The cabaret that is American politics has always been a little more flamboyant than the rest of the world's. Somehow, the infidelity of South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford was as important as the rather peculiar Iranian elections. The Iranian elections reeked of potential revolution. They were a sign of hope in the Middle East and around the world. But this would-be revolution was still sharing time on cable news with our own Republican Romeo, a man destined to fall just as fast as Shakespeare's star-crossed lover. If it weren't for President Obama's push for universal health care and the Supreme Court hearings of Sonya Sotomayor, we would probably still be hearing about Sanford's tryst in South America and its political ramifications.
Where does this infatuation with the private lives of our politicians stem from? What are we obsessed with in America that separates us from countries like France and Italy? French President Nicolas Sarkozy had a divorce in office and married a supermodel without tarnishing his image. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is finally catching serious flak for his eccentric lifestyle. Berlusconi has always been known for his obtuse sound bites and embarrassing behavior, but it wasn't until the press discovered that he turned his home into a Playboy mansion of sorts that he was reprimanded. The problem lies in the inherent hypocrisy of the American politician. Neither Sarkozy nor Berlusconi was elected based on his moral fortitude, but based on each man's abilities as an executive. American politicians like former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer rode far on their moral certitude, and fell just as fast.
In a nation as diverse as America, emotion and morality are powerful weapons in elections. Politicians paint lofty and idyllic portraits of themselves to secure votes, hiding far away from their own demons behind a scrupulous faà §ade. Eliot Spitzer rose fast in the state of New York, cleaning up the messes that no one wanted to deal with. But was it really a surprise when New York's White Knight was found connected to an escort service? Friedrich Nietzsche warned against battling monsters; the closer we get to them, the closer we are to becoming what we fight. Current New York Gov. David Paterson also had an affair before taking office, but his honesty in the situation paid off; only his executive competence is brought into question.
During former President Bill Clinton's affair, then-Speaker Newt Gingrich led an overeager, hypermoral mob into the Clinton impeachment trials. More than 10 years later, Clinton is still a power player in politics, tripped up only momentarily by his infidelity. On the other hand, Gingrich is on the outskirts after news of his own affair was brought to life. Gingrich admitted to cheating on his terminally ill wife while chastising Clinton for infidelity in a petty game of partisan politics (all of a sudden, Berlusconi's Playboy mansion looks rather harmless). It's not the affairs that last in the public memory; it is the blatant hypocrisy. Like Gingrich and Spitzer, Sanford was a champion of morals, elected for his good looks and his honest demeanor. He approached the position of governor with a no-nonsense attitude, and it paid off, as he defeated his Democratic rival, incumbent Jim Hodges.
Sanford worked to limit the role of government in citizens' lives. Before Sanford became tabloid fodder, he tenaciously defended his conservative principles and refused stimulus money. Sanford was one of the few bright spots in the Republican Party, but his affair changed all of that.
Everybody makes mistakes. We all have moral lapses and make stupid decisions, but then again we were never elected to be an ethical example and halt the moral degradation of America. Gov. Sanford's affair is deplorable, but it's not what could ruin his career. It's the ideals he stands for that will suffer, and as Sanford looks into a presidential run in 2012 this severely diminishes his already slim chance of both winning the primary and defeating the incumbent.
