John Edwards Explains For Young Americans

John Edwards Explains For Young Americans

In a recent interview on Hardball with Chris Matthews, John Edwards defended himself from attacks by Ann Coulter, and also defended using her quotes in his fundraising. Chris Matthews was there to help with this nugget:

MATTHEWS: Let me ask you about how you explain this kind of — it wouldn’t be a tit for a tat — this nastiness the other night, to your older daughter, your college-age or actually law school-age daughter, Kate? How do you explain these kinds of things that happen in politics?

J. EDWARDS: You know, I think the truth is, Chris, I don’t need to explain it to Kate. I mean, because I think she’s extraordinarily mature for her age. She understands that these sort of things go on in politics, that you have to — if you care about what we’re doing — as to what we’ve always — Elizabeth and I have always taught our children: If you care about what you’re doing, if you want to make the lives of other people better, sometimes, if you’re going to do it politically, which is what we’ve chosen to do…

Well it’s good to know that Chris Matthews and John Edwards have faith in the youth of America. I wonder at what age we should assume someone is familiar with political reality? Kate is, of course, mature for her age, so I think after the rest of us complete our post-graduate degrees or pass the bar we can be part of the “understands the meanness of the world” club.