In light of recent scandalous news of extra-marital affairs, the question of what measures a political figure is spiking the interest of many.
In 2008, presidential candidate John Edwards admitted he had an affair with Rielle Hunter — a former campaign worker — behind the back of his dying wife.
Thursday, Edwards issued a press release stating that he had fathered Hunter’s child.
Political scandals happen with such frequency that there are a host of Web sites devoted exclusively to covering them.
In 2006, Tom DeLay was indicted by a grand jury for mishandling campaign funds.
Gov. Mark Sanford of South Carolina was caught running off to Argentina last year to engage in an affair with someone he met at a dance.
And, of course, President Bill Clinton may very well have been one of America’s favorite presidents, but it doesn’t change the fact that he lied in front of his country about his affair.
Now, the famous quote “I did not have sexual relations with that woman” makes us giggle, but there was a time when people in this nation were very hurt and disappointed by Clinton’s actions.
Politicians are real, flawed people like anyone else. It’s often easy to recognize them only for their talents and contributions.
But at the same time, we expect these public figures to be good role models and keep our best interests at heart.
When people vote an official into office, their needs should be the elected representative’s first priority.
Unfortunately, this is not always the case. These days, more news stories surface about politicians misbehaving then doing something productive.
Politicians such as Delay, who deliberately break the law, are subject to criminal punishment. But what about politicians who simply behave immorally?
Remember, Clinton wasn’t impeached for having an affair — he was impeached for committing an obstruction of justice.
Do we still want these people running our political affairs? Are they still qualified?
Even the founders of our country engaged in their own illicit trysts, but fortunately for them, they lived in a time before camera phones and TMZ.com.
These days, politicians who engage in any kind of political scandal are making a terrible mistake.
If their actions are illegal, their political rivals seek to vilify them in the press.
Oftentimes, politicians resign out of a desire to protect their families from the torture of the public’s scrutiny.
If they do survive the media firestorm, their fate generally is sealed during election time.
But in the case of sex scandals, does the punishment fit the crime?
Yes, it is inappropriate to sleep with your aide or your best friend’s wife, but does that disqualify people who are otherwise good public servants?
Is it an abuse of power to engage in these kinds of acts while in office?
Those who break the law should be punished.
If someone sends inappropriate text messages to underage boys, sleeps with a prostitute or pays someone who works with them for sex, then consequences should follow.
They are not only breaking the law; they are also taking advantage of people’s trust.
But imagine if everyone in the U.S. who cheated on their spouse lost their job.
More than 50 percent of married couples in America engage in affairs; it’s inevitable that some of these people are political figures.
If a person comes out of the closet while in office, does it make them less qualified to perform their job?
Perhaps the greatest crime of all is not the activities these men engage in, but the fact that the media spends more time focusing on their bad behavior than the real issues.
If our leaders are doing something that is hurting their constituents, then yes, we should step up and demand change.
But if they’re only hurting themselves, that’s a whole other issue.
Liz Price is a communication junior and may be reached at [email protected]
