This obit by Robert D. McFadden is definitely worth the few minutes it will take to read (“Edwin Edwards, Flamboyant Louisiana Governor, Is Dead at 93/He served four terms, charmed voters with his escapades and survived a score of investigations before going to prison in 2002 for racketeering“). If you’re into writing, you may find yourself reading it quite a few times in hopes of understanding just how McFadden does his job so well.
McFadden captures the flavor of the man, and of Louisiana politics of the period. What a talent!
Throughout his years as governor, Mr. Edwards pursued his own pleasures: trips to Las Vegas with suitcases full of cash; all-night poker parties with cronies who paid $10,000 antes; a junket to Paris and Monte Carlo for 600 supporters who paid off his campaign debts; and endless womanizing, which he did not bother to deny.
Asked once if he feared that his phone were tapped, he answered, “I can’t imagine who would want to do it, except maybe some jealous husbands.”
He was the target of criminal investigations that went nowhere. He acknowledged being questioned by 22 state and federal grand juries — about selling state jobs to campaign contributors, about a $10,000 “gift” to his wife from a Korean businessman, and about paying gambling debts with cash of unknown origin, among other skulduggery. “Fast Eddie,” as he was known, shrugged it all off.
The piece is capped off with this anecdote, which alone is worth the price of admission.
Among the countless stories about Mr. Edwards was one told by John Maginnis, the author of a 1984 biography, “The Last Hayride.” Campaigning at a revival meeting on the Fourth of July, Mr. Edwards, resplendent in summer whites and carrying a white Bible, handed the preacher an envelope containing $5,000 as the crowd clapped and cheered.
“Tell me,” Mr. Maginnis asked the preacher afterward, “how can pious people support a man who is known to gamble, chase women and constantly face investigation for corruption?”
“Well,” the preacher said, “he don’t drink or smoke.”
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Ain’t nothing like a corrupt, charismatic Southern politician to bring out the creative juices of writers of all styles!
Am I correct in remembering the Edwin Edwards taught Chris Hemmeter what political corruption was really like after Hemmeter went broke trying to build casinos in New Orleans?
I write a lot of letters of recommendation for job seekers and appreciate this example…although it’s for a different purpose, an obituary, it demonstrates well how to capture the essence of a person!