Edwards' trajectory: rapid rise, then fall

When veteran Democratic strategist Bob Shrum first met John Edwards in 1997, he saw in the accomplished trial lawyer a raw political talent.

"I called my partners and said. 'I think I just met a future president of the United States,' " Shrum said.

A year later, at 45, Edwards would be elected to the U.S. Senate, launching a trajectory that in 2000 put him on the short list of potential running mates for Al Gore. By 2001, he'd begun planning what would be the first of two presidential campaigns and, in 2004, was John Kerry's vice president pick.

It was as if he were making up for lost time.

"He always was in a hurry," said political analyst Charlie Cook. "That was sort of the hallmark of his career."

Edwards' rise was sparked in part by biography.

The self-described "son of a mill worker" sought to appeal to middle-class voters through the narrative of his working-class roots and a family bonded by tragedy, including the death of a teenage son and wife Elizabeth's battle with breast cancer.

Edwards' fall, heralded by tabloid headlines and punctuated by Friday's admission of infidelity, was propelled by another narrative.

"I went from being a senator, a young senator, to being considered for vice president, running for president, being a vice presidential candidate and becoming a national public figure," he told ABC's "Nightline" on Friday. "All of which fed a self-focus, an egotism, a narcissism that leads you to believe that you can do whatever you want. You're invincible. And there will be no consequences."

The immediate consequences of Edwards' fall will be the loss of a prime-time slot at this month's Democratic convention and, almost certainly, any job in a Barack Obama administration. Some doubt he has a political future at all.

With the exception of Obama, few politicians reach the heights of prominence as fast as Edwards.

"He's Icarus -- he flew very close to the sun," said Shrum, referring to the mythological character who fell to his death on melted wings.

"He could have been a force in American politics for a very long time."

A quickly rising star

In 1997, Edwards was one of several Democrats considering a challenge to Republican Sen. Lauch Faircloth. He was a gifted trial lawyer who had just won North Carolina's largest personal injury verdict: a $25 million settlement for a 9-year-old girl injured in a swimming pool accident. But he was new to politics.

Democratic pollster Harrison Hickman and strategist Gary Pearce met Edwards at his Raleigh law office.

"I was blown away," Hickman said. "The fact that he had not spent his life in politics was his greatest asset. People at the time were saying he didn't have enough experience and hadn't been tested. Actually, he'd been tested in ways other people had not."

With $6 million of his own money, Edwards campaigned on "mainstream North Carolina" values and ran positive ads.

"(The campaign) was built around his life story," said Ferrel Guillory, a political analyst at UNC-Chapel Hill. "He was young, a change agent ... a suburban populist."

With youth and telegenic looks, Edwards offered a sharp contrast to the then-70-year-old Faircloth.

"If you're an incumbent, one of your nightmares is a fresh face coming out of the woodwork with the resources to be competitive," said GOP strategist Carter Wrenn, a onetime strategist to Faircloth and Republican Sen. Jesse Helms.

Edwards and Clinton

Once elected, it didn't take Edwards long to make his mark.

He had a dynamic public speaking style and could connect with voters in a way reminiscent of Bill Clinton. His life story, his centrist message and his youthful good looks propelled him.