Friends of Elizabeth Edwards tell politico.com the book Game Change includes an accurate portrayal of Edwards. Regardless, they’re defending her actions this way:

During the campaign and its aftermath, Edwards learned that she has incurable cancer, while confronting the reality of an unfaithful and lying husband, a broken marriage and a child borne by her husband’s mistress. The string of psychological blows was so enormous it wasn’t until just recently that Edwards could finally absorb and accept them all, according to these friends.

“I would hate to be judged by how I would respond during that time under similar circumstances,” said John Moylan, the campaign’s South Carolina state director. “Elizabeth is a real person. It’s a mistake to miss that on either end of the spectrum.”

Nice try Mr. Moylan, but the everybody-would-act-this-way defense is hogwash. For many people, the suffering and challenge of serious illness brings out their most loving and nurturing qualities, not the worst. What’s more, the vast majority of Americans are not obsessed with power, are not rude and abusive to others, and would not live a personal and public lie as part of a desperate attempt to get to the White House.