Edwards' Campaign

I will not be voting for John Edwards for President for a couple of reasons. First, as a somewhat devout Libertarian, I need to first look at who gets on the ticket for my party and decide whether or not I like the guy (or gal), as the Libertarian candidate always gets my first right of refusal. Second, I think the guy is a pinko-commie. If elected President, he will make sure the government takes as much of your hard earned money and property as possible before giving 80% of it back to you in “services” and making it seem like he’s doing us a favor. (I will give him credit, though; as he is at least being honest and up front about the fact that he will be doing this, unlike the other major party candidates that want you to believe they can take less of your money while providing you more services.)

You may be waiting to hear the third reason I will not be voting for him, as he is a monster for deciding to continue his campaign despite recent news about his wife’s health. For some reason his wife’s health has sparked a lot of debate around the country as to whether or not he should continue his campaign. I don’t get it. I support his decision to continue to run. My support is based on two assumptions:

1. He had a frank and earnest discussion with his wife and family.

2. He truly believes he is the person to guide this country (and the free world).

The first assumption is vital. We must assume that Elizabeth Edwards is fully on board with this decision and is ready to face the challenges ahead of their family. We must assume that she and John have sat down, with their family, and fully discussed all of the ramifications of this decision. She has repeatedly said she does not want her sickness to be her legacy but rather her strength. It is not like they do not know what is ahead of them on the campaign trail. They have been there before. They know what running a presidential campaign consists of. In short, they know what they are getting into and, as a family, have decided to move forward.

The second assumption is just as important. John Edwards believes he is the man to lead this country. While I may disagree with the communist completely, he himself truly believes this. He sees a great calling for himself. I have heard people say he is acting selfishly in deciding to continue his campaign. I disagree. A case could be made that it would be selfish for him not to run. Of course family comes first… it must. And if his family fully and truly supports him (see first assumption), he has an obligation to the country to fulfill his promise to lead. There is, in his mind, a greater good to be considered.

If these two assumptions are correct, we must concede that John Edwards’ decision to continue running for the presidency despite his wife’s illness is not wrong, but is actually the only correct one. If his wife did not think she could handle it, then he must not run. If his ambitions were based upon greed and power, then he must not run. But if these two assumptions are correct, then he must… I just hope he doesn't win.