Bedeviled politics

Elizabeth Edwards discovered her husband’s affair shortly after he entered the presidential race in 2006. At first, she begged him to drop out. John Edwards convinced her that such a move would kill his bid. She acquiesced, believing he was probably right.

Politico columnist Roger Simon wrote:

But that was wrong. John Edwards’s decision was “right” only if the goal was to cover up the affair. There was an alternative: Admit the affair, ask for the public’s forgiveness and move on. This, apparently, was never considered by John or Elizabeth. The public, they felt, could not handle the truth.

Elizabeth’s goal was the same as John’s, even after she knew he had cheated on her: Get John to the White House no matter what. Get John elected, even after she knew he was a liar and a cheat. Which is what politics can do to you. Somewhere along the way, you trade in your substance and candor for raw ambition. It is not a good trade.

Simon is right. But the sad fact is that "raw ambition" wins out more often than not. It is why so many politicians are so willing to do almost anything to get or retain power. They line up to sell their souls to the Devil with nary a thought. Occasionally, the Faustian Bargain fails. In the case of John Edwards and John McCain, Mephistopheles called in his chips. But mostly, he is quite content to sit back and watch his soulless contractees wreck havoc. And we pay the price.