Subscribe to Breaking NewsWithers: Another sex scandal? So what?
I know how the game is supposed to play. Show some moral outrage. Be shocked and appalled that Gov. Mark Sanford, a Republican who had no problem voting against gay adoption when he was a U.S. senator congressman and was unequivocal in his opposition to gay marriage, got caught in some marital scandal. If I were a teenager still in the afterglow of a “Catcher in the Rye” high (I loathe that book), then indignation at hypocrisy would be called for. However, I haven’t seen my teenage years since Brothers Johnson ruled the radio.
The Sanford scandal is boring. Sure some of the details are rather juicy (seems to me he could have planned his Argentina trip with a smidgen more subterfuge), but infidelity is as common as dirt. As for the pretense, like Big Daddy noted that’s part of the human condition and I really can’t get bent out of shape when there is a glaring distinction between what a pol espouses and how she actually lives her life. That is not newsworthy, yet we as voters clutch the pearls when a politician admits some hot mess most of us have engaged in. No need to worry. I’m not sharing your secrets. And if you have been faithful to your lovah please don’t announce how you are a better spouse than Sanford.
This episode didn’t change my opinion about Sanford and I’m sure those getting the most pleasure out of his fall never gave him a dime or a vote. I would rather spend time critiquing his anti-adoption stance instead of getting some perverse pleasure out of failings that we all share.
I think we the voters have some right to expect our governors, etc to use some degree of common sense and show some leadership.
And here is a hypocritical homophobe admitting that he trashed his own marriage and that he is rotten example for his own kids to follow.
Meh. You just have to look at the stats. Something like over 3/4 of divorced evangelicals think marriage is “sacred” …
I really doesn’t matter what they do, just as long as there is someone else for them to point at and demean. Gays are just their current handy scapegoat.
You just don’t get it. When Bill Clinton (I don’t like him, either) had his fun, he was hounded and persecuted until the country was nearly at a standstill. But EVERY time a Republican who preaches “family values” is shown to be a complete liar and hypocrite, conservatives say, leave the guy alone. Where were they during the 90s!? Oh yeah, they were doing impeaching.
OK I agree sex scandal’s are almost a dime a dozen. BUT….
Why do we allow these people to continuing to get re-elected?
I know everyones is allowed to make a mistake but this is essentially allowing someone with no values run loose in the empty bank. At the minimum you put them under strict scrutiny until the next election and then elect a replacement.
They should tender their resignation automatically. Anyone that does not should be either impeached or removed from office. If they do not have morals to accept responsibility for their action(s) then they should be removed.
This goes for *ANYONE* in any leadership role be it priest, CEO, elected/appointed officials in essence every one.
Simple and straight forward resign or get removed by the means set in place for items such as this.
Of course you will have the politicians argue that they should be exempt and all I would say *NO*. Be it President/Congressman/Senator/mayor/governor you name it. I only wish Bush would have done so a long time ago.
Leadership must lead by example no more or less should be expected.
I know the Inztanet is full of liars trying to get their way, but…
If you have ever cheated on a girlfriend or boyfriend, then in the interest of weeding out hypocrisy shuttup.
Continue on Withers…
As for me it’s back to the defense of the Iranian people. Where thousands get killed by their own government – sometimes simply for being on the street.
NEDA NEDA NEDA NEDA NEDA NEDA.
Enjoy your dinner parties with the bigot Obama. He made over 1,000,000 from gay people despite his opposition to gay marriage.
Enjoy your liberal outrage over Straight people having affairs…
I dislike watching anyone’s marriage fall apart. I know the pain often involved. BUT considering Gov. Sanford’s stance on gays’ rights to marriage and adopt children, I can’t help but smile as we add another check to our list of reasons why the opposition’s argument of valuing the sanctity of marriage more than we do has no merit; not that it ever did. But these incidents strengthen our argument and that pleases me. I hope he and his wife find a way to get through this but I’d like to thank him for providing us with more ammo.
When this guy was saying that Clinton’s lying about his affair was enough to impeach, and that the public couldn’t trust him, he should be thrown out of office.
Like Sarah Palin, this guy should be held to the standard HE sets. He wants to be the judge of how good MY morals are, and tell me I can’t get married, and tell the Clintons they should quit. He deserves it.
Just like Palin whining about her girls – she’s the one who took them out to give speeches for Mommy no the campaign trial,and she’s the one who decided that judging other people’s families (like all of ours) should be a political issue.
I agree with you 100pct James, this is boring, not worthy, and part of human nature – however, they’re the ones who set these standards. They should be forced to live up to them.
Also – disappearing in South America for a week without telling anyone where you are, as a Governor? Goodbye.
Come on, Withers, lighten up! This is the funniest thing in the history of ever! Watching a mentally retarded rooster run away from its minders, who then try in vain to rationalize its behaviour? And then watching as the grinning fucktard bewilderedly tries to explain his affairs of the heart? This is hi-larious!
Sanford’s campaign theme songs (if he runs again for any public office): “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina.” “Maria.” “Another One Bites the Dust.” He won’t get his ass canned for the torrid affair, but will if he used taxpayer monies to fund his last tango in Buenos Aires.
Sanford is yet another example of how gay marriage devalues het marriages. Oh, wait. It isn’t. Het behaviour devalues het marriages. Sorry.
Withers, if the Sanford scandal is so boring and beneath your level of interest, why, then, did you even bother to write about it. Was it because you had nothing less to offer? The bigger question is: Why did I waste my time reading it? Fluff, all fluff!
It matters because most of us who have shown human weakness have not at the same time been engaged in an effort to meddle in the lives of people we don’t know. Infidelity can cause damage, sure, and I think Sanford’s wife was right to ask him to move out AND right to say there’s still a chance for their marriage. Don’t think for a second that Sanford’s primary concern is about anything other than getting on that political path. I don’t give a good goddamn about his mea culpa–which, again, he’s only doing as the first step in the effort to keep the same people voting for him. When a Mark Sanford, or larry Craig, or Sen. Ensign, or that creepy Foley guy from Florida–when they go do their wrong but human stuff, I wish their god would strike them with a thunderbolt and tell the general public why. It’d save everybody the time and the drama.
Jere Said:
“How did James Withers become a contributing editor?”
Considering the skill of many of the other writers here, and their ability to consistently produce high-quality thought-provoking material, I must assume it was a political correctness, equal opportunities thing.
It’s either that, or 365gay were looking for someone who can shake things up a bit, and mistook the outrage at Mr Wither’s ineptitude with debate over controversial viewpoints.
However, this column manages to demonstrate the depths of Mr Withers’ talent, and isn’t it shallow! Three paragraphs on how something isn’t an issue when it clearly is for reasons that have gone far over Mr Withers’ head, several allusions to topics he felt he should be talking about and yet didn’t, and a feeble, snooty “this doesn’t matter” opinion buying into the line that will no doubt be espoused by the man’s Christian Right allies.
As far as his ability to perform his duties as a politician are concerned, this certainly doesn’t matter. However, as far as his credibility as a man, let alone a politician, is concerned, this is definitely an issue. He has promoted a view of marriage – one that justifies his decision to stand as an obstacle to our right to marry – and has crapped all over his own words.
So the sentiment of the article, and the view promoted by John L, that this makes him no better or worse a politician is accurate. However, what both have failed to pick up on is the fact that his conduct has destroyed his own credibility, illustrated exactly how fragile these human “obstacles” can be, and yet has not been widely condemned by his Christian cronies for his conduct.
Adultery is in the ten commandments. Homosexuality is not. Which one do these religious fundamentalists choose to condemn? Which do they choose to forgive?
And that, Mr Withers, is why it is foolish to dismiss this as a non-issue.
It seems to me that republicans should try to protect the sanctity of marriage from themselves.
Why can’t 365Gay have better writers? How did James Withers become a contributing editor? This article was pointless. It should tell that the esteemed governor voted to impeach Bill Clinton but won’t step down himself. It should tell that the good governor votes for “traditional” marriage yet makes a mockery of it. It should tell how the good Republicans; who preach abstinence only, vote against rights for GLBT people, vote for DOMA and approve of DADT; end getting caught tapping their feet in airport bathrooms, soliciting underage pages, committing adultery, cheating the government, leaving public service in disgrace, having illigimate children while preaching segregation; basically, caught with their pants down. Just because the stories become “old hat” and boring doesn’t mean we should let it slide. These people cast VOTES against us while preaching morals and gathering future election votes. Don’t think for one minute that they will stop at nothing and use the fear card in condemning gay rights. We need to use every opportunity to condemn them in return. Let the article call these people exactly what they are…..lying, conniving, cheating HYPOCRITES!