S.C – S.C. South Carolina – Social Conservative? Don’t Cry for Me Argentina.
AP Photo
The Governor of South Carolina can, in a macabre fashion, thank the untimely death of the King of Pop. Most Americans have the attention span of a flea so Sanford went from being the top story on the 24/7cable news channels to ‘who?’. He is no longer the latest disgraced Governor on the front page of the New York Times or the Washington Post or the tabloids with brilliant headlines like “LUV GOV” and Buenos Airhead”.
The voters and legislators in South Carolina will, however, be the exception. Even his Republican colleagues are not exactly happy with his antics.
The Governor is not the first, nor the last, politician to cheat on a spouse. Crikey, if infidelity disqualified one from public office, Congress would be more than half empty as would most of the Governor’s mansions; not to mention the most high profile Commander in Cheat, Bill Clinton.
I mention Clinton in passing but it is important to note that Sanford was one of the harshest critics of Clinton marital misconduct. But hey, if it’s OK with Hillary I could care less, Personally I had issues with Clinton’s lying under oath as everyone already knew what a dog he was. Hey we’ve all read or seen “Primary Colors” which outlined in detailed then Chief of Staff was in getting ammunition in case of ‘bimbo alerts’ Hired by Hillary no less.
Segueing….. This is “very damaging stuff,” Sanford declared at one point, when details of Clinton’s conduct became known. “I think it would be much better for the country and for him personally (to resign)… I come from the business side,” he said. “If you had a chairman or president in the business world facing these allegations, he’d be gone.”
Again, as someone who has worked in politics for over 20 years I have seen more infidelity than most. Whilst distasteful, cheating on your wife or husband is the secondary issue here.
The real issue is the people voted for him to do a job. That of Governor of their great State. Going AWOL and not letting your Lt. Gov. know is a dereliction of duty beyond belief. Even his staff are in shock as they were out there saying the Governor just needed some time away and was hiking the Appalachian Trail. He was in an other place starting with A: Argentina on the tax payer’s dime and not for the first time.
Yes, of course he’s sorry, yes, he’s going to pay the money back but the man who I am now embarrassed to admit that I had in my top three for next Republican candidate (Romney & Palin the obvious others) is a disgrace. His self serving mea culpa press conferences this week smacks of a sociopath gripping on to the Governor’s mansion for all dear life with all it’s power and no understanding of the harm he has really done to his family (he was away from Father’s Day), his State where no officials or staff could get a hold of him and the people of South Carolina. If this is not an impeachable offence what is?
The Governor of New York gets to stay in office despite his extra marital shenanigans but New York is not the socially conservative State of South Carolina. Spitzer excepted.
Conservative TV and radio host and former Congressman from Florida, Joe Scarborough, joked that there would be perhaps 48 other states that would tolerate such nonsense – one being Utah
And, as the New York Times pointed out:
“The peculiar thing about the apologies was that Sanford seemed to be under the impression that his worst dereliction of duty involved womanizing. I think I speak for us all when I say that if a governor want wants to fly off for a rendezvous with his mistress, the first rule should be” leave a phone number. If you must flee to a love nest, make sure its one with an internet connection”
I hope the Girl From Ipanema was worth it. If you thought taking time off allegedly to hike the Appalachian Trail is hard, as voiced by your own personal staff, try the trail to re-election and the marital home.
Governor Sanford you are hardly a mensch.
Resign, pronto.
