Cross-posted at www.angryyoungdem.vox.com
Elizabeth Edwards was the guest this past week on Wait Wait Don't Tell Me. Host Peter Sagal asked her what it was about the political male that they simply can't be faithful. While that is a completely reasonable question, the larger question is how can they be that stupid. It is not just that these political men are having affairs, its the enormous stupidity they are displaying in doing so.
Despite the temptation, this is not a partisan issue. Certainly, the Republicans are going to take more flack about it because of their holier-than-thou attitude and fake family values platform. When you go out and skewer and try to impeach and remove Bill Clinton for having an affair and then admit to your own sexual misconduct a la Bob Packwood Henry Hyde, Newt Gingrich, and on an on. However, the reality is for every John Ensign there is a Gary Condit. For every Marc Sanford, there is an Eliot Spitzer.
The only non-partisan issue in all of politics seems to be not only that male politicans can't keep it in their pants, but that they may be the stupidest affair-having men alive. What type of rules do we need to lay down for the cheating political male? If you are going to cheat on your wife don't do it with a paid hooker who you take across state lines? If you are going to cheat on your wife don't mysteriously abandon your position as Governor to go to Argentina to visit your mistress? If you are going to cheat on your wife don't do it with someone on your staff whose husband is going to blackmail you? Can it really be that these men can't foresee the problems that they are getting themselves into or is it just plain old hubris?
What is particularly unbelievable is that we are no longer talking about anonymous politicans. This isn't Larry Craig and Gary Condit. It is John Edwards, presidential candidate. It is Eliot Spitzer, trailblazing former prosecutor with his eyes on the white house (but lucky to avoid the big house), it is John Ensign, member to Republican leadership. And it is Marc Sanford, reputed 2012 candidate. How can they even be thinking of running for higher office when they can't even have the good sense to, at the very least, be discrete about their lack of morality? But more importantly, I hardly have time to buy my wife a birthday present, how the heck do these guys have time to cheat on their wives?