Posted by
CW on Monday, August 11, 2008 8:46:52 PM
Why do people like Bill Clinton, John Edwards, Gary Condit and others bother to hide their extra-marital affairs? Answer: because they know that the public – republicans and democrats alike - will disapprove of their behavior. In fact they know that such revelations could seriously impact their chances for being or staying elected. Thus, when I hear the increasingly invoked, “It’s a personal issue” strategy, it’s pretty clear to me that the majority of Americans disagree.
Anyone who is in a position to influence public policy is fair game to be questioned about their own marital fidelity. It is our right, as the public, to ask this question in order to have a clear understanding of how these public servants regard the sanctity of marriage as well as to gain some valuable insight into their character and judgment. After all politicians can say whatever they want, and indeed some will say anything in order to get elected; but actions speak louder (and truer) than words. Once the question has been asked they can always refuse to answer. This is their right. Voters can then make up their own minds as to whether they will elect someone who has a problem with answering that question. That is their right.
Hillary Clinton’s campaign manager is now complaining that Edwards’ lie about his affair early in the primaries resulted in votes that he might otherwise not have had, and surely he is right. Edwards’ own efforts to conceal the affair were paramount to acknowledging that he knew it would hurt him with voters. He painted a false picture of the kind of person he really was just as if he had, for instance, claimed to be pro-choice when he was really pro-life. That, my friends, is fraud.