As they became more and more convinced that reports of his extramarital affair were true, members of John Edwards's presidential-campaign staff considered sabotaging the whole enterprise in order to prevent him from losing the election for the Democrats. Reports George Stephanopoulos:

But by late December, early January of last year, several people in his inner circle began to think the rumors were true. Several of them had gotten together and devised a "doomsday" strategy of sorts. Basically, if it looked like Edwards was going to win the Democratic Party nomination, they were going to sabotage his campaign, several former Edwards' staffers have told me. They said they were Democrats first, and if it looked like Edwards was going to become the nominee, they were going to bring down the campaign.

How much of this is bluster and posthumous ass-covering? Probably a good deal — after all, look at how much flak the otherwise completely pitiable Elizabeth Edwards is getting for her collusion in keeping the affair secret and the campaign going. But still, you have to wonder what a 2008 campaign self-sabotage would have looked like. Er, well, a Democratic one.

Edwards Staff Had Affair 'Doomsday' Strategy [ABC News]