I finally got around to reading The Politician, the memoir by Andrew Young, longtime aide to John Edwards...better known as the guy who initially took the fall for impregnating Rielle Hunter.
Considering that this book was supposed to be payback, I was surprised by the relatively gentle treatment of Edwards. He doesn't come off as any more narcissistic or spoiled than your average U.S. senator; really, until he's in full scandal-containment mode, he seems like a pretty ordinary guy. I suppose that's the problem, though, for people like Andrew Young, who devoted their lives and careers to a man they thought was extraordinary.
Then there's Elizabeth Edwards. You have to give her a pretty wide berth, considering that she was dealing with a cancer diagnosis and marital infidelity at the same time. But WOW, can she be cruel, and petty, and vindictive. She definitely has a gentle, compassionate, generous, loving side too, but flip the switch and she will shoot you in the gut and relish the sight of your slow, painful death.
Finally, let's talk about Rielle Hunter...ugh. She's a selfish, rude, immature, flaky, New Age moron. You read about women like her, or Monica Lewinsky, and you wonder, why would guys like John Edwards or Bill Clinton choose them? Then you realize that while most political groupies are just offering sex, women like Rielle and Monica are offering adoration. Rielle, in particular, treated John as if he were a god. And that, presumably, is why he picked her, despite a personality that would be unappealing on a 13-year-old girl, let alone a grown woman.