Recent events have brought into the public eye—or rather, back into the public eye—aspects of politicians' lives which have, for much of American history, been intensely personal. In particular, Newt Gingrich, the thrice married former speaker of the house, has been questioned on his past infidelities. He, and his supporters, argue that a politician's personal life will not affect his public policy, even going so far as to label those who would bring up his actions "despicable." This, however, is far from the truth. When one begins to examine the issue in greater detail one is faced with the overwhelming truth that character does matter, and it matters a great deal.
Certainly one could arrive at a very similar conclusion merely by applying common sense to the issue. Nowhere in life do we see an occasion where someone with no character is able to behave in a moral, principled manner on a consistent basis. When it comes to character, the “truth will out.” Still, it would be pleasant to know that our common sense has not strayed from reality. History shows that it most assuredly has not.
Warren Harding was the first president known to have had an affair while in office. He had one child by his mistress, Nan Britton, and had several other affairs. The affairs were not common knowledge (the pre-Watergate press really didn't delve deeply into that sort of thing) but they demonstrated a lack of character that showed itself beyond Harding's personal life. His administration was plagued by scandal, and indeed he died just in time to avoid facing some of the consequences of his actions. Further, while in office he held poker parties at which he entertained his guests with bootleg liquor during the height of prohibition, often using whiskey only recently confiscated, and flagrantly ignoring the Constitution he had taken an oath to defend. Harding's shortcomings don't end there, but the incredible failings of those who followed him dwarf his.
To simplify the issue, remember this: every American president, to a man, who we have good evidence had an affair while in office has been a disastrous, stunning failure. In fact, the argument for worst president in American history would likely settle around that final group of four. Why would we think that a man who initiated divorce proceedings against one wife while she was hospitalized with cancer and divorced his second only after proposing to his third could possibly break the trend? That is unequivocally despicable and shows a lack of character second to none in modern American politics. Forgiveness is a wonderful thing, but forgiving and forgetting are two completely different things. To forgive is Christlike; to forget completely in a case like this, when the future of our country is on the line, is nothing short of foolish. It is not despicable, then, to mention a candidates infidelities, on the contrary, it is despicable not to.
Labels: Election 2012, Politics
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