The NY Times article on the subject relies on a non-scientific collection of comments from people. From what I can tell from their anecdotal collection, the divide seems to breakdown along two fault lines, those that have a latent fifties view of marriage vs those with a modern view of marriage and those who think politics is a grubby business best to be avoided and those who think it can be a noble, even fun, endeavor.
The the latent Cleaverists seem to interpret the decision through a gazing adorably at hubby lens, in which the wife is just a supportive cipher who would, of course, rather be home. So they tend to deplore the Edwardses decision because they assume it must have been foisted on Elizabeth by John. Anyone who's followed the Edwardses realizes this view has nothing to do with them and their marriage. All indications from their comments at the press conference and from their past point to a real joint decision.
The second fault line seems to be people who think politics is a nasty little business and this is their opportunity to get out, such as this woman:
"The cancer is calling on them to do something different than what they’re doing," said Ms. Perry, who described herself as an artist and an undecided Democrat. "For her to carry on and keep on in the face of it — I don’t find an act of courage at all."
(Emphasis Added)
But, while politics has its ugly side and its travails, anyone who's followed the Edwardses knows they both strongly believe in what they're doing and, yes, actually enjoy campaigning and meeting people. Those who get that this what they both want to do, see this has a benefit for Elizabeth and the family:
Janet Leff, 65, a breast cancer survivor whose cancer had also spread to her bones, said all the talk about what the Edwardses should or should not do is misguided. It is nobody’s business but theirs, she said.
When her cancer was diagnosed five years ago, she was volunteering as a social worker in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Family members urged her to come home, give up the hard life in a war-ravaged country. She ignored them, she said, and she thinks that is partly why she is still alive.
"The two of them know what they both need," said Ms. Leff, who is still in Bosnia-Herzegovina and described herself as a Republican. Ms. Leff agreed to be interviewed by telephone after posting a comment on The Times’s blog.
"It’s not easy on anybody, but it’s no time to sit and watch the grass grow," she said. "You have to keep your life going, because whether it gets to the terminal stage or not, you don’t know until it’s there."
(Emphasis Added)
Unfortunately, a side effect of the celebritifcation of our society is that too many people feel entitled to play the nosy tongue clucking neighbor passing judgment on other people's decisions. So, the Edwardses will have to put their marriage upfront to make it clear where this decision came from. Luckily, as we saw this week, they're up to the task.
Cross posted at: Boston for Edwards
Update: Dr Fanklives gets is exactly right over here
Comments are closed on this story.