And no issue is better to start on than the Sanford issue:
What a public relations nightmare Mark Sanford’s revelations about his affair present to the GOP.
But I suggest that we not concern ourselves with public relations, or with sympathy for Sanford. And we should certainly not follow the path taken by Democrats, whose betrayed wives, like Elizabeth Edwards, go on a book tour or try to rationalize their husband’s affairs, as Hillary Clinton did.
Sanford’s affair proves that one’s personal life — contrary to the claims of the “Clinton lied but no one died” contingent — does affect one’s ability to govern. Sanford’s disastrous press conference revealed that he is a man still torn between his mistress and his wife. That as a governor he could take off for Argentina and place his state in jeopardy proves that the emotional turmoil of an extramarital affair clouds one’s thinking and actions. It gives the lie to the claim that one’s personal life has nothing to do with job performance. It proves that politicians’ personal lives should be the subject of scrutiny. Only a conscienceless person could carry on an affair without it clouding his thinking. Of course, there are the sociopaths, but we don’t want them in office either.
It is tremendously useful that it was Sanford – an strongly conservative man – who shall be our poster-boy for the revivification of American political morality. By stating clearly that we want Sanford to resign – or will gin up a primary opponent, should he seek office under the GOP banner – we will lay down the marker: our side believes, correctly, that there is no difference between private and public morality. You cannot be an honest governor and a dishonest husband – you are either honorable, or you’re not, and there’s an end on it.
For too long throughout our society we have tolerated boorish, immoral and disgusting behavior from the Powerful – from arts to politics to business, there is really no sin we haven’t passed on in silence. A business man divorces his wife of 30 years to marry a young girl – we don’t do anything. An actor is caught cheating on his wife – we don’t do anything. A President is caught having adulterous sex with a subordinate – we don’t do anything. Oh, there is a lot of fireworks in these things – but nothing is actually done.
We don’t force the miscreants out of public life. We don’t force them to confront their crimes. We don’t make them pay the price of their oath-breaking. Complete social ostracism is the only means of protecting society against predators who would use their power and position to gratify their lusts. Put a man at risk of losing everything, and he’ll be a lot more wary about risking it all…cost him nothing or, indeed, give him a de-facto reward for infidelity, and the levee is down, in comes a flood of immorality.
Sanford must go. Ensign must go. The GOP should extract pledges from its candidates that they will never break an oath – and if they do, they’ll immediately resign all positions. At the bare minimum, a politician should be forced to keep his word – and if we demand it, they’ll do it.
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