I am posting this article for several reasons. First, I find it interesting that Elizabeth Edwards has become a major part of the Edwards campaign. I don’t remember this being the case on ’04, but maybe it’s just heightened awareness. I was hoping that after she was diagnosed with breast cancer, her illness wouldn’t be an issue. Personally, my wife wouldn’t be making campaign appearances and doing TV interviews for several reasons. One, I wouldn’t want to jeopardize her health. The woman has cancer. Touring the country can be very exhausting. Two, I wouldn’t want to give the impression that I am exploiting her diagnosis. Contributions to the Edwards campaign have increased since her announcement and, at least in my eyes, so have her media appearances. That is concerning. But back to business.

I also posted this to show how shallow I feel the Edwardses are, and this article in many ways makes Elizabeth Edwards look like a fool. She is basically blasting her neighbor at a media event for being a “rabid Republican”. She says that she would not let her children go around him and criticizes him for not keeping up his “slummy” property. Then she follows that up by admitting that she has never actually met the man, but if she did she “wouldn’t be very nice” to him. Wow! That is impressive.

For the record, John & Elizabeth Edwards live in a 28,000 square foot home valued at 5.3 million dollars. I mention that because I feel it is pertinent. They are arguably the wealthiest couple in the presidential race. And here she is criticizing her neighbor that she has never met, who obviously doesn’t have that kind of wealth and says that the high property taxes are part of the reason why he struggles to keep the property up. I guess that’s not much of a concern for Elizabeth Edwards, who has taken offense at his “slummy” home.

I wonder how the media would have reacted to Laura Bush saying something similar? Well, we will leave that one alone. But I will venture a guess and say that if this gentleman had an “Edwards ‘08” sign on his fence then Ms Edwards wouldn’t be so vocal about her disgust. And the guns? Ms. Edwards seems to think of the man as a Yosemite Sam type who shoots at people he “doesn’t like”. Actually, what I read suggests that two men entered his property for a “survey”. Perhaps this didn’t warrant pulling a gun, but I can’t say that I blame the guy for being alarmed at the site of two strangers snooping around his property. Is this a reason to “not be very nice” to him? Doesn’t he have a right to protect his property?

The point is this: John Edwards’ neighbor and the state of his property has no bearing on the national presidential campaign. It is a non-issue, unless you want to use it as an example of what high taxes do to people. But outside of that, I don’t understand the point of blasting your neighbor like this. It’s insensitive, presumptuous and downright mean. I used to think of Elizabeth Edwards as a classy lady, but that has changed. If this is what she thinks of America’s “slummy” class then maybe America should remember that on election day.