Are the sexual infidelities of politicians America's business? The government's business?

Question

The Edwards s*x Scandal. Fox News dream come true. They will hammer on it forever. Is this the way it should be?

Answer 1

you bet ye they are.

Answer 2

kind of.. if they'll cheat on a wife, who they've pledged their love, respect, fidelity, life, and trust, why would they choose to stay faithful to their position in office?  

Answer 3

Look at it this way.  You've got someone who comes up to you and tells you that in return for your money and support, you can trust them.  They will always be honest with you.  And then when you ask them something, they lie about it.  It leads you to wonder what else they may not have been honest about, either.

Certainly politicians are people just like the rest of us, and are prone to the same personal failings, but they're expected to conduct themselves with a certain amount of honesty and dignity, all jokes about slimy politicians aside.  Do I believe this should constantly be brought up by the media every time the politician is mentioned?  No.  But it does cast doubt on their character permanently, and when you're in such a socially oriented position, your character is often all you have to fall back on.

Answer 4

YES, as other's have pointed out, an adulterer has broken a HOLY Oath... they are not to be trusted.  This has been the standard since the 1780's !!

Amusing that in the MILITARY, it is STILL a crime... Old Slick Willie tried to hide behind the "Soldiers and Sailors Act" to avoid trial in the Paula Jones lawsuit.  The Senate should have tried him on charges of Adultry.

EDIT:  another point is that adultery or sexual pecadillos open a politician to possible BLACKMAIL... either by local persons, corporate entities, or foreign governments

In former Senator EDWARDS case, yes it's America's business or at least news-worthy... he was a Presidential candidate and had OPENLY lied when asked the question 3 different times.

Answer 5

Typically their sexuality is an indicator of their true character.

If one is flawed in that arena, they are probably flawed in all arenas.

Therefore, if one lies about their private affairs, why would I trust their word on public affairs?

Answer 6

Yes.If edwards wont keep his p***s in his trouser's,what else wont he keep,like promises to the people?

Answer 7

No, they should be neither, but the reality is, when someone puts themselves out there on the line, they open their lives to the scrutiny of the public.  

John Edwards is a good man I am sure, he made a mistake that a lot of men and women make, but when you make it in the public eye, it will be judged by the public.  I doubt it would be such a big issue if he had not been named as a potential candidate for vice-president.

I don't want to hear about it forever either, lol.

Answer 8

When you choose politics for a living your life becomes an open book, more open than most would like.  In Clinton's case it certainly was important as he was a sitting president and acted completely inappropriate.  Edwards had an affair and like most men and women, lied about it until he was caught cold.  These things say a lot about the character of a person and the character is what is most important when electing someone to office.  Politicians words mean little in the way of promises but who they really are and how they've conducted themselves in their life can tell us much more about them.  If his wife can't trust him, how can I?

Answer 9

I don't think so, but since we have freedom of the press they can cover whatever they want and if there is a market for such tabloid press they will continue to publish it.

Answer 10

When you present yourself as an ethical paragon and run an election campaign focusing substantially on how much you love your wife and how she's battling cancer, maybe.

Answer 11

No these matters are a private affair that is no ones business except the couple involved in the matter. Only in this immature and puritanical country do the s*x lives of our politicians matter. It enrages me that so many people actually think that a person’s extramarital affair will some how make them a bad leader. Ones leadership ability and ones ability to be faithful to ones wife are totally separate issues.

If one were to take the logic that one cannot be a good leader, without being faithful to ones wife, then most of the greatest figures in history, who we revere for their leadership abilities, would be discounted. Those who factor in a man’s PERSONAL foibles in assessing whether he would be a good politician obviously has a great ignorance of history.

To those Christians who believe that how a person conducts his marriage will reflect on how they perform their job, may I remind you that the King David of their very own Bible also practiced infidelity, and yet God still thought of him as a good leader who still deserved to keep his title as king, despite the fact that he had an extramaritial affair and had the woman’s husband killed in the process.

Answer 12

I agree with you.  His infidelity should be a matter between his wife and himself.  Marital infidelity is wrong, but it doesn't always define a person's ability to perform in a public office, IMHO.  Now, if he frequented prostitutes and such, that might tell a different story about his character.

Answer 13

Yes, their lack of control and honor denote lack of integrity in public office...no one wants a president or any government official whose personal life is out of control.