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I understand quitting. I've quit, too, under fire--after years of being under fire--tired, stressed, more important, isolated and unsupported. Often happens to black professionals working in all-white environments. Your experience is quite similar, believe me.
Except I can't believe you didn't have some kind of support system when this storm began to rage. Knowing how these people work, modeling the dirty tricks campaigns of the Nixon era, couldn't you have employed some other strategy to weather the storm besides quitting? Why not shut your blog down, period? Clam up for awhile. Fly under the radar.
This is a long narrative that contains loads of good reasons for quitting, which almost sounds like you are trying to convince both us and yourself that quitting was a good idea. I've been there and recognize the arc and structure of the explanation. But 2 weeks into it just seem too short a time to bow out for the good of the campaign. Was your quitting supported by those who hired you?
I can't see John Edwards suggesting that you exit, but knowing politicians left and right, I'm well aware that they would not want people to think that they would suggest such a thing. One day the suggestion simply materializes in the atmosphere--the aroma of non-communication, the sounds of silence. Maybe this wasn't a good idea. This is one set of bags we just don't need right now.
Having said that, and now having read some of your posts, wittily appropriate for the blogosphere, I'm surprised Edwards hired you. Politicians are so manufactured and cautious, even those on the left. They rarely make the kind of remarks pundits and bloggers pride themselves on.
I guess I'm saying here that I still have a lot of questions about why you were hired and what Edwards expected of you.
