Scandalous Affairs
We’ve seen a few tasty affairs involving government officials lately, and oh boy do we Americans like that shit. Senator Ensign of Nevada had an affair with a staffer and South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford had an affair with some woman in Argentina.
Both of these guys are Republicans, and the left of course is eating this up. Some Republicans run on social conservative issues, and regardless of whether these two ran on those issues, they are branded as hypocrites as a result.
But the left is completely missing the point. The hypocrisy isn’t aimed only at the Republicans; it’s with the big government types in general.
This is evidence of only one thing: government officials are human, too. The left (which I think often includes the Republicans) constantly elevates the federal government above the capabilities of mere mortals. Individuals can’t save for retirement, or pay for their health care, or find a job, or donate to charity, or structure a curriculum. Only government is capable of doing these things. What they forget is that mere mortals make up this government. Ben Bernanke is a smart guy, but he’s just a guy. Barack Obama is charismatic, but he’s just a guy. These people have the same vices, faults, influences, failures, defects, and emotions that anyone else has. Yes, they have risen the political ladder, but most of us will admit that with rare exception public service does not attract the best of the best.
These sex scandals are not an opportunity to take cheap shots at the other side. They are an opportunity to remember that government officials are not gods; they are humans like we are, except we have given them the power of gods.
Lewinskygate opened Pandora’s box here… there seems to be no closing it.
Dwacon - July 4, 2009 at 2:37 pm |
Its mostly the media that keeps these “stories” in focus. Without the CNNs, MSNBCs and Fox News’ the left wouldn’t have a platform to brand these guys as hypocrites. As much as I love cable news because of the entertainment I derive, its deplorable when it comes to just reporting the news.
Krishna - July 5, 2009 at 12:32 am |
You’re right, Krishna. The same is true for the right and politics in general. I certainly remember the Clinton ridiculousness. And if you talk to Republican partisans even today, they still insist that their problem with Clinton was that he perjured himself, even though that was clearly a technicality that legitimized their obsession with his personal affairs.
I watch cable news occasionally, too, and as a result my eyes are often tired from continuous rolling.
mwarden - July 5, 2009 at 12:28 pm |