It's The Hypocrisy, Stupid!

Last week's "big news story" about South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford's adulterous affair with an Argentinian woman is just the latest in a long string of public figure scandals. Perhaps the biggest reason for this one getting so much coverage was the bizarre prelude to it, in which the governor disappeared for several days during which time no one could find him. (Constituting dereliction of duty for a Governor, I'd say!)

While these sorts of things seem to revolve around liberal politicians every bit as often as conservative ones, the reason that high-profile Republicans look so much worse in these situations is simply the hypocrisy of it all. These are typically church-going, Bible-quoting men who cluck their tongues and point their fingers at anyone who fails to measure up to their interpretation of the Old or New Testament. Gay marriage? Why, that would destroy the sanctity of the union between a man and a woman! Never mind that individuals like Gov Sanford spit on that sanctity by having affairs, of course. I guess it must be "the principle of the thing" at work here.

To cut Sanford a little slack, though: it does sound, at least from a distance, like the guy might actually be in love with his mistress. What I can't help but wonder, though, is whether this experience has taught him anything? Clearly he knew that having sex with a woman behind his wife's back was wrong... and yet he went ahead and did it. Repeatedly. And he did all that (presumably) because he felt that he had to follow his heart. Can't that teach him anything about a person who falls in love with someone of the same gender, and wants to marry that other person? Is it still impossible for him to put himself in the shoes of someone like that, and begin feeling any compassion for their situation?

If there's one thing I can't stand in a person, it's hypocrisy. If you truly believe that it's OK for you to do something but wrong for someone else, then you've got a serious problem. And the last thing we need are people like that holding down positions of importance in society.