Last week, after John Edwards admitted he had had an affair with Rielle Hunter, he gave Robert Woodruff of ABC's Nightline an exclusive interview.
Edwards started strong and ended the first half well ahead. But in the second half, many of his answers cut into the credibility he had gained in the first.
So, what can we learn from this? Here are 8 lessons, the first 5 from what Edwards did well, the last 3 from when he slipped.
Lesson 1: Limit your time with the reporter. In his intro to the interview, ABC's reporter Robert Woodruff tells us that Edwards placed no restrictions on the questions, but "gave us only a limited amount of time." To confess and explain, 30 minutes is more than enough.
Lesson 2: Take control at the beginning of the interview. Regardless of the first question, step back, thank the reporter for the opportunity, and open with your explanation or framing of the situation. This may not always seem like the smoothest way to start, but it gives you initial control and confidence.
Lesson 3: In cases of adultery, appear without the wife. Using the wife as a sympathy prop
magnifies the husband's self-absorption and willingness to cause discomfort to his wife if he thinks it will make him look better. John Edwards' explanation of why Elizabeth is not there should become standard practice for all future philanderers.
Elizabeth's written statement, provided to Woodruff after the interview, is powerful.
Lesson 4: Establish privacy boundaries. Edwards declines to go into the details of the affair. "I think my family's entitled to every detail. They've been told every detail...I think that's where it stops in terms of the public, because everything else is within my family and those boundaries ought to be respected."
Lesson 5: Give a plausible explanation, if there is one, but without excuse. Edwards' description of his evolution into "...a self focus, an egotism, a narcissism that leads you to believe you can do whatever you want...and there will be no consequences" is a danger for all in the political spotlight.
Lesson 6: Don't attack the messenger, especially when the messenger was right. Edwards tries to discredit the National Enquirer and its blurred photo of someone who looks like him holding a baby. Edwards tries to discredit the accuracy of their reporting. Not bright when it was the Enquirer that broke the adultery story forcing Edwards' admission.
Lesson 7: Don't sound like a lawyer. When asked a series of questions about Ms Hunter's baby, Edwards sounds like he's back in court, carefully stepping through a legal minefield. Seems to me the obvious answer is either, "I don't know if that's the baby because I've never seen him." Or, "I did see/hold the baby, but that's not him."
Lesson 8: Anticipate all questions, but especially the obvious. Edwards is known for being a great trial lawyer. That means he's skilled at anticipating negative questions and having answers for them. Yet when asked about whether his friend, Fred Baron, had given Rielle Hunter money, Edwards says he just "heard about it in the past few days" from reporters. Hush money is an obvious hot question. Wouldn't you think he'd immediately call Fred and ask him what's up?
Or is it possible he already knew?
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