In today’s information age, politicians vying for office often feel the need to divulge personal information to the public before opponents have the chance.
On Saturday, former senator John Edwards officially announced his wife’s ongoing battle with breast cancer would not keep him out of the 2008 presidential race.
Elizabeth Edwards’s cancer is incurable. Although treatable, the reality is that it may be a deadly disease. And if a President Edwards were to lose his wife of 30 years, his ability to run the country would be affected.
Because his wife’s health could have a large impact on his leadership, Edwards needed to inform the voters about the condition. It is much smarter to be honest with the public, rather than have facts come out later from another source.
When Gov. Deval Patrick was campaigning, he did not disclose his wife’s depression. Since his office announced Diane Patrick’s illness, the governor has cut back work hours and adjusted his schedule to spend more time with his family.
Voters need to be informed of politicians’ personal and health matters if the issue will affect their jobs. They should also consider how politicians’ personal lives could influence their positions. It seems likely Edwards will champion cancer research in response to his wife’s illness. He also supports universal healthcare coverage and insisted taxes on the wealthy must be raised to support this plan.
Candidates’ ideologies stem from their personal lives, so it can be useful to be aware of a nominee’s background. Edwards’s personal life, which includes his wife’s battle with cancer and losing a teenage son in 1996, no doubt contributes to who he is as a man and also as a candidate.
But politicians must be careful not to exploit their family stories for almost propagandist campaign platforms, and there is no reason to believe Edwards will.
The Edwards family has bravely chosen to press on. Now that the decision has been made, the couple enters the war zone that will be the upcoming presidential election. Mrs. Edwards’s health should no longer be a main topic for debate. Rather, it must be stored away in the backs of ballot casters’ minds as something that could cause complications in the future.
But Edwards would probably be the first to tell voters that they will cross that bridge when they get to it. For now, it’s just time to talk politics.