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Home › Politics

Politics | 07/24/2008 1:15 pm

Why Is the Mainstream Media Keeping John Edwards's Alleged Love Affair a Secret?

By The Staff at wowOwow.com
John Edwards
© AP
Over the past 24 hours, Internet news sites have been reporting on this week’s explosive National Enquirer story exposing a supposed John Edwards tryst in a Hollywood hotel.

However, with the exception of the Los Angeles Times, a blog from The Washington Post online and cable TV’s Headline News’s Glenn Beck, few of the mainstream media outlets are touching this story.

One Internet outlet, Slate Magazine is also asking the question, poking fun at the media for not covering it and making a direct comparison to the mainstream media frenzy around Senator Larry Craig’s bathroom antics of a couple of months ago. Slate writes:

"So why hasn’t the press commented on the story yet? Is it because it broke too late yesterday afternoon, and news organizations want to investigate it for themselves before writing about it? Or are they observing a double standard that says homo-hypocrisy is indefensible but that hetero-hypocrisy deserves an automatic bye?"

The Huffington Post thinks that Edwards just isn’t prominent enough of a figure anymore for the public to care:

"It sure looks like Edwards is a hypocrite who misrepresented himself by showcasing his wife and kids so prominently in the campaign. But his campaign was unsuccessful. Voters didn’t buy his arguments or his life story as reasons to elect him. In short, nobody cares about this now, except as celebrity gossip. And that’s how it’s going to play when the media picks it up, as it probably will.

"The better question is, should the media have gone after this story more aggressively back during the campaign? Sounds like the answer is yes."

Tell us: Do you feel cheated by the mainstream media for keeping the alleged John Edwards affair a secret?
Read more about: Huffington Post, John Edwards, National Enquirer, News, Political Scandal, Politics, Slate, The Washington Post

194 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

Diana T
I feel sorry for Elizabeth. I’ve always said that anyone can be had by someone sometime, especially when they have the kind of ego that an aspiring president has. But, I’m sorry; he crossed a line. Bad enough for a married man to have an extramarital affair. Worse still when there is a love-child born(my god, did they not know about birth control?!). But the worst thing of all is that when you have a very ill spouse and they can’t fight back. I’m glad we found out before any consideration would be given for VP. So…he is now in my Tacky Low-Down SOB File.
By Diana T on 07/24/2008 12:30 pm
Star Lawrence
He lost me when he endorsed Sen Obama. If this is true, well, shame on him again. What a dog.
By Star Lawrence on 07/29/2008 9:47 am
G T
IF it is true, then of course John Edwards has misrepresented the kind of man he is. Has anyone noticed that men are rarely wise when it comes to things of this nature??? They do stupid things that ruin their lives.
By G T on 07/24/2008 12:50 pm
Marjorie C.
G T: They do stupid things that ruin their lives. And more importantly, the lives of those around them… particularly their spouses. I hope he don’t have to see Elizabeth standing beside him at a podium (à la Eliot Spitzer), because my scream will be heard into the next county.
By Marjorie C. on 07/24/2008 1:30 pm
Marjorie C.
I hope he don’t… That should be I hope we don’t.
By Marjorie C. on 07/24/2008 1:32 pm
phyllis Doyle Pepe
Marjorie–––help me out here. I see you are using Italics––how do you do this since Wow doesn’t have a tool bar?
By phyllis Doyle Pepe on 07/24/2008 5:36 pm
phyllis Doyle Pepe
And now I see we are all dark lined and edgy looking. What’s Up? Oh, forgot the question. Edwards? It is alleged, is it not? Goddamn him if it’s true–Elizabeth should sue, wouldn’t you? All that she has done for him and her life shortened by the cancer. What kind of man would do this?
By phyllis Doyle Pepe on 07/24/2008 5:42 pm
patricia smith
By patricia smith on 07/24/2008 7:27 pm
patricia smith
all of them.
By patricia smith on 07/24/2008 7:29 pm
Marjorie C.
Yeah, well, it’s like I screwed up. In html, you can use (and I’ll put a space and dot between characters so I don’t mess the thing up worse) this: < . i . > to signify italics, or < . b . > to signify bold. Apparently, I’ve forgotten how to turn them off. I thought you just repeated the directions at the beginning and ending of the line you wanted to change. Not working. Lucky for me, the thing turned off at the bottom of the page. For a while, I thought it was just showing up on my computer, but if everyone is seeing it, maybe the D of D could get rid of my messages. I wouldn’t be insulted if she did. And I promise not to mess with little characters again.
By Marjorie C. on 07/25/2008 6:33 am
Marjorie C.
backslash
By Marjorie C. on 07/25/2008 7:27 am
Marjorie C.
thought a backslash would work, but apparently not
By Marjorie C. on 07/25/2008 7:29 am
Maizie James
G T Um … I think we need to tread carefully when we begin to scrutinize the sexual habits/morals of elected officials … or anyone else. Frankly, some of this country’s best political figures (great presidents among them) have committed adultery. I think history confirms this. The truth is, if we looked into the bedrooms, hotel rooms, offices, or other places where elected officials have sex, we’d might be shocked. My point is that consensual sex between adults should be private. After all, by what ethic or moral standard, or religious guidelines should we judge, and thereby condemn the sexual habits of consenting ‘normal’ adults? In my opinion, it is the perverts who prey on children who should be severely punished and publicly crucified. If this story is true, John Edwards made a grave mistake … sure. But, it was a human mistake, which far too many prominent men foolishly indulge. Please don’t misunderstand. I DO NOT condone adultery by any means. My ex’s adultery destroyed my marriage. (I think professional men are the worse, regarding adultery.) My point is, should Edwards’ career be ruined if this story is true? It seems a high price to pay for the a sin, which the best of men have committed. It seems to me that McCain has done no better. His ‘questionable’ relationship with a former aide was curiously hushed after he emerged to become the Republican nominee. If there was something ‘fishy’ going on, I’m glad it was hushed. What I do question is the stupidity of any elected official who lacks the good sense to be not more discreet with their private liaisons. And, it is on this point, which I agree with you … MEN do stupid things that can ruin their lives … and in America, whether right or wrong, (unfortunately) this includes adultery.
By Maizie James on 07/24/2008 9:44 pm
Deni G
Oh WoW!
How incredibly fascinating! Was he arrested in a bathroom soliciting anonymous sex from a policeman… somehow an alleged tryst, during the swifboat season, just isn’t the same.
It would have at least bordered on interesting and intelligent if you had mused that perhaps the media outlets had actually decided to report news and verify accuracy and truth, before they spend the whole week on stuff that matters not a whit to our lives.
By Deni G on 07/24/2008 12:56 pm
Diana T
Deni, I have checked the legit newsites, and see nothing about it. Go to google news and all the sites reporting the “tryst” are of a rather dubious nature.
By Diana T on 07/24/2008 2:03 pm
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