John Edwards: Perception and Reality

Apparently Rielle Hunter, the mistress to former U.S. Senator and Presidential Candidate, John Edwards, was extremely upset with the three photographs of herself featured in the latest issue of GQ.   Hunter told Barbara Walters, in an interview on The View, that she found the images of herself without wearing pants, "repulsive."

I'm sorry...did I miss something? Not only did she pose for the pictures the way she did, wearing a man's shirt in seductive poses, she also posed with her and John Edwards child in the photos. Now I find that repulsive.

In this video, posted on CNN's Political Ticker, I guess you can say that Hunter was most likely "caught in the moment." She did not appear nervous and actually seemed to be enjoying the experience. My question is why even do this? If you need the money then write the book on your experience and sell the TV rights. If you are looking to improve public perception than engage reporters about how you met Edwards and how the relationship developed - Don't pose the way you did for GQ. Finally, if you want to protect your child from future media scrutiny, then don't use them to enhance or rebuild your reputation or as an excuse for your 15 minutes of fame.  Hunter should've done a series of interviews on all the major media outlets, rather than posed for a selected publication, and posed the way she did.  Frankly, she could have bolstered her position if Edwards agreed to appear with her, but that could damage his reputation further as well. Regardless, both Johnny and Rielle will have a lot to explain to their child when she gets older to understand what really happened.

In full disclosure, while I may have supported John Edwards when he ran for President (the first time in 2004), it was before I learned about his affairs and his ability to ignore reality, while telling the truth from the onset of this or other relationships.  Which in turn, dramatically damaged his reputation to the point that it will be a long time before he can recover the reputation he (and elizabeth) worked so hard to build.  Had I known then what I know now, perhaps I would have supported another candidate.

Daniel Cherrin

DANIEL CHERRIN |served the City of Detroit as its Communications Director and the Press Secretary to Detroit Mayor, Ken Cockrel, Jr. He is a public relations + affairs specialist who just happens to be a lawyer, with 20 years of experience providing senior public relations and government relations’ counsel to organizations on state and federal regulatory and legislative matters, as well as issues affecting corporate and individual reputation, crisis management and the media. Daniel is the founder of NORTH COAST STRATEGIES (Est. 2005) an independent public relations consultancy that combines the best of a big agency with hands-on executive-level experience and support. As a signatory company to the United Nations Global Compact, we are dedicated to addressing issues around human rights, labor, the environment, and anti-corruption. We are also focused on redefining your brand and changing the conversation to create an impact.