‘Saint Elizabeth’

As the N&O noted this morning, excerpts from the book Game Change have tarnished Elizabeth Edwards’ halo.
 
People have been reluctant to criticize Elizabeth. She lost a son. She is battling cancer. And she suffered the public humiliation of her husband’s infidelity.
 
But she long had a reputation for being startlingly harsh with people, especially campaign staffers.
 
It’s one thing to disagree with someone. It’s another thing to ridicule and attack them personally, as she did routinely. Her caustic comments and emails stunned people. Even John Edwards was not immune.
 
That’s one reason there was constant turnover in the Senate and campaign staffs.
 
Note that David Axelrod, who guided Barack Obama to the White House, worked for Edwards in 2004. But Elizabeth apparently stripped Axelrod of his authority to make campaign ads.
 
The result was a politician who was increasingly isolated – deaf to dissent, disagreement and even constructive criticism.
 
John Edwards was a good listener in the 1998 Senate race. But that apparently changed after he went to Washington.
 
He – and Elizabeth – are paying a high price now.
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Gary Pearce

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‘Saint Elizabeth’

As the N&O noted this morning, excerpts from the book Game Change have tarnished Elizabeth Edwards’ halo.
 
People have been reluctant to criticize Elizabeth. She lost a son. She is battling cancer. And she suffered the public humiliation of her husband’s infidelity.
 
But she long had a reputation for being startlingly harsh with people, especially campaign staffers.
 
It’s one thing to disagree with someone. It’s another thing to ridicule and attack them personally, as she did routinely. Her caustic comments and emails stunned people. Even John Edwards was not immune.
 
That’s one reason there was constant turnover in the Senate and campaign staffs.
 
Note that David Axelrod, who guided Barack Obama to the White House, worked for Edwards in 2004. But Elizabeth apparently stripped Axelrod of his authority to make campaign ads.
 
The result was a politician who was increasingly isolated – deaf to dissent, disagreement and even constructive criticism.
 
John Edwards was a good listener in the 1998 Senate race. But that apparently changed after he went to Washington.
 
He – and Elizabeth – are paying a high price now.
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Gary Pearce

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