An excerpt from Game Change, the new book about the 2008 presidential election, features details of the unsavory “implosion” of presidential aspirant John Edwards. The excerpt is titled “Saint Elizabeth and the Ego Monster.”
Saint Elizabeth refers to Mrs. John Edwards, although the piece doesn’t exactly lay out the case that anyone ever considered Elizabeth Edwards saintly. After calling her fat, grieving and imperfect, the authors proclaim her “one of the most outspoken and widely admired cancer survivors in history.” That’s not the same as having a reputation for saintliness.
But the authors sound like they hit the mark with the Ego Monster title, as applied to John Edwards. That is, if you believe the words of ex-staffers and political journalists.
It’s a good, juicy read for those who like to see the ugly side of politics, especially since a big chunk of it revolves around the love affair John Edwards had with videographer-witch-truthseeker Rielle Hunter (who doesn’t come out of it smelling like a rose).