Elizabeth as Enabler: Ambition Drove Them Both

Questioning Elizabeth Edwards’ motives may be a “modern sacrilege,” but Kathleen Parker is doing it anyway. Yes, she’s endured a lot, but she’s the one who dragged herself back into the public spotlight with her book. “Victimhood is a reliable insulator against criticism, but something doesn’t feel right about this tell-all,” says Parker. “Is this how couples protect their children from further emotional scarring?”

We now know Elizabeth knew about the affair. She says she told John not to run, but she was unquestionably a massive part of the campaign. “As long as she was there, his innocence was assumed. Family unity? Or conspiracy to commit public fraud?” At the time, one wondered how a man could run for president while his wife was terminally ill. Now, it seems both man and wife were consumed by “blind ambition.” (More Elizabeth Edwards stories.)