democratic party. All he does is tweet a picture of his weenie and he's gone.
The difference between Newt and Edwards is that Newt is a slimey, creepy tub of lard that no woman would have sex with unless he offered her the moon. So you know he was the instigator. Whereas Edwards is a very attractive man who has probably had millions of women trying to entice him....so this one time he gives in to temptation.
Maven
(10,533 posts)with NEWT GINGRICH?
Seriously? He needs an open marriage because there's so much nookie waiting in the wings? Who are these women?
treestar
(82,383 posts)Republicans are such hypocrites. Family values, my ass.