It Sucks to be Opie

Read this New York Times quote and try to tell me that it doesn’t suck to be Opie Edwards these days.

Katie Simenson, 41, a massage therapist, accused the Democratic ticket of letting Republicans suggest that Mr. Edwards had taken frivolous cases as a lawyer and that Mr. Kerry was a waffler and soft on defense.

"They're going to run you right over and make you look like idiots," Ms. Simenson said.

Mr. Edwards sought to answer, promising "to fight every day between now and Election Day" and assuring her that Mr. Kerry "is strong, courageous and he is a fighter."

"And I like to believe I am the same thing," he said. But Ms. Simenson shook her head.

"We will — don't shake your head! — we will fight,'' Mr. Edwards continued.

"No, we will fight every way we know how. But we are fighting for you, we are not fighting with these politicians. George Bush wants to fight with politicians. We are fighting for you. We want to make your life better — don't argue with me, let me finish. We're going to stand up — I let you talk, let me finish — we're going to stand up for the things that we believe in."

“Don’t shake your head”??? Good Lord, can you imagine what must have been going through Edwards’ mind at that moment? This sure can’t be what he signed on for. And remember that he still harbors presidential ambitions for 2008. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him take as low a profile as he can the remainder of the way, only this time all of his own accord.

And can you believe that the Times printed this story as well? Is, perchance, the Kerry implosion becoming a political force of nature, its momentum growing beyond the human ability to contain?

UPDATE: BTW, if “George Bush wants to fight with politicians,” as Senator Edwards charged, is he suggesting that he and Kerry aren’t politicians? And since his contrast was that he and Kerry are “fighting for [voters],” doesn’t that imply that Bush is fighting against voters? Does that mean that all voters are politicians but Kerry and Edwards aren’t? And if they’re not, why don’t they do the country a huge favor and just quit the race now?

Geez, I thought Edwards, at least, was supposed to be silver-tongued…