Edwards, John

When political scandals hit the American airwaves, stereotypical images fill the minds of viewers and listeners as they piece together the transgressions allegedly committed. Much like a soap opera, citizens assume that there will be a twisted plot with likeable protagonists and infuriating heels. While most scandals fail to live up to the initial media hype, between 2007 and 2010, John Edwards—former Democratic Senator from North Carolina and John Kerry running mate during the 2004 presidential election—gave Americans everything they expected: A torts attorney turned politician running through hotel hallways, trying to shield himself from an alleged affair on his wife—who was both nationally known and fighting cancer. In the end, it took an even more bizarre twist when Edwards was proven to be the father of a child with his mistress. While unfortunate for Edwards (both personally and politically), his escapades showed a key attribute of political sex scandals in the United States: the act may not matter, but second-order transgressions do.

In late 2007, the National Enquirer reported that Edwards was having an affair with Rielle Hunter. She had been hired in 2006 to film a series of short videos related to life behind the scenes of his presidential campaign. Given the lack of credibility associated with the Enquirer, very little was publicly said about the story. Instead, it was brushed aside as typical grocery store aisle smut. Most troubling, however, was that the initial article stated that a child had been produced from the alleged affair. At the time of the story, Andrew Young was an Edwards campaign insider. According to ABC News, shortly after the Enquirer story, Young was asked by his candidate to find a doctor to create fake DNA results (a la the plot line in Primary Colors), and then steal one of the baby's diapers to find out the actual paternity. Young accounting claimed to be the child's father for a period of time. Publicly, both Edwards and Hunter vehemently denied any accusations.

Media Frenzy

When the initial Enquirer story ran, most commentators publicly claimed that it must be fake and just a product of the negative environment of contemporary campaigns. Determined to prove the truthfulness behind their allegations, the Enquirer sent reporters to the Beverly Hilton Hotel in July 2008 for a suspected meeting between Edwards, Hunter, and the child. While Edwards was not listed as a guest of the hotel, the Enquirer staff found him in a hallway after midnight and chased him into a restroom. He stayed there—away from the paparazzi—until he was ushered out by security while attempting to shield [Page 324]his face. This would become the image most directly associated with the demise of Edwards.

John Edwards and his wife, Elizabeth (behind him, left) host a healthcare forum in Manchester, New Hampshire, February 3, 2007. His affair, which was well underway by this time, was clouded with deceit from beginning to end as Edwards consistently lied for months about numerous aspects of his relationship with Rielle Hunter—including fathering her child.

Later that summer, many media sources (considered far more reputable than the Enquirer) began discussing the allegations in reference to Edwards's political future. Pundits were questioning whether the suspected affair would cost Edwards the opportunity to be Barack Obama's running mate. As the story continued to gain traction, Edwards sat down with Bob Woodruff of ABC on August 7 and admitted to having an extended affair with the videographer. Edwards's admission to Woodruff

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