Elizabeth Edwards Responds to Attack Over Parenting Skills

It’s quantity time, not quality time that kids need.

At least she isn’t hiding, and making John go out to defend her . . . unlike him hiding behind her skirt.
And “savethemiddleclass,” where in the story is there an attack on people with cancer???? Wake the heck up, and read it again, and rethink your idiotic comments next time!

… getting so tired of big-mouth Elizabeth Edwards and her kind of in your face, narcissistic politics. Yes, we’re sorry you have a terminal disease. We hope you don’t turn into one of those walking cadavers. In fact, we don’t want to see you do that. Go away. Take your children home. Give them some of yourself so that when you are dead, their only memory isn’t how their childhood was usurped by their parent’s overweening ambitions – all spun out on their psychotherapist’s couch.

Where do these people get off “judging” this remarkable woman whose life is an example of courage and loyalty and love? Their attacks say more about their limitations than they do about Elizabeth Edwards. She is using all the strength she has to help her husband because she believes he will make the best President, and she is teaching her children what it means to fight for what you believe in. It would be interesting indeed to see the differences in the adults Elizabeth Edwards’ children become as compared to those being raised by such critical, judgemental, narrow minds.
Such negativity against Mrs. Edwards sounds suspiciously like politically motivated campaign attacks to me. What a low tactic to attack the wife and not the candidate. Tacky, tacky, foul.

ToddonCapeCod: Maybe “YOU” better wake the heck up and read the entire article again. Elizabeth’s response was, “You don’t get to judge me because you think you know exactly what you would do if you had my disease.” I did not state that the article was an attack on people with cancer. I stated that people who had not had cancer did not understand Elizabeth’s decision. There is a big difference in those two statements; therefore, your comment is the one that is idiotic. What do you feel a need to attack anyone whose opinion does not agree with your own??

Dear Ms. Elizabeth Edwards:
Obviously, it appears as if the writer prefers to be you – have your political lifestyle. People who generally judge others are lacking within themselves. There is no one qualified to judge your family. You are one of the nations most role model for women. If anyone who says anything less – then that is what they are less.
God Bless you & your husband during this political mess!

As a male, I admire Mrs.Edwards courage and her dedication to making our country a better place. I think that it is very easy for those who are not in the arena to judge the core beleifs of others when they themselves have nothing at risk. I say to Mrs. Edwards keep speaking out and continue to demonstrate to your children and the world,the need for those of us who have so much to help those who do not. I encourage her to continue display her wisdom as it relates to our country and those who criticize her word will benefit from her deeds. I for one am sorry she is not the woman canidate for president. Her honesty and forth-rightness is indeed refreshing. I also appreciate that she refuses to play the victim card like Mrs. Clinton attempts to do.

For John D. Patriot
How can you put Anne Coulter and Elizabeth Edwards in the same sentence???? Anne Coulter’s mouth is like a sewer with nothing but vile ugly words come out of it. There is nothing to compare…. NJ

Oh please – Hillary didn’t do SQUAT to save the lives of millions of children, or help women’s right. UGH. If anything was improved in these areas, it had nothing, absolutely NOTHING to do with Hillary Clinton. She may have been in the same country where such things occurred, but it galls me that she is credited for having done SO much for humanity, when in fact, she has NO record of doing ANYTHING useful at all.

It is very telling to see the detractors in the Liz & Hillary Show go after each other like Vick’s Pit Bulls over their feminism, masculinity or lack of it. As painful as it was to watch Bill Clinton’s bizarre,awkward attempt to defend Hillary’s femininity, it is even harder to watch Mother Liz constantly rescue her girlyman husband from his emasculated campaign. Liberal feminist ‘family values’ being what they are require this type of theater so as to not ‘offend’ anyone. So say what you will about Republican perversions, ‘perversity is still diversity’ in the mind of the Liberal Democrat.

Would that all parents have the skills
and judgement of the Edwards’.
Who wouldn’t look back on their own childhood
and be grateful to have had role models
like Elizabeth and John Edwards?
If you can’t see this, then perhaps your own
judgement as a parent is suspect.

As a cancer survivor, I think I am qualified to speak to what cancer has to do with her children being on the campaign trail with her (not totally qualified because I was more fortunate than Elizabeth; my cancer was not stage 4). When you receive that diagnosis, your own mortality is staring you in the face like it never has before. There is no more time to waste; you want to take advantage of each moment. I heard her state in an interview that she wanted John to continue his campaign. He would go on only if she were with him. Her treatment plan enabled her to continue on the trail. She decided to take the children with her and home school them. My feelings on that were that she made a good decision. If I were told that there was a good possibility that I might not see my children graduate from high school, I would want to spend as much time with them as possible. And–I would want to spend the remainder of my time doing what I cared about the most. That is what she is doing. I agree with you, tomuchdrama, her decision has nothing to do with parenting skills; however, the blogger who attacked her believed that it did. I disagree, because I believe the children will learn more from this experience than any school can ever teach them (plus they are being home schooled). I will, however, give the blogger the benefit of the doubt by saying that “until you have cancer, you may not understand the decision of this wife and mother.” If she ever does get cancer, which I pray she doesn’t, I would bet a pretty penny that her judgments will not be near as harsh on Mrs. Edwards.

Sorry but Elizabeth Edwards doesn’t get to play victim now that she is coming under withering criticism when she has been attacking both Hillary and Obama. She opened herself up to attack with her own comments. It’s one thing to comment on a candidate’s wife who is not involved in the campaign but when you launch attacks on others, don’t be surprised to get incoming fire. And frankly, I really do wish that she would take her children and go home. I am one of those parents who thinks that young children who’s mothers have a terminal illness deserve some time at home alone with them.

BTW, WHY DOES Elizabeth go by her MIDDLE name, when she used her FIRST name, MARY, for most of her life…is it because her middle name sounds more REGAL?! [That's TYPICAL of the Edwards, just look into their lifestyle, & the home(s) they live in...making speeches about helping the poor & middle-class...they're SUCH HYPOCRITES!!]

GO, Elizabeth!! I admire your courage in your battle with cancer and, especially, your choice to be involved in your husband’s campaign (I hope he wins the nomination, by the way). Your, and your husband’s, choice to include your children is a definite indication that you’ve thought long and hard about it. You SHOULD all be together every possible moment during your illness and the campaign. How better to teach them how to confront the challenges Life throws our way?! People will always criticize but the Edwards FAMILY has shown great courage in making difficult decisions and we all need to take encouragement from your decisions, follow your lead, and attempt to make a difference, in our own lives and, in the lives of others. YOU ARE ALL TO BE ADMIRED!

Going on the campaign trail with their family is most likely a once in a life time experience for these children. Growth and memories in childhood are not created only from school but also from life experiences. The ability to travel and meet a wide variety of people will only increase the children’s empathy for others and ability to adapt to situations that would otherwise be outside their paradigms. Perhaps they will become non-judgemental adults that won’t feel compelled to tell others how they should and should not live their lives.

Sometimes people need to remember the old saying that you shouldn’t judge a man until you’ve walked a mile in his shoes! Elizabeth Edwards faces more uncertainty with regard to her future than those who do not have a terminal disease. The fact that she wants to spend her time with her husband and her children, even if it’s on the campaign trail — how can anyone criticize that? I agree with the previous comments that she is giving her kids other experiences that are different, but no less valuable than those they might learn in school, as well as proving the point of standing up for what you believe in. Does anyone really think that she loves her children any less than the rest of us love our own?
Whether you like a candidate or not is your choice/your opinion. I’d like to know when people will start judging candidates for their records and the issues they support – rather than nitpicking over all of this stupid stuff. Comments just seem to be “canned” according to which political party you are aligned with. Think for yourself and get informed about the candidates. Whomever wins the presidential election has a lot of work to do — lets make sure they’re up for it!

Martha- I have read every one of these comments but as I was reading yours it brought tears to my eyes. I dont think that anyone could have said it better. I think you hit the nail in the head. At what point did we start looking at what we can dig up on a canidate and their famlies rather than the issues that plague our Nation. If our next door neighbor were to pull their child out of school to be home-schooled are they going to be this highly criticised? I think not. Along with the academics that they are learning, the Edwards’ are giving their children an experience that the majority of the population could never give their children. They are learning more than any classroom could teach them and on top of it they are learning it from their parents and you dont think that when these children are all grown up they are not going to cherish this time with every fiber of their being.

I sure wish I could take my kids to work with me. I’m a struggling, single-mother that fantasizes about having my children with me more and I can assure you, if I were teetering on the verge of losing that time with them due to a disease that could prematurely take me away from them, then I’d have them at my side as much as possible. If Elizabeth wanted to be a single-mom I’m sure she WOULD take her kids and go home, but clearly that’s not her choice…keeping her family in tact while they continue to “work” because what they’re doing is their JOB then bravo to Elizabeth and John. I know one thing, home is NOT a physical address…it’s being in my mom’s space…wherever that may be. Ask any kid.

For Keith – don’t know if you’re a parent, but if you are – how would you like to have your parenting skills up for personal comment/bashing by all sorts of people who don’t really know you? I don’t claim to support Edwards or anyone else at this point, so that is irrelevant. Some stuff just doesn’t belong in the political arena. We are all entitled to our opinions — regardless of what “side” we are on. It seems to me that the COMPLAINING started with a women who had a “holier than thou” attitude about her parenting beliefs vs. those of Elizabeth Edwards! Maybe we need to focus on the greater issues here when deciding who the next leader of our country will be. Good Grief yourself!! (and no expletives necessary!)

I’m not understand why you all are attacking this woman for something her husband did. Now if they stated they wanted it to be private then at least we sure. Just because they are in the public eye doesn’t give you first rights to what goes on in hteir bedroom. Some things sure be left alone, adn also if she decided to stand by her husband thats her right a women doesn’t mean she condomes what he did but she adn this man have history, maybe some of you aren’t in relationships longer then a day so how will you all understand what it means to share your life history with someone. This woman and man decided to do thi, not Elizabeth so back off..Now why aren’t you all jumping on the *girl* who cheated with Edwards, who knew he was marry, but yet didn’t have enough morals to not sleep with him. She wants privacy, well you sure have thought about this before you *open up* now you sure also be in the spot light..not Elizabeth!

My respects are for you mrs. Edwards. You are a very courages woman that is going through a very difficult time and all you need right now is for others to be on your side instead of against you. Just ignore all the negative and look forward and remember not to ever give up. You deserve the best in life so God bless you and your kids!! Just listen to your hearts desire and may everything turn out for the best. Take care!