(x-posted @ MyDD)
I can understand everyone saying - as they did in the 1990s - that this is someone's personal life, and no one else's business, and gee, they're only human.
And - and this this important - so are the voters. Human, I mean.
Had Mr. Edwards been the nominee, had this been the 'October surprise', there would indeed be a royal screwing of the Democratic party. If you don't think so, just look at the path that led Barack Obama to the Senate.
In March 2004, Blair Hull enjoyed a wide lead and hefty name recognition against the barely-known Barack Obama, and was expected to easily walk away with the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate. But rumors rumbled - which Hull denied - that he had abused his ex-wife during their contentious divorce. Eventually, court papers surfaced in which she indeed had alleged physical abuse. Hull's poll numbers nose-dived, and primary voters turned to Barack Obama.
But this wasn't going to be an easy win. Obama was up against the very well-funded, telegenic pol with the action-star name: Jack Ryan. Ryan had already won the GOP primary and was the official candidate against the newly-minted Obama.
And as in Hull's case, more scandalous rumors swirled and despite Ryan's best legal contortions, his divorce papers were released. They revealed sordid details about his repeated and unsuccessful attempts to pressure his wife, Jeri "Seven-of-Nine" Ryan, to 'perform' at private sex clubs.
The Illinois GOP forced him out and scrambled to find an opponent. By then, the race was well along, and there was little time to build significant fund-raising and name recognition. None of the also-rans (Steve Rauschenberger, Jim Oberweis, et al.) were willing to fall on their swords for the sake of the party. At one point, they tried even floated the idea of former Bears coach Mike Ditka. Eventually, they trucked in Carpetbagger Alan Keyes to fill the empty line on the ballot.
Obama won in a landslide.
The fact is that - private matters or not - voters DO care. It's not the only reason Barack was elected to the U.S. Senate. But if the "personal lives" didn't matter to voters at all, the 2008 Presidential election landscape would probably look very different.