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Steve and Cokie Roberts -National columnists

After learning that her breast cancer had returned, Elizabeth Edwards told 󈬬 Minutes,” “Either you push forward with the things that you were doing yesterday or you start dying.”

Every family in America has been touched by cancer, including ours. And we believe strongly that all of them have the right to handle the disease in their own way. So we resent critics who pass moral judgment on the Edwardses, such as the writer to the Orlando Sentinel who admonished the couple by saying, “Stay home, raise your children, and give the gift of yourself while you can.”

If that woman wants to make that decision for herself, fine. If she doesn't want to vote for John Edwards because he's too liberal or too distracted, that's fine, too. But Elizabeth Edwards gets to live - and die - according to her own moral code.

Of course, the story of the Edwards family is not just about personal choices. The man is running for president, and how a candidate confronts a challenge like a life-threatening illness says something important about his capacity to occupy the Oval Office.

Edwards himself framed the issue on 󈬬 Minutes”: “I think every single candidate for president ... have personal lives that indicate something about what kind of human being they are, and I think it is a fair evaluation for America to engage in ...”

Some say we've learned that Edwards is ruthlessly ambitious, and that's probably true. But we've also learned that he can handle stress and make hard decisions under pressure, and those qualities would make him a better president.

From the beginning, stories that illuminate “the kind of human being” who's running for president have been part of our politics. Americans have always looked for candidates who demonstrate honesty, bravery and above all, the tenacity to triumph over adversity. Think George Washington surviving Valley Forge, Abe Lincoln growing up in a log cabin. But television, which feeds and focuses on personalities, has placed a higher premium than ever on heroic narratives.

Smart political operators know this, of course, and carefully craft stirring sagas for their candidates, but voters generally see through the myth making to the authentic person underneath. (The one exception was Ronald Reagan, whose most heroic roles came in the movies, but many Americans didn't seem to know or care.)

The first president of the TV age, Dwight Eisenhower, led American troops into battle on D-Day. The highpoint of John F. Kennedy's story was the sinking of his naval craft, PT-109 (the boat became the symbol of his campaign and aging New Frontiersmen still wear PT-109 tie clasps in his honor).

George Bush the Elder flew 58 combat missions during World War II and was shot down over the Pacific. Bill Clinton became The Boy from Hope, the son of a no-account father who died before he was born and a courageous mother who needed his protection from an abusive new husband.

George W. Bush was just another privileged and spoiled child before his wife, Laura, helped him conquer alcohol and find religion. That story of salvation helped him beat Al Gore (who lacked any compelling narrative) and John Kerry (who had two storylines that conflicted with each other, combat veteran and antiwar protestor).

In the current field, John McCain obviously tells the richest tale of heroism. Among Edwards' competitors for the Democratic nomination, Hillary Clinton is developing a narrative that portrays her as a “middle class” daughter born in “middle America” in the “middle of the last century.” OK, but that's not exactly surviving an air crash or the Hanoi Hilton.

Clinton can't talk about the part of her life that has required the most resilience: putting up with her wayward husband. The real power of her story has to come from the campaign itself - her drive to be the first woman president.

Barack Obama's highlight reel is also more about his future - as the first black president - than about his past. He's often compared to John F. Kennedy, and his tale of growing up in a mixed race family is certainly engaging. But has he really been tested by tragedy or crisis? Kennedy, at his age, had already survived Japanese guns, a serious illness and searing daily pain.

The odds are strongly against John Edwards becoming president. But he and his wife have passed a key test. In the face of tragedy they have not started dying. They have continued to live, and work, and “push forward.”

Steve Roberts' latest book is “My Fathers' Houses: Memoir of a Family” (William Morrow, 2005). Steve and Cokie Roberts can be contacted by e-mail at stevecokie@gmail.com.

Copyright 2007, Newspaper Enterprise Assn.

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Jay Nickerson wrote on Jun 4, 2007 5:29 PM:

" Mrs. Edwards breast cancer reoccurrence is sad news indeed. My prayers are with her and her family. However, I will not back off from criticizing John Edwards and his flawed views of this great country. He is wrong on so many fronts even the rest of the Democrat candidates can't keep up. They are all trying to stay to the left of each other - like some leapfrog game. Again, Edwards run for office is not, and should not, be about his wife's health. Best of luck on her treatment. "

Don Myers wrote on Apr 9, 2007 9:25 AM:

" While I wouldn't vote for John Edwards because of our differences in political views, I do think he is a good man,married to a couragious woman who is obviously a loving wife and mother, I believe they are taking their family and a tutor on the road with them...what an experiance for their kids...I say those who criticise the Edwards should "Back Off" and be thankful THEY do not have terminal cancer. People in this country really need to "get a Grip" "

The comments above are from readers. In no way do they represent the views of the Rhinelander Daily News.