Elizabeth Edwards' "obvious weakness...[she]...isn't perfectly thin" (Fox News)

jsamuel

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Tue Sep-04-07 09:51 PM
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Elizabeth Edwards' "obvious weakness...[she]...isn't perfectly thin" (Fox News)

From Fox News: Why Does John Edwards Leave the Job of Attacking Hillary to His Wife? AKA, why doesn't John Edwards shut his wife's mouth?

By Susan Estrich
...

I have always liked Elizabeth Edwards, admired her both for her obvious strengths and her obvious weaknesses (how can you not admire a woman in her position who isn�t perfectly thin?); respected her for her courage in the face of terrible tragedy, as well as for her intelligence and honesty; appreciated the strength of her commitment to her husband and family, and even envied her for the kind of marriage and partnership that eludes so many smart women of our generation.

...

Isn't it nice to mix it in with all those nice compliments.

I question, is not being "perfectly thin" an "obvious weakness" for someone "in her position?"

This piece written by Susan Estrich (author of "The Case for Hillary Clinton") is an attack piece on Elizabeth Edwards for having the gull to speak her mind. She doesn't criticize the content of Elizabeth's speech, but that she speaks at all.

"Should she be doing it?" becomes the issue, more than "is she right?"

I think someone got Voltaire backwards.

She even decends into using Ann Coulter talking points against Elizabeth.

And when the woman who is launching the attack is herself- as Ann would put it- a classic "victim," it's even more complicated.

The great thing about Elizabeth is that she isn't a victim. She will speak out and loud for what she thinks and what she believes in. As evidenced by the attack on her for being a "bad mother."

http://www.babble.com/CS/blogs/strollerderby/archive/2007/08/28/elizabeth-edwards-delivers-smack-down-and-it-s-brilliant.aspx

A Silicon Valley Moms blogger had the grave misfortune to imply that Elizabeth Edwards is a terrible mother for taking her kids along on the campaign trail (John Edwards for President!!).

In addition to slamming the Edwards clan for their 28,000 square foot pleasure palace (earned by "ambulance chasing"), Ms. Edwards is called out for dragging her kids along on the campaign trail even though they don't want to go (insert whine).

Elizabeth Edwards doesn't leave self-defense to PR hacks. She responds directly in the comments so articulately the angels of well-spoken mamas everywhere are singing. Here is a portion of her response:

I want to be entirely clear. You don't get to say I am a terrible mother because you think you wouldn't make my choices in my situation. You don't get to say that my children don't want to be with us when you don't know them and when, parenthetically, you know that happy children can be periodically disagreeable.

Maybe that is what really scares Susan Estrich and Ann Coulter about attacking Elizabeth Edwards. Unlike some other targets, she won't take it lying down. That isn't called playing the victim, it is called defending herself and speaking out. And that is exactly the kind of behavior Susan Estrich wants to stop.

It is no wonder Susan Estrich wants Elizabeth to stop. If she keeps on behaving like that, we will continue to love her for it. Susan Estrich would much rather have us fall in love with another woman.

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