I’m frustrated with the rest of you over the way Governor Sanford has acted over the past few weeks. I don’t have a set opinion over whether he should resign; I could argue for and against. Though, I’ll tell you that I lean against asking for his resignation. One of my main thoughts is this: we’re all sinners, and one of the key differences in people is not the levels of capability or follow-through of sin, but the levels of humility and acceptance of human nature. And, I’ve been a politician and met plenty of politicians, and my conclusion is that I’m among the large number of Americans who would, if possible, vote to replace nearly any elected body with a group of people randomly selected from the phone book (even if that meant throwing me out, too) — I’m not justifying bad behavior, but, really, what separates Sanford from lots of others is that he got caught. Arguably, it’s almost a compliment to Sanford to say that he isn’t any good at lying.
Maybe it’s a different take on the “whom would you rather have a beer with” question that we talk about during every presidential election: I would more enjoy having a beer with an openly-imperfect person who has made almost any mistake in the book, than with a person who, through genuine hard work and through self-control, rarely makes mistakes viewed by society as “major mistakes,” and who thinks that he is better than others because of it, and who thinks he is virtually incapable of some types of evil.
To be clear, I do not at all disagree with the wisdom in the “To whom much is given, much shall be required” theme presented by Adam Graham in his recent post about comments made by Governor Romney on the Sanford ordeal.
In other words, I do not blame those voters in South Carolina who want Sanford to resign, but I also am not going to encourage that sentiment.
Admittedly, it’s easier for me to be less emotional about this situation, given my Kansas citizenship. Of course, it was initially a somewhat-national issue, given his leadership within the Republican Governors Association, and I support Sanford’s decision to step aside from that role.
At this point, as a non-citizen of South Carolina, I think it’s my role to be uninvolved: I’m going to let, first, his family and religious leaders; and, second, the voters of South Carolina, to decide what the next few weeks and months look like for Sanford.
All that said, I have little problem involving myself in the situation when the now-dead mainstream media goes out of its way to attempt to inflict further damage to Governor Sanford, or to use this event to attempt to harm the conservative movement.
For an example, here’s an AP story from last night at 7:21 p.m. Eastern: “Defiant SC gov considered resigning, but won’t.”
To be fair, I do not know who made the editorial decision regarding the title of this headline (whether it was the AP, or by Yahoo News, which operates the source of the preceding link).
From what I’ve understood about the last few days, I do not find that the word “defiant” applies to Gov. Sanford. While I did find his chosen (and number of) words at his first press conference to be a bit odd — he appeared to almost be, unintentionally, referring to his affair as an accomplishment, in a college-esque sort of way — his public statements made there were most certainly not overly-scripted, and I found them to be genuine. My understanding is that, soon after, he held a meeting with his cabinet in a public setting.
Again, I don’t feel that the word “defiant” is a fair term to apply to him.
Related to the theme of media bias, I just learned the following from this AP story:
She says e-mail exchanges with Sanford that were widely published by U.S. media and elsewhere were obtained by someone who hacked her account.
I’ve got to ask: if this situation involved most liberals, would there not be some level of outrage and sympathy towards a foreign woman whose private Emails were hacked and shared with North America? Would there be scrutiny (whether deserved or undeserved) towards The State, the South Carolina paper which exclusively obtained and published these Emails? There are several questions to ask The State. I’ll start with these:
According to the preceding article published on Thursday, June 25, all we know is that there were unsuccessful attempts made the day before to talk to Sanford’s office:
E-mails, obtained by The State newspaper in December, between Gov. Mark Sanford and Maria, a woman in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
At the time, efforts to authenticate the e-mails were unsuccessful. However, Sanford’s office Wednesday did not dispute their authenticity.
The State has removed the woman’s full name and other personal details, including her street address, e-mail address and children’s names.
Look, I’m a writer with a journalism degree, and I respect the right and necessity of investigative reporting, and so don’t necessarily interpret my questions above as criticism towards The State. Rather, I’m one who finds it irresponsible and unprofessional for the mainstream media to be less-tough on liberals, merely because they’re liberals, or to be tougher on conservatives for the same reasons.
I welcome your feedback.
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Benjamin Hodge co-owns the Web site KansasProgress.com, based in Johnson County, KS, in the Greater Kansas City area. You can contact Hodge on Facebook, through his Web site, and on Twitter.
June 29th, 2009 at 5:56 am
I’ve got to side with Romney on this one. Elected officials need to be held to a higher standard because their influence- both direct and indirect- is magnified by their office. Sanford needs to go. The fact that he isn’t also makes me question whether he has become to attached to power, on top of his other moral failings.
June 29th, 2009 at 6:11 am
I completely understand where you’re coming from.
June 29th, 2009 at 6:35 am
At the same time I agree completely with Romney when he states that Sanford staying or going is between him, his state, and his family. As outsiders it isn’t for us to say one way or the other. Obviously he’s my guy and all but I think Romney struck exactly the right note, both demanding a higher standard for political leaders but at the same time not calling for Sanford’s head because it isn’t his place.
June 29th, 2009 at 6:42 am
Certainly the affair is what everyone is talking about, but I am also bothered that he drove to Atlanta and hooped on a plan to Argentina and no one knew where he was. I would expect this kind of rash behavior from a love struck teenager but a man of Sanford’s age should be able to show more restraint and wisdom. His political career is over.
I am also partially thinking he should stay for the next 2 years so that no one candidate has a leg up on the nomination/election in office. Maybe it’s my believe in fairness, but I don’t want to see a candidate become the next Governor of South Carolina because he gained an advantage because Sanford resigned and is now the sitting Governor.
I don’t want to see a big impeachment thing in South Carolina either. So, I say let him ride out the next couple of years, then South Carolina will have a new Governor anyways. If this was the start of his term, I would feel differently.
June 29th, 2009 at 6:59 am
And the Real Hero is Jenny Sanford
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/28/AR2009062802436.html?hpid=topnews
June 29th, 2009 at 7:00 am
Sanford should NOT resign. Too often our side let’s the liberal media frame the debate and the story. Republicans sometimes need to encircle the wagons to protect their own. Sanford was if anything a victim of tabloid liberal journalism that holds Republicans to a higher moral standard and attempts to entrap them. Governor Sanford is an honorable American and a patriot. Republicans should stand by him and ignore the liberal media.
June 29th, 2009 at 7:22 am
JA Pruce
I would like to see the Republican Party have a higher standard. While I am not calling for his resignation, I am also not ready to circle the wagons around him also. As for entrapping them, I think they did that to themselves. As for being honorable, sorry, an Honorable man does not leave his wife and children and fly down to Argentina to have an affair. There are reasons why Sanford should stay in office, but lets not go off the deep end. What he did was disgusting, and we should try to cover it up with flowering words like honorable American and Patriot.
On the other hand, Democrats should also be held to a higher standard and because they are not, that is one of many reasons why I am not a Democrat.
June 29th, 2009 at 7:24 am
correction to above
that should be: we should not try to cover it up with flowering words like honorable American and Patriot.
June 29th, 2009 at 7:33 am
JA pruce just lost all semblance of sanity in my book with that asinine comment.
June 29th, 2009 at 8:17 am
Massachusetts: 26% Consider State’s Health Care Reform a Success
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/states_general/massachusetts/massachusetts_26_consider_state_s_health_care_reform_a_success
June 29th, 2009 at 8:18 am
“Governor Sanford is an honorable American and a patriot.”
That is calling white black or saying that hot is cold.
June 29th, 2009 at 8:23 am
It is irrelevant that the liberal media gives a free pass to liberals while nailing it to Republicans. It is irrelevant that most of us are Christians and bleeding hearted conservatives are telling us that it is our Christian duty to forgive.
Sanford abused his powers of governor to take these trips. He has outed himself through the adultery, the coverup, and the abuse of power as a man who is completely untrustworthy. Every day that he stays in office he does immense harm to the party, to the people of SC, to the message of fiscal conservancy, and to the tea party movement.
There are no solid defenses for the indefensible. Sanford has done the indefensible. He needs to be gone now.
June 29th, 2009 at 8:24 am
Pruce rails on Obama for not wearing a suit while at home in the Whitehouse, but is just fine with looking the other way when Ensign and Sanford commit adultery.
June 29th, 2009 at 8:46 am
Dan,
#12, I completely agree, but would just add that forgiving Sanford (which IS our duty as Christians) does not mean that we continue to allow him to hold the same place of trust and honor that he held before. Forgiveness and letting him keep his office are two totally separate issues.
Media bias is also, as you note, a separate issue and has nothing whatsoever to do with whether Sanford should remain in office. The fact that Democrats may not expect more is irrevelent. If we are conservative, and presume to stand up for traditional morality, then we should act like it, even when it’s embarrassing or inconvenient.
June 29th, 2009 at 8:50 am
I would add that ANY potentional candidate for 2012 who is currently or recently had an affair, particularly if they have children at home, should not bother running for higher office. People are people, and everyone sins. I get that. But those who are/ have been betraying the sacred trust of matrimony should not be entrusted with the sacred trust of preserving and defending the Constitution.
June 29th, 2009 at 8:59 am
This sanford thing does have the makings of a pat conroy novel…as for who hacked the emails, its seems according to maureen dowd it might be sanford’s senorita’s other younger man…dowd was calling sanford Marco, i’m thinking maybe he should be called moncia sanford, he isn’t as smooth as a marco and seems to be acting more like monica lewinsky crying over bill clinton… As for if he should quit, i don’t even think its a close call, the guy got to resign than he can do whatever he wants, hopefully address some of his issues. I also think vitter and ensign should resign but what should bother people the most is the fact vitter got a standing ovation from his fellow repub senators after announcing his use of prostitutes:
http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070723/OPINION/707230311
nothing like a big dose of hypocrisy and the need to hold on to power for this crowd. Yet, it is ironic since this type of behavior by the dc repub establishment, disregarding some basic standards, moral, budget, etc resulted in the voters tossing them out and thus losing their power.
June 29th, 2009 at 9:04 am
He needs to resign. Enough with the moral relativism. He has failed the state and his family. He needs to go.
June 29th, 2009 at 10:28 am
MWS, I don’t really feel any grudge for Sanford. He didn’t do me an injustice so I don’t think that there is anything for me to forgive him over. If I had voted for him then it would be a different story. Even then it wouldn’t be hard to let it go. He just needs to resign. It is quite unfortunate that some equate calls for resignation or impeachment as some kind of unforgiving on our part. This is all about what is best for the party and the voters.
June 29th, 2009 at 10:30 am
I’ve been impressed with the quality of Jenny Sanford. This nation was built on trust. In all respects. When a public official is no longer trustworthy in the most fundamental way, out of decency he should go. If he has no decency, he should be dealt with by his family and the constituents who hired him, as they see fit, in their respective areas of concern.
June 29th, 2009 at 10:34 am
Dick Cheney, Discussing Mark Sanford and John Ensign
http://campaignspot.nationalreview.com/post/?q=MDk2MzFmMjhjY2ZlNDczNGE4YWE3NjNmYTcxODk1MTA=
June 29th, 2009 at 10:51 am
Dan
#18. Agreed.
June 29th, 2009 at 12:52 pm
Jenny Sanford could be a strong potential future candidate (Statewide or national)- she is conservative and could attract the women’s vote.
June 29th, 2009 at 7:44 pm
Of course he needs to resign. Mr. Bizaro has a screw loose. His stunt leaving the country and lying about where he was going is enough to disqualify him from completing his term.
Liz. – Jenny Sanford has my admiration, as well. For years, Over the years, I’ve been so disappointed in the political wives of husbands who cheat when they don’t stand up for the integrity of their families. This is so refreshing. My heart goes out to her and the children.