Written by 
Gov. Mark Sanford, AP Photo
By Tara Overzat
Since when did we only vote for politicians who say they don’t drink, don’t smoke, don’t have sex, don’t curse, and don’t poo in public?
It is ridiculous to expect politicians to not engage in imperfect, but human, behavior. Would you stop seeing your doctor if he cheated on his wife? How about if he was divorced?
Would you not go to your personal accountant because he smoked? Because he was overweight?
It makes sense to:
- Not see a fat personal trainer
- Not be evaluated by a doctor who smokes
- Not seek marriage advice from a man who is eight times divorced
It does not, however, make sense to:
- Vote for a man based not on his record, but based on his marital fidelity
- Vote for a man based on how often he claims to go to church
- Vote for a man becuase he “looks” like a leader
Let’s not forget that JFK was a serial adulterer (as was the first lady); FDR had a decades-long affair; Eisenhower nearly left his wife for his mistress. Does this make these presidents any less infuential in our history?
Forget who Gov. Sanford slept with, and whether or not John Edwards had a child with his mistress. Those are internal, family matters that will not affect how the person does his job any more than our personal affairs affect us in the workplace. If we do let our lives interfere with our work, we lose our jobs. In the same way, if their personal lives actually get in the way of what they are doing, then politicians will lose their jobs, too.
If we are going to call for Sanford to step down, let’s do it because he disappeared from his job for days on end, not because we disapprove of his taking a mistress.
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