Weird Hypothetical

You all probably know already that Elizabeth Edwards died today, which was predictable, sudden, and sad.

Here's a weird thought: How bizarre would it have been has Edwards actually been elected President? Of course there are a number of good reasons that he could not have been, especially with the way things played out regarding the timing of his affar's revelation. BUT it was not inconceivable. If the affair came out later, ifObama didn't run, and Hillary had made some unforced error: Bush was so unpopular that McCain would have had trouble in any event.

So, we would have had the following situation: during the first two years of the Edwards Presidency, it would have been revealed that he had a child out of wedlock, possibly been estranged from the First Lady, who would then have died while her husband (or ex husband) was still in office.

Man, and I thought the Clinton Presidency was a fricking soap opera.

If he were already elected but not inaugurated when the child rumors were revealed, the pressure on him to step aside and not take office would have been immense. Or later, the pressure to resign. That would have been a goddamned circus.

Assuming the Edwards did not divorce, how on earth could he have governed while his wife was actively dying of cancer? Would have have taken a 25th amendment break? The media would have been wall-to-wall coverage of the First Lady's medical treatment and final days. What a bizarre and gruesome spectacle that would have been.

The country got very lucky we did not wind up with that man as president, though strictly as a political figure he would probably have been a decent president.