Mary, as a fellow cancer survivor I appreciate your post and understand it. On the other hand, as a public relations professional I see things a bit differently. Any public figure needs to understand how their "personal brand" is going to play to the public. Yes, Elizabeth Edwards' cancer could be said to have enhanced her public image and to have been "used" for political purposes but at the same time a serious illness can also be a negative in a country that wants a visible, vibrant and globe-trotting first lady. If I had worked for her I would have planned ways to work with her diagnosis on the campaign trail, but that's just business and can hardly be characterized as "plotting" as some have done.
The whole sordid situation that she's been touched by, including the tell-all book that apparently puts her in a negative light, is sad to see and takes away from her ability to take care of her health and her children. I totally agree with you that people need to leave her alone, and to stop judging or speculating on what she did or didn't do. She didn't run for office. She didn't have an affair. She didn't lie to the public or to her family. She is a cancer survivor who needs, and deserves, support to live out the rest of her days as best possible without interference.
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Mary, as a fellow cancer survivor I appreciate your post and understand it. On the other hand, as a public relations professional I see things a bit differently. Any public figure needs to understand how their "personal brand" is going to play to the public. Yes, Elizabeth Edwards' cancer could be said to have enhanced her public image and to have been "used" for political purposes but at the same time a serious illness can also be a negative in a country that wants a visible, vibrant and globe-trotting first lady. If I had worked for her I would have planned ways to work with her diagnosis on the campaign trail, but that's just business and can hardly be characterized as "plotting" as some have done.
The whole sordid situation that she's been touched by, including the tell-all book that apparently puts her in a negative light, is sad to see and takes away from her ability to take care of her health and her children. I totally agree with you that people need to leave her alone, and to stop judging or speculating on what she did or didn't do. She didn't run for office. She didn't have an affair. She didn't lie to the public or to her family. She is a cancer survivor who needs, and deserves, support to live out the rest of her days as best possible without interference.
February 3, 2010 - 5:34pmThis Comment
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