Why?

What makes Cate Edwards get up every morning and shadow her father into court where he is on trial for illegal campaign contributions, conspiracy and making false statements. Even more disturbing is the man that John Edwards has revealed himself to be – a self-absorbed narcissist that has no trouble  pulling his daughter down into a hole that he created and shoving her face into the dirt.

For Cate’s part, like so many women, she has accepted the role of co-narcissist, a compulsion identified by Dr. Alan Rappoport which outlines how children enable narcissistic parents and how that co-development or enabling becomes a pattern. Rappoport says,”Narcissistic people blame others for their own problems,” while “Children of narcissists tend to feel overly responsible for other people.”

To be fair, Rappoport concludes that we are all narcissists and co-narcissists to “varying degrees.” “When we feel guilty or anxious because we fear that we are not meeting someone else’s needs or expectations, we are being co-narcissistic.”

But, admittedly, it is difficult to watch Cate Edwards. After her mother died, she seemed to slip right into her role of caring for and protecting her father. If you asked her why she does it, chances are she would say ‘he needs me.’ There is even speculation that Cate will take the stand testifying that her father was a loving husband. This after testimony by a friend of Elizabeth Edwards that he was cold and uninterested.

She has had to endure heart-wrenching testimony about her father’s affair and the many things he did to cover it up, even having his aide claim paternity.

The Associated Press reported that Cate left the courtroom in tears following testimony by ,Christina Reynolds, a former aide that witnessed a confrontation between Elizabeth and John on the day the story broke about his affair.  After leaving his side at a private airport hangar, she fell to the ground in a ball, and was helped up by staffers. Shortly after that, “she soon returned to the private hangar to again confront her husband. In front of several staff members…she took off her shirt and bra, exposing her chest. ‘”You don’t see me anymore,'” Reynolds quoted Elizabeth Edwards as screaming. “He didn’t have much of a reaction.”‘

It was not Edwards that consoled her, it was staffers again, while he called her doctor and took off for another scheduled appearance.

Of course, he probably blamed Elizabeth for his extra-marital affair and for embarrassing him in from of his staff. She did finally find the courage to leave him, but only a few months before she died. Yet, even until the end, Elizabeth continued to enable John, going so far as to meet his daughter, Frances, and showering her with Christmas gifts, a move no doubt meant to bring legitimacy to Frances Quinn and smooth things over for John. He needs her after all, and that must have been enough.

Unfortunately, now Cate Edwards has simply picked up from where her mother left off. After so much pain, Cate deserves to carry on without being a part of her father’s pathetic drama. Of course, I’m willing to bet if Elizabeth was alive, she would be alongside her daughter in that courtroom. Co-narcissists don’t fall far from the tree.