"In general, pride is at the bottom of all great mistakes." -John Ruskin Two "hot of the press" (2010) political books that I'm excited to read are "Game Change" and "The Politician".
"Game Change" covers the 2008 Presidential drama-drama-and-more-drama campaign! It basically explains how Hilary, Edwards, McCain, and Palin could all self destruct, assuring a win for Barack Obama.
"The Politician," by Andrew Young, the trusted John Edwards aide and erstwhile scapegoat from the Rielle Hunter affair (Young was supposed to claim the baby was his), gives us the juicy details behind Edwards fall from grace.
From the book reviews I've read, both books show the ugly underside & great HUBRIS to so many politicians! Gosh, we've been warned of exceeding pride all through the Bible to tragic Greek figures (Achilles or Oedipus); yet man continues to fall prey to it (well, woman too, think Hilary & Palin)! Why? How is it that we miss the mark on learning from the past (or others) when it comes to getting puffed up in pride?
The John Edwards scandal is so pitiful to me! Here is a man who seems like he was a pretty decent guy before the Kerry/Edwards ticket in 2004 went straight to his ego. Even though the Democratic ticket lost to Bush, an arrogance was born in Edwards that tragically became his undoing!
I guess most of us will never have the meteoric rise and undue adulation like John Edwards to know whether we'd be immune to the blunders and folly that sunk Edwards politically (and perhaps personally as well). But it is worth pondering why some people achieve fame, fortune, or power but stay grounded. Then others fall right off their moral compass and wham...they're suddenly above the law, morality, above us all!
I'd love to think that I would not be affected so pathetically by power as a lot of these sad stories. But we never really know. I guess we just have to do our darndest to make admirable choices along the way with hopes that Pavlovian/conditioned responses would continue regardless of positions of power (or not).
"We've seen the hubris. And now we're seeing the scandals." -David R. Gergen
