John Edwards and Joe Average

So now we know that yes, Elizabeth Edwards is battling cancer again, but that John Edwards will continue to work and campaign to be our next President. I wish I could find a transcript of the press conference, because he said something to the effect of “If I can’t handle both these things at the same time, then I can’t handle being President.”

Sad but true, this puts Mr. Edwards more in line with Joe Average. Over 240,000 women per year are diagnosed with breast cancer alone in the United States, and it’s a good bet that many of them have husbands or other long-term partners.

Joe Average can’t quit work to take care of a sick wife. If nothing else, he would lose his health insurance benefits, which means paying for all her care out-of-pocket. He can’t get private insurance that will cover the expenses, because her illness will be considered a “pre-existing condition.” In fact, woe to Joe if he is self-employed or an independant contractor, since his insurance rates are about to go through the roof at the very time he can least afford it. It is worth noting that the Edwards health reform plan does very little for Joe unless he has an employer. Which reminds me — Mrs. Edwards’s previous bout with cancer was fairly well publicized; is her current problem covered at all?

Nor can Joe Average afford to take a lot of time off work to accompany his ailing wife to doctor’s appointments and hospital visits. Joe is expected to keep his private life to himself. That means no whining, and getting the job done. If Joe gets an hourly wage, he can’t afford to lose the hours as much as he wants to be there for her; if Joe is salaried, chances are he is expected to give 110% and pitch in with unpaid overtime at the boss’s whim. Mr. Edwards, on the other hand, despite his gruelling schedule can still manage to “be there” for important appointments. He’s clearly a stand-up guy in this respect.

If Joe Average has kids, that throws an additional wrinkle into things. Chances are his wife has been the primary provider for the kids, even if she has been working full time. Her illness makes it unlikely that she can continue to do everything that she has done around the house. Joe’s time is already stretched very thin for the reasons described above. If Joe is very, very lucky, he might have a (female) relative who can come help around the house for a few months. It is worth noting that he would never consider asking a male relative for such assistance. If there are no female relatives, either there’s a lot of pizza and canned soup in the Average Family’s future, or he’s going to need to hire some help he can barely afford to pay. Probably both. By way of contrast, the Edwards Family probably already have household staff on at least a part time basis, and they certainly have the money to hire quality in-home assistance if necessary. They also have a grown daughter who can pitch in if needed.

It will be interesting to see how Mr. Edwards’s political stances evolve with his circumstances.

In closing: “fame, narcissism, and MySpace”; yet another state considering a wait and see stance on Real ID; the Heinlein Society; clearing the way to using (what’s left of) our troops at home; Amnesty International thinks our treatment of certain prisoners leaves a lot to be desired, like say, trials; and finally hmm, yeah conservatism is expensive.