Can John Edwards make a comeback?

It seems clear the disgraced two-time presidential contender will never hold office again. But he could find a way to do "good things"

Pariah: John Edwards
(Image credit: AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

This week, a federal jury found John Edwards — the former senator from North Carolina and a two-time presidential candidate — not guilty on one count of campaign finance fraud. With the jury hung on five other counts, he managed to avoid as much as 30 years in prison, but his fall from grace could not have been bumpier. Edwards was accused of illegally using campaign money to cover up his extramarital affair with Rielle Hunter, who gave birth to their out-of-wedlock daughter. The trial featured testimony dramatizing the emotional damage he inflicted on his dying, cancer-stricken wife, and the betrayal that his once-fervent supporters felt. Still, Edwards implied after the verdict that he saw some hope for redemption. "I don't think God's through with me," he said. "I really believes he thinks there's still some good things I can do." Can John Edwards make a comeback?

It's unlikely. But not impossible: At some point, Edwards "will have to rebuild his shattered reputation," say MJ Lee and Mackenzie Weinger at Politico. To do that, he will have to show true contrition and humility, and put his political talents behind a public cause. He could resume his fight against poverty, the central plank of his 2008 presidential run. Or he could resurrect his spectacular career as a trial lawyer, working pro bono for needy clients. While it will be a daunting task, it's still possible that Edwards "can rehab his reputation and build a new life."

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