Should John and Elizabeth Edwards continue working to be the First Family or put family first?

EDWARDS FOR PRESIDENT.

Well, Edwards for President, the sequel. John Edwards is running for President for the second time, but this time he faces different obstacles.

For this campaign, his wife̢۪s cancer has returned.

John Edwards announced several weeks ago that despite the return of the cancer, he is going to continue the race.

While it is great that she supports him, and does not want him to give up something so very important to him, I think he is making a poor choice.

John Edwards and his wife have two young children and an older daughter. They lost their oldest son, Wade, in a car accident in 1996. What is so hard to believe is that his campaign seems to be more important to them than John Edwards spending time with his wife and children.

Elizabeth Edwards needs all the support she can get, she needs to spend time with the people who mean the most to her — her children and her husband.

But what kind of quality time can John Edwards spend with his wife if he is on the campaign trail? How can he hold her hand during treatments if he is going from state to state trying to sway the votes?

There is no cure for cancer, only treatment. I know because my grandma had cancer. She fought for several years before it finally kicked her butt.

And in that time, she only fought as long as she did because my grandpa was there with her. She fought because she had something worth fighting for.

I am not saying that Elizabeth Edwards does not have something to fight for, but it must be hard trying to raise two kids while hubby is on the road — gone for who knows how long — out of state or on the other side of the country.

When my grandma was alive, she used to tell me about all the people with cancer that she would see when she went to get her treatments. What was hard about seeing some of them was the fact that they were alone. There was no one there to hold their hands, to tell them that it would be okay.

I can̢۪t imagine having to go through that without anyone. I can̢۪t imagine how hard that would be. And maybe Edwards can̢۪t imagine it either.
John Edwards should back out. He should throw in the towel and focus on his wife. What kind of person allows himself to get wrapped up in something while his wife is fighting a battle that can̢۪t end well?

John Edwards has said the campaign is very important to him and his wife. He said, “This campaign is not about me or Elizabeth — it’s about all the people we have met these past few years and people like them all across America and the world — people worried about feeding and clothing their kids; people without health care; people facing hardships overseas.�

I understand where he is coming from. I understand what he is running for, but I still think that he should take care of his wife, and spend time with her.

There is no shame in backing out. There is no dishonor in saying “I have to take care of my wife.� There is a great deal of respect to be given to the man who can do that.