John Edwards Announcement today.

[82ndtrooper]

John Edwards is scheduled to make an afternoon announcement today in the wake of his wifes visit to the doctor yesterday.

As all of us know, his wife has struggled with breast cancer in the past, and John Edwards has alway's said that his wifes care would come first to any political race.

My bet is he's going to bow out of the race for a presidential bid and tend to his wifes illness. Its speculation at best at this point, but why an major announcement in the wake of her doctors visit ?

This leave more funding to Hillary and Obama.

Story here:

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/03/22/edwards_to_make_announcement/

[GreenSalsa]

Call me skeptical...

I think they will say there is / was a concern--but no cancer. I believe he will have the press conference to announce he is still in the race. I think this was a ploy for more name recognition, and more exposure as a sensitive and caring man in an attempt to connect with women voters.

Reason: My wife and daughter have some major medical issues. When medical appointments are scheduled, even for routine exams, they go to the TOP of my calendar and bump everything else (that can be bumped).

For him to schedule a fund raiser during a supposed "routine" doctor’s appointment, only to cancel it, smacks of "look at me" and “can I have some press time please?”

I will admit I am suspicious and view nearly all politicians / actors with a jaundice view.

We will all see at noon.:confused:

That said, if she does have cancer (regardless if Mr Edwards runs or not) I honestly hope for her recovery. I wouldn’t want anyone to get cancer.

[rubberneck]

When I read your title I had flash backs to my former Governor's last press conference. I thought for a second that Ann Coulter was right after all.

In all seriousness I hope his wife is ok.

[The Reaper]

GS:

I am with you.

He is too vain and egotistical to drop out over this, I would bet that he is using the opportunity to pimp her condition to make himself appear more attractive to the voters.

Rumor was he was considering dumping her back in '03, but the polls told him that DXing a pudgy, middle-aged spouse who had a serious health issue would cost him votes, big time.

TR

[82ndtrooper]

When I read your title I had flash backs to my former Governor's last press conference. I thought for a second that Ann Coulter was right after all.

In all seriousness I hope his wife is ok.

Didn't mean to get ya all stirred up over someone coming out of the closet.:D

As for John Edwards, I actually respect him more than other democrats running for president or in the house and senate. I wouldn't vote for him, but he seems to be a moderate democrat with strong family values and some integrity for the flag. Something most democrats seem to have lost on their way to the cabinet floor. I dont find him all that vain, but I'm possibly driven to like him for his religious integrity, and the fact that he has stayed with his wife. We might disagree a bit on this one.

In actuallity, John Edwards could have won the 2004 Presidential election on his own without being bound to the hands of a clown like John Kerry.

[The Reaper]

Didn't mean to get ya all stirred up over someone coming out of the closet.:D

As for John Edwards, I actually respect him more than other democrats running for president or in the house and senate. I wouldn't vote for him, but he seems to be a moderate democrat with strong family values and some integrity for the flag. Something most democrats seem to have lost on their way to the cabinet floor.

In actuallity, John Edwards could have won the 2004 Presidential election on his own without being bound to the hands of a clown like John Kerry.

I live in NC less than 20 miles from where Edwards grew up, and 50 miles from where he is building his palace. I have followed his careeer as long as he has had one, and have friends who worked with him in his law firm. I think I know John Edwards pretty well.

If you are comfortable voting for an ambulance chaser who "channels" the suffering of problem deliveries, putting good OB/Gyns out of business, then advocates abortion on demand, a charlatan who preaches the worst kind of class warfare, then builds a huge mansion in incredible hypocrisy, a man who espoused family values and moderate positions to get elected, then quickly moved to the far left end of the spectrium, near Kucinich, if you like a man who would ban every firearm in this country, and bankrupt the firearms industry with frivolous lawsuits, if you want a cut and run policy in Iraq and forced acceptance of gays in marriage and the military, then Johnny is your kind of "moderate" candidate.

He couldn't even deliver his home state in the last election, because people here realized who he had morphed into.

Personally, I think he is a sorry, America hating SOB who I would not vote for as a dogcatcher, but that is just my .02.

TR

[82ndtrooper]

I live in NC less than 20 miles from where Edwards grew up, and 50 miles from where he is building his palace. I have followed his careeer as long as he has had one, and have friends who worked with him in his law firm. I think I know John Edwards pretty well.

If you are comfortable voting for an ambulance chaser who "channels" the suffering of problem deliveries, than advocates abortion on demand, a charlatan who preaches the worst kind of class warfare, then builds a huge mansion in incredible hypocrisy, a man who espoused family values and moderate positions to get elected, then quickly moved to the far left end of the spectrium, near Kucinich, a man who would ban every firearm in this country, and bankrupt the firearms industry with frivolous lawsuits, if you want a cut and run policy in Iraq and forced acceptance of gays in marriage and the military, then Johnny is your kind of "moderate" candidate.

He couldn't even deliver his home state in the last election, because people here realized who he had morphed into.

Personally, I think he is a sorry, America hating SOB who I would not vote for as a dogcatcher, but that is just my .02.

TR


What do you really think of John Edwards ?:D

[Radar Rider]

I may be somewhat cynical, but I think this "announcement" is just an opportunity for edwards to get some face time and show what a "good guy" he is for standing by his wife. If that turns out to be the case, I will be even more disgusted with the jerk then I am now. If it turns out to be a withdrawl from the race, then I'll be just like, "Oh well".

[GreenSalsa]

I am pretty uncomfortable with Mr Edwards in the Political arena…

He opposed the nomination of Judge John Roberts
He opposed to the nomination of Justice Samuel Alito
He expressed regret for his vote supporting the Iraq War in 2002

Edwards's most notable policy opinions since announcing his candidacy has been denouncing a troop surge in Iraq

Edwards's campaign has stated that its main focus is on eliminating poverty, fighting global warming, and providing universal health care.

The biggest problem I have is with the use of force vote change. People have got to understand that these decisions are very tough to make--those calls were made with the intelligence at hand. We, this nation, can not afford to second-guess ourselfs and sift through each and every call trying to point fingers.

[Kyobanim]

WASHINGTON - Democrat John Edwards is suspending his campaign for the presidency due and may drop out completely because his wife has suffered a recurrence of cancer, sources said Thursday.

A prominent Iowa Democrat told Norah O’Donnell of NBC News that Edwards’ campaign has begun calling supporters in Iowa and telling them that he will suspend his presidential bid and started cancelling upcoming events in Iowa.

“At a minimum he’s going to suspend” the campaign, a friend of Edwards told The Politico. “Nobody knows precisely how serious her recurrence is. It’ll be another couple of days before there’s complete clarity.”

[Ret10Echo]

http://www.gwu.edu/~action/2004/edwards/edw030304sp.html

[The Reaper]

He isn't dropping out, he is playing for the sympathy vote.

How would it look if he kept campaigning and said nothing about her illness?

If Edwards does not run, he may be locked out till 2016, and I do not think he is going to risk that.

TR

[Team Sergeant]

He isn't dropping out, he is playing for the sympathy vote.

How would it look if he kept campaigning and said nothing about her illness?

If Edwards does not run, he may be locked out till 2016, and I do not think he is going to risk that.

TR

Agree, "He isn't dropping out, he is playing for the sympathy vote." you guys need to check the real news vendors.....:rolleyes:

http://www.drudgereport.com/

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8O1BCP00&show_article=1

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,260301,00.html

Elizabeth Edwards' Cancer Returns, John Edwards Campaign to Continue
Thursday, March 22, 2007

[GreenSalsa]

Edwards Will Continue Presidential Run

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) - John Edwards said Thursday his wife's cancer has returned, but said he will continue his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. "The campaign goes on. The campaign goes on strongly," Edwards told reporters, his wife by his side.

Shocked! Shocked I say!

I cant believe I am saying this but I actually think less of him. If my wife had cancer, I would not be running for office. Best wishes and prayers out to his wife, I hope her battle goes well--appearently she will have to fight it by herself.

***update

Apparently she has stage IV cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, women diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer have a 5-year survival rate of between 18 and 20 percent. This means that for every five women who have stage IV breast cancer, only one survives after five years. At seven years, the survival rate for these women drops to 11 percent

My wife would not have a choice. Whatever I was doing would stop, and stop then. I obviously would still provide for my family but extraneous demands would end if my lifetime partner, best friend, and the mother of my children had incurable cancer. If Mr Edwards wanted sympathy he should have dropped out of the race. In the coming months / years he will only draw scorn as she gets worse and her condition degrades.

Bluntly put, the odds are 5 years he will loose the democratic nomination and his wife—at what cost? Does raw power really mean that much to him? What price do you put on the last years of your wife?

[Gypsy]

Edwards Will Continue Presidential Run

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) - John Edwards said Thursday his wife's cancer has returned, but said he will continue his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. "The campaign goes on. The campaign goes on strongly," Edwards told reporters, his wife by his side.



Shocking.

Not.

I feel for Mrs. Edwards, and my prayers are with her for recovery. Sympathy votes...? Not so much.

[Leozinho]

GS:


He is too vain and egotistical...

TR

I agree.

(Here's the video of him primping for the camera. If you haven't seen it, it's amusing and it may reveal something about his character. I don't think it's been posted.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AE847UXu3Q

I find Edwards the worst of the candidates. An ambulance chaser and completely unqualified or prepared to be President. He seems to embody what is wrong with electoral politics - that money plus telegenic looks can carry you far in this day and age, despite inexperience and lack of political convictions.

[rubberneck]

I agree.

(Here's the video of him primping for the camera. If you haven't seen it, it's amusing and it may reveal something about his character. I don't think it's been posted.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AE847UXu3Q

I find Edwards the worst of the candidates. An ambulance chaser and completely unqualified or prepared to be President. He seems to embody what is wrong with electoral politics - that money plus telegenic looks can carry you far in this day and age, despite inexperience and lack of political convictions.


I guess Ann Coulter was right all along. :munchin

[Jack Moroney (RIP)]

I am not surprised at all about Edwards. The lad just reaffirms my feelings about politics and politicians in general.

[Monsoon65]

I guess with Hitlery in the news, and the Obama "1984" video, Edwards was feeling a bit left out and saw the perfect opportunity to get some face time on with the camera at the expense of his wife.

I think his wife would have been better off if he had dumped her in 2003.

[Roycroft201]

I think his wife would have been better off if he had dumped her in 2003.


Actually, SHE should have dumped HIM and would have been much better off.


RC201

[Radar Rider]

In the "news conference", Mrs. Edwards stated that "I don't look sick, and I don't feel sick". She's suffering from terminal cancer and her first concern is that she "doesn't LOOK sick". I've lost family members to cancer. It sucks. This nonsense reeks of playing the sympathy card for politics. It all makes ME sick.

[Monsoon65]

Actually, SHE should have dumped HIM and would have been much better off.


RC201

You're exactly right!

[Roycroft201]

You're exactly right!


I'm not the only person on this board that is a cancer survivor, by any means. The fact that Edwards is putting his wife's battle for her life secondary to his political aspirations is beyond disgusting and despicable to me. :mad:

It is, however, a true measure of the man.

[Leozinho]

In the "news conference", Mrs. Edwards stated that "I don't look sick, and I don't feel sick". She's suffering from terminal cancer and her first concern is that she "doesn't LOOK sick". I've lost family members to cancer. It sucks. This nonsense reeks of playing the sympathy card for politics. It all makes ME sick.


Since she's just been told that her cancer has returned, I'm going to give her the benefit of the doubt and not try to read something into her words that she didn't mean.

I didn't watch the press conference, but after seeing your post, I read the AP article that quotes her saying "I don't look sickly, I don't feel sickly." That's the only context I have to go on.

I can think of a couple of things she might have meant by that, and none is that she is worried about her appearance. I'll write them out for you if you need me to.

[Ladyhawke]

I don't like John Edwards. I have lost 3 members of my family to cancer, my sister just last year. From the time we found out she was stage 4 to her death was only 6 weeks. My mom had 9 months, my dad was the lucky one, he had 4 years. My point is that Elizabeth has stage 4 cancer with a survival rate of 26% making it to the magic 5 year mark. I would tell John Edwards and Elizabeth that while it is true that the living must keep on living, I do think they should look hard at his chances for winning anything during his run for 2008, if he is not a front runner then drop out now and devote what time there is left to the family. Don't care how much one "prepares" for what will come, it is very hard to come to terms with the ending of a loved ones life and even harder when there are children involved. Her cancer is not curable, only treatable, a fancy way of saying we will make you as comfortable as we can for whatever time you have left. IMHO no presidential race is worth this.

[Radar Rider]

Since she's just been told that her cancer has returned, I'm going to give her the benefit of the doubt and not try to read something into her words that she didn't mean.

I didn't watch the press conference, but after seeing your post, I read the AP article that quotes her saying "I don't look sickly, I don't feel sickly." That's the only context I have to go on.

I can think of a couple of things she might have meant by that, and none is that she is worried about her appearance. I'll write them out for you if you need me to.
Please do write them out. My interpretation is that after edweirds used her tragic illness to get face time, she stated her true belief that even if she dies in the process, publicity is more important.

Edweirds is so bent on beating the competition that he'll exploit his wife's terminal illness. The democRATs disgust me to no end.

[Peregrino]

Despicable behavior; certainly not surprising though. A true indicator of his character. My sympathies to her for what she is about to suffer. Prayers for their remaining children. As far as I'm concerned, he can rot in hell. Peregrino

[The Reaper]

She had some less than complimentary comments about Lynne Cheney during the last campaign.

IMHO, this shows her lack of class, demonstrated also by marrying the scumbag Edwards.

I am sorry for her plight, but indeed, the children are the real victims here, as Edwards wants only money and fame.

TR.

[Leozinho]

Please do write them out. My interpretation is that after edweirds used her tragic illness to get face time, she stated her true belief that even if she dies in the process, publicity is more important.



No, that's not what you wrote. You stated that you were sure that her first concern was her appearance, not her life.

Many cancer patients, terminal or not, do fret about their loss of hair and their appearance, and that is understandable. But you can't know that she is so shallow that she doesn't care if she dies as long as she leave a good looking corpse.

Here's a scenario. I've been diagnosed with XYZ cancer. I tell my boss/friend/whoever that "I don't look sickly, I don't feel sickly." Is it possible that I'm talking about the nature of the disease, that it eats you away from within, with few symptons at the early stages? But you'd take my comments to mean I'm more more concerned with my skin not breaking out than my life.

I'd consider leaving your opinions about John Edwards aside before disparaging a women that was just diagnosed with apparently terminal cancer.

[Radar Rider]

No, that's not what you wrote. You stated that you were sure that her first concern was her appearance, not her life.

Many cancer patients, terminal or not, do fret about their loss of hair and their appearance, and that is understandable. But you can't know that she is so shallow that she doesn't care if she dies as long as she leave a good looking corpse.

Here's a scenario. I've been diagnosed with XYZ cancer. I tell my boss/friend/whoever that "I don't look sickly, I don't feel sickly." Is it possible that I'm talking about the nature of the disease, that it eats you away from within, with few symptons at the early stages? But you'd take my comments to mean I'm more more concerned with my skin not breaking out than my life.

I'd consider leaving your opinions about John Edwards aside before disparaging a women that was just diagnosed with apparently terminal cancer.

Yes, you are correct and I agree that I cannot devine what her real feelings are, and will leave that all aside. That being said, I still think the whole thing was a rather sick maneuver on edwards' part to gain face time and sympathy.

[Gypsy]

That being said, I still think the whole thing was a rather sick maneuver on edwards' part to gain face time and sympathy.

And, it seems, money for his campaign...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070328/ap_on_el_pr/edwards_support

Edwards experiences surge in support
By MIKE BAKER, Associated Press Writer
Wed Mar 28, 5:52 PM ET



RALEIGH, N.C. - Elizabeth Edwards' sobering diagnosis of incurable cancer has triggered an outpouring of support, with a surge of donations to her husband's presidential campaign and affirmation of his candidacy in opinion polls.

The amount of money given to Edwards' campaign via the Internet increased by about 50 percent since the couple announced last week that Elizabeth Edwards' cancer had returned. A CBS News poll released Wednesday found that by a 2-to-1 margin, voters support Edwards' decision to continue his campaign.

Since last Thursday, Edwards has collected about $540,000 online, according to a tally by ActBlue.com, which counts all the donations made through the Edwards Web site. It initially took Edwards two months to reach his early online fundraising goal of $1 million, and the campaign had languished just above that mark in the weeks before the cancer announcement.

By comparison, New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton easily raised $1 million over the Internet in one week after her husband, former President Clinton, challenged donors at the end of February to help her campaign reach that goal.

Overall, Edwards has raised about $1.7 million online since launching his bid for the Democratic nomination at the end of December.

"The more that people become familiar with John and Elizabeth Edwards and who they are as human beings, the more supportive they are of their campaign," said Fred Baron, chief campaign fundraiser.

The first-quarter fundraising deadline is Saturday, with financial reports due April 15.

Elizabeth Edwards was first diagnosed with breast cancer shortly before the end of 2004 presidential campaign. After months of therapy, doctors declared her free of cancer. But last week, the couple said that the cancer has returned to her bone in an incurable form, and vowed to continue Edwards' campaign for the White House.

In an interview with People magazine posted online Wednesday, Elizabeth Edwards said the cancer does not appear to have spread beyond her bone to any organs. Her doctor estimates she has at least 10 years left to live, she said.

"I just need the medicine to catch up to me," Edwards told the magazine. "The medicine is going to catch up to this condition — it's just a question of when."

Ross Baker, a political science professor at Rutgers University, said Edwards' fundraising, in some ways, can be compared to a telethon.

"It's a very touching story, and the same kind of motivation that causes people to reach for their checkbooks," Baker said.

The Edwards campaign is pushing hard to raise as much as possible before the end of the fundraising period. Campaign manager David Bonior sent a message to supporters Wednesday urging voters to donate, saying, "this first test couldn't be more important."

[The Reaper]

You don't have to be smart to have money.

Just look at Teresa Heinz Kerry.:rolleyes:

TR