They seemed like such a picture-perfect American family as they campaigned across Iowa, a presidential candidate and his supportive wife accompanied by their young children.

But John Edwards' admission that he stepped out on his wife, Elizabeth, quickly changed the perceptions of Iowa Democrats who handed him second-place finishes in both the 2004 and 2008 caucuses.

The man who earlier this decade was pegged as a rising star in the Democratic Party is now its latest pariah, the result of a sex scandal.

Although Edwards had long been out of the race, some reports had placed him in contention for a spot on Barack Obama's ticket this year. Edwards appeared to have a bright future ahead.

But the difficulty for Edwards is that he already had a sincerity problem on his hands. The affair solidified those doubts and caused many of his ardent backers to rethink their loyalty.

Critics felt Edwards lived a lifestyle of extravagance in sharp contrast to his public image as a champion for the poor.

The Edwards family owns a house that would be considered a mansion by most middle-class standards. Edwards' $400 haircuts added to the discord.

Defenders argued the son of a mill worker should be able to enjoy the financial success he built as a trial lawyer. Others saw past the regular-guy persona, which Edwards cultivated in his latest campaign by donning blue jeans on the campaign trail in Iowa.

Edwards made lifting Americans out of poverty one the defining issues of his presidential campaigns, a social problem other contenders only touched on. Union members saw a champion for workers' rights in Edwards.

Although John Edwards was the candidate, he and his wife always seemed like a package deal.

Elizabeth was her husband's fiercest defender and one of his campaign's most effective weapons, dishing out criticism of his rivals so he could maintain a more positive tone.

The public's familiarity with Elizabeth and her struggles with incurable cancer made the news of the affair even less forgivable.

After Edwards' star has fallen, it's questionable whether he'll have the same platform to push the issues of poverty and access to health care that he and his wife promoted.

Edwards cancelled an appearance at an Iowa conference on solutions to poverty after going public with the affair, and some of Edwards' biggest Iowa supporters have started to back away.

Congressman Bruce Braley, a Democrat from Waterloo who endorsed Edwards, wouldn't speculate on what's next for him.

"When you've run for president twice, most people would consider that the pinnacle of their political careers, and I think most people who have done that would be looking to move on and do something else with their lives," Braley said.

Next for Edwards is a period of soul-searching as he cares for an ill wife.

The son of a mill worker has fought his way up the ladder of success against the odds. It's not out of the realm of possibility that he can fight his way back from this scandal, although it likely won't be for another round in politics.

If Edwards can find another channel to fight against poverty in the country and lift up working people, he will likely have found his true calling.