Favorable or Unfavorable #266: John Edwards

[vcczar]

Sen. John Edwards of NC is best known as Kerry's VP nom in 2004. 

As mentioned in other polls, the 2004 election was the first election I really followed closely. I remember finding John Edwards really likable, although I didn't favor him. He's also the first politician I ever heard labeled as a "populist," and I fail to really understand why he was called that. He sort of just seemed like a mainstream liberal in a moderately conservative state. My opinion of John Edwards tanked when I saw him get destroyed by Dick Cheney in the VP debate. Cheney was bashing Edwards for being lazy, not showing up to votes--so much so that Cheney said they had never met. Edwards just smiled and blinked without even defending himself. It turns out there are images of Edwards and Cheney meeting each other in the Senate building, but neither Edwards nor Cheney seemed to remember it. 

I was working for the Huffington Post when it was learned he had been having an affair while his wife was dying of cancer. His wife, Elizabeth Edwards, was a routine contributor to the Huffington Post too. She died before the divorce was finalized. I think they should speed up the process for people who are near death. 

His actions:

Edwards, John	2000	Considered for VP by Gore
Edwards, John	2002	co-sponsors Iraq War Resolution, but doesn't vote for it
Edwards, John	2004	Dem VP nom and pres cand
Edwards, John	2005	Opposes John Roberts confirmation, despite being from swing state
Edwards, John	2007	Hit w/ allegations of affair, which will undermine his 2008 candidacy
Edwards, John	2008	Dem pres cand; admits to affair months after dropping out
Edwards, John	2011	Indicted for using campaign funds to cover up extramarital affair (had child out of wedlock while wife dying of cancer)