I think the problem with this ad is that it is simply a vague character spot that invites the viewer to impose any underlying meaning on the basically content-free praise that Mrs. Edwards is heaping upon her husband.

In this way, I think John Dickerson is absolutely right (though he's not as articulate about this point as one might like): in the context of an ad that doesn't have any real content, it is perfectly reasonable to infer that she is speaking about Sen. Edwards' personal family struggles.

Her response puzzles me, because I would think that allowing viewers to freely interpret her words in the ad was entirely the point of this spot. Clearly, the intent is to cash in on the fact that plenty of prospective Democratic primary voters see Edwards in a positive light only when viewed through the lens of his wife, though schoolmarmy indictments of reporters doesn't help anyone's case.