Do You Care If Your Elected Officials Cheat on Their Wives?

[intothewoods]

It's mostly male politicians who cheat or get caught, hence my gender bias here.

So I was listening to this political studies professor on Keith Olbermann tonight argue that a politician's infidelity is not and should not be a private matter. Her June 25 entry on that page also explains her thoughts on this, although she said other things on the show that I found more jarring (wish I had the transcript).

I personally don't really care about an affair, as long as it does not affect a pol's leadership. Now, practically speaking, that seems to rarely be the case because people who are caught cheating tend to be sloppy and, ya know, screw around in the oval office or on a trip paid for by the state. But let's put that issue aside. And, come on, how much does the media pay attention to that part of the story (in all of these cases) anyway?

Here's more of her point of view:

Sexual infidelity strikes at the heart of that trust. Voters can feel much like the unsuspecting spouse: duped, embarrassed, and angry. This does not mean that an elected official who has been sexually unfaithful is incompetent for political leadership. It does mean that private infidelity is not solely a private matter.

Politicians are human. They fuck up too. And I don't want to think about elected officials like a giddy teenage girl thinks about her boyfriend. I'm with Bill Maher (who said this about John Edwards): he didn't cheat on me!

The thing that really rubbed me the wrong way is that this professor then said she is dating a mayoral candidate in New Orleans and is comfortable dating him and endorsing him politically because she knows he's a good man who is morally sound.

Lady, I don't want an endorsement from you! You're his girlfriend. You know, although I like Michele Obama, I really don't care all that much what she does as first wife. I don't want a "twofer" a la HRC. I vote for the candidate, not their spouse.

So, how much do you care about a politican's personal life? I understand that part of their life story is informative for voting, but I wish we as a country could focus more on public life and let the private life fade a bit into the background.

 

[Elenia26]

If they have been yammering on about family values and how important marriage is then yes,

Otherwise, a resounding no.

 

[intothewoods]

If they have been yammering on about family values and how important marriage is then yes,

Otherwise, a resounding no.

Oh, well, yes, I should have mentioned that in my post! That's particularly annoying. The worst offenders, to me, are gay bashers who, oh, just like a little cock now and again (hey, who doesn't!)

 

[Shankara20]

If they have been yammering on about family values and how important marriage is then yes,

Otherwise, a resounding no.

Oh, well, yes, I should have mentioned that in my post! That's particularly annoying. The worst offenders, to me, are gay bashers who, oh, just like a little cock now and again (hey, who doesn't!)

That about covers it for me as well. And that they are not using our money to pay for the dalliance...

 

[Elenia26]

Oh, well, yes, I should have mentioned that in my post! That's particularly annoying. The worst offenders, to me, are gay bashers who, oh, just like a little cock now and again (hey, who doesn't!)

Well, I sure do.

 

[Betticus]

When I'm president I'm banging every hot girl that I possibly can. I'm not married tho so I'd probably have raffles for hotties to win a night of getting the presidential staff in the ol Lincoln bedroom!

 

[WriterDom]

Clinton was a man whore. It is temping to every one. I'm sure Obama would love some strange

 

[Etoile]

From a totally victimless standpoint, no. That is, my morals do not require faithful politicians.

Of course, as mentioned above, using taxpayer money and lying through your teeth are not cool.

 

[HoHoBomb]

Nope, but it fucking pisses me off when they don't pay their mother fucking taxes!

 

[nh23]

Nope, I could care less.

 

[Etoile]

Nope, but it fucking pisses me off when they don't pay their mother fucking taxes!

Hear hear!

MARION BARRY I'M LOOKING AT YOU...

 

[Etoile]

Nope, I could care less.

Couldn't.

pet peeve, sorry nh!

 

[nh23]

Couldn't.

pet peeve, sorry nh!

Do you know I've never heard it said in the proper manner. I've always said it that way. It's never even crossed my mind. Maybe it's an ohio thing.
Thank you! I learned something new today!

 

[Vixandra]

When a politician basis his platform on "good christian family values" and all that, it does upset me when they cheat. If they can't hold true to the vows they took before their deity and their spouse, can they really be expected to hold true to any other promise or vow they make?

Now, politicians are human too, most the time (I still think Barbara Bush had an affair with a monkey) and so are entitled to human foibles. As long as the wife accepts him back and he doesn't get caught again, the press should just let it die. If he gets caught again though, let the press sharks at him.

Shouldn't they be trying to scare us about the next disease of world wide death and doom anyway? Anyone else waiting for the dreaded "bovarian spotted mink flu?"

 

[HoHoBomb]

Do you know I've never heard it said in the proper manner. I've always said it that way. It's never even crossed my mind. Maybe it's an ohio thing.
Thank you! I learned something new today!

She's good like that!

 

[Homburg]

Does it bother me if they cheat, or if they get caught? I think that's an important distinction.

Are they a god-fearing, bible-thumping, family-values asshat? Then it matters to me if they cheat.

If they are not some sort of family-values mouthpiece, it only bothers me if they get caught.

Might seem like splitting hairs to some, but it makes sense to me.

The family-values mouthpiece has set up an external example of a values system. Cheating is not on the table, and thus he has gone against his own expressed values system. So if he gets caught sampling the local flora, he has fucked his own value system in the ear, and cannot be trusted.

The guy that doesn't pay lip service tot he moral minority gets caught cheating and it bothers me less. I don't have an ethics/morals crash-and-burn fault like I do in the case above. He's a dirt-dicked man-whore. Okay, whatever. The problem I have with it is the simple fact that he was sloppy and incompetent enough to get caught in the first place. Hello, the first rule of the game is "Don't Get Caught." That's Politics 101.

 

[graceanne]

If they have been yammering on about family values and how important marriage is then yes,

Otherwise, a resounding no.

Pretty much.

If I thought that politicians were honest and all that, it would bother me. But I think that all successful politicians are liars and cheats. It does not surprise me when I find out they lied and cheated.

 

[jockdom]

It could leave them open to blackmail, particulary if youre banging the same call girl as the Soviet naval attache.

 

[OzoneRed]

A former mayor of Detroit had an affair with his female chief of staff. That bothers me, but I could live with it. It's basically a matter between him and his wife. She stood by her man, God only knows why.

He lied about the affair under oath. That bothers the hell out of me. He was fired, disbarred, and sent to jail. And rightly so.

It could leave them open to blackmail, particulary if youre banging the same call girl as the Soviet naval attache.

He was also blackmailed about the affair, and he paid the hush money with city funds.

 

[PertPerth]

I don't care what they did before they became prime minister/president (cheating, smoking pot....what ever)...but once they have reach a public role, been voted in, I think they should keep their dicks in their pants until they have served their term. I also beleive that if they're lazy and stupid enough to get caught, then they deserve all the punishment they get.

 

[WriterDom]

You can fuck a page up the ass. You can have a boyfriend running a prostitution operation out of your house. You can be a serial woman abuser as long as you have a (D) by your name. Oh, and you can murder your pregnant mistress and not report it in 14 hours. As long as you have a (D) by your name. The lone exception being John Edwards. No one can stomach his shit while his wife is slowly dying.

 

[JMohegan]

You can fuck a page up the ass. You can have a boyfriend running a prostitution operation out of your house. You can be a serial woman abuser as long as you have a (D) by your name. Oh, and you can murder your pregnant mistress and not report it in 14 hours. As long as you have a (D) by your name. The lone exception being John Edwards. No one can stomach his shit while his wife is slowly dying.

What is it with you rightwingers and your unfounded persecution complex?

Eliot Spitzer
Tim Mahoney
Kwame Kilpatrick
Gary Condit
James McGreevey
Gary Hart

Each of those Democrats was either forced to resign, forced to withdraw from a race for public office, or defeated in the election following disclosure of their affairs.





As for the question at hand - yes, I care, because I know the political reality and impact of a candidate's indiscretion. Hell pissed is what I would have been, had I volunteered my time, my money, and my voice to the candidacy of John Edwards. Hell fucking pissed indeed.

 

[Sir_Winston54]

The thing that bothers me about a politician who cheats in his/her marriage/committed relationship is the likelihood that his/her ethics are, at the least, shaky in other areas, such as taking bribes (or "campaign contributions") from people who expect - and get - special consideration from him/her. I know that seems as if I'm effectively holding them to a higher standard, but the fact is, leaders should be held to a higher standard, at least IMNSHO. How else can they lead?

 

[midwestyankee]

The thing that bothers me about a politician who cheats in his/her marriage/committed relationship is the likelihood that his/her ethics are, at the least, shaky in other areas, such as taking bribes (or "campaign contributions") from people who expect - and get - special consideration from him/her. I know that seems as if I'm effectively holding them to a higher standard, but the fact is, leaders should be held to a higher standard, at least IMNSHO. How else can they lead?

Sorry, but I don't buy this argument. You're claiming that because a politician has one fault that it is predictive that he'll have another. All politicians have faults. Would you allow only perfect people to run for office? We'd not have very many office holders.

 

[Homburg]

The thing that bothers me about a politician who cheats in his/her marriage/committed relationship is the likelihood that his/her ethics are, at the least, shaky in other areas, such as taking bribes (or "campaign contributions") from people who expect - and get - special consideration from him/her. I know that seems as if I'm effectively holding them to a higher standard, but the fact is, leaders should be held to a higher standard, at least IMNSHO. How else can they lead?

He's a politician. It's safe to assume that his ethics are shaky from the get-go.