Open Thread (6/24/2009)

SC Gov Sanford will not be the next GOP nominee for Pres.

I knew the "hypocrite" label would come flying out on this.

Is fidelity to your wife not a valid value?  There are some who think it is passe, but I think most people do hold this up as an ideal.  We have seen some politicians and preachers fall short of the ideal.  Should we abandon the ideal, or should we just not allow anyone to express it as a value (because if they fail they will be a hypocrite)?

What is wrong with these people?  Since they live in the limelight, how can they think they won't be caught?  I have no sympathy for them--if you're going to preach family values, then live them.

let's recognize that politically, it's very damaging to the GOP to have so many high-profile socially conservative national figures having extramarital affairs.

It is damaging, yes.  But it is more damaging for the country if there is no one espousing socially conservative views.  The Dems don't care about traditional values.  (It's just sex, who cares?)

People will fail - we are weak creatures.  But those failures shouldn't be allowed to destroy the argument for the values.

there are a lot of things on the edge of the issue that are legislated, or taxed, or incented - prostitution, divorce law, child custody law, adoption law, welfare benefits, and coming soon health care benefits.  It is not as simple as saying we shouldn't have laws against adultery.

 Is fidelity to your wife not a valid value?

Who said it wasn't? What tars my feathers about these things is not just the hypocrisy of yet another "my family is holier than thou's" Republican politician, but that the Republicans are showing that their "values" are only relevant when they are politically convenient. Both Ensign and Vitter received standing ovations from their political peers after their affairs. That's not the action of a party that disapproves of the actions of one of their members.

 If Republicans are serious about being the party of heterosexual-only family values, then they need to act it. Stop putting people like serial adulterer Newt Gingrich, serial adulterer John McCain, and serial adulterer Rudy Giuliani at the forefront of the party. Not to mention thrice-married (and fornicator!) Rush Limbaugh. I'll grant you Ann Coulter, since she's never been married and is therefore likely a virgin.

Poor Sandford. If only gay marriage had not weakened his marriage so severely, this would have never happened.

On June 24th, 2009 at 06:15 PM, Narc said:  "...serial adulterer John McCain..."

Small (possible) nitpick:  I thought McCain had only been married to two women...?  He was unfaithful to his first wife (in a unusual situation) with his now-wife, Cindy.  At least, that's what I remember.  I only quibble with the descriptive "serial", nothing more.

HG

Americans have a long history of tolerating corruption in their elected officials.  They seem to be much quicker to reject hypocrisy.

Probably because rejecting hypocrisy requires merely a verbal or mental act.

Eliminating corruption requires more substantial action

Michael Fuerst             

(Click here for Urbana postage stamps, T-shirts and bumper stickers.)

Absolutely, Poor Richard. That's the first thing that came to my mind as well.

We can talk about the hypocrisy things (and I don't disagree with Narc up there) but looming far above that as an issue is the fact that as sitting Governor, the guy just went AWOL without officially putting someone else in charge.  In any high level management gig that's just bad work habits.

The mistress is just icing.  If he had been honest about going to Argentina but only lied about the reason for going, and handed off responsibilities and given contacts correctly when he went, THEN this would merely be an issue of an affair (which I agree is between him and his wife).

Ditto for the Appalachian Trail excuse.   You're not reachable on the AT, I would think anyone in management going on that particular excursion would need to hand off responsibility to someone else.

I think Jon Stewart put it best last night: "Just another politician with a conservative mind and a liberal penis."

--

Glock21 Op/Ed

On June 24th, 2009 at 09:12 PM, Narc said:  "...Sorry for my error. I can only blame gay marriage."

Well done, well done.  ;-)  :-)

HG

But traditional values are one of the pillars of Republican thought.  If you stop advocating those values you will lose a large portion of your base.

I think what is happening here is a small but important peek behind the curtain.  So many of these traditional values folks are using the platform to garner votes, and no more.  Most probably don't give a rat's butt whether gay folks are allowed to marry or not.  But it brings people to the polls and so they use it as a wedge issue.  In the case of Sanford I have no doubt that a political consultant took one look at those four boys and thought "family values," which he rode all the way to the top of South Carolina politics.  But did he really believe it?  Probably not (same with rejecting the stimulus, btw).

Same thing happens with Democrats all the time.  The environment is one of my personal favorites.  Every Democrat in the country is for "protecting the environment" but rarely are any large steps taken to actually protect anything.  Or everyone is for labor unions, but the workers are usually the first sold down the river after an election.  Why?  These issues bring voters to the polls but it is just too hard to actually follow through.

But that brings into focus the real question of values: are they real?  Do we really care about the environment?  Do we really care about marriage?  Are we really interested in living out these values or are they just soundbites that we use to separate ourselves from others with judgment?

Touch questions.  The Republican adulterers are not an encouraging sign.