Our Voice Now

Many were surprised by John Edward’s admission over having had an extra-marital affair in 2006 but how surprising is it really? We have seen time and again in recent years politician after politician admitting to the public they had an affair while in the public spotlight. Both parties are equally as guilty. Starting with Bill Clinton (and no doubt many politicians - including JFK - long before that but they didn’t have 24 hour news networks watching their every move), we have sat through leader after leader admitting their guilt on national tv. We have found out that Rudy Guilani has been married four times - including one time to one of his cousins. We know that John McCain left his first wife when he found she had been disfigured in an accident while he was a POW and had started a relationship with Cindy before he was divorced from his first wife. We all still have nightmares when cigars and a blue dress are mentioned in the same sentence and nothing could be more made-for-tv drama than the McGreevey’s nasty divorce when Gov. McGreevey admited he was gay and then left his wife for his billionaire boyfriend.

But why has this become common practice and, more importantly, in a nation where many (especially the conservatives) claim to be about morality and family, why are these people continually re-elected? The conservatives had a wonderful time attacking Clinton when his affair was revealed and yet have no problem with McCain and Guiliani having had affairs. They pointed their fingers and said “we told you so” and tried to make McGreevey into some evil thing for being gay yet have continued to support Sen. Craig even though he was caught propositioning another male in a public restroom - while he was married! They have criticized Obama’s pastor for being questionable racist remarks yet continue to support their own conservative pastors even when they are convicted of being pedophiles, having homosexual or heterosexual affairs or murdering their wives whom they had been abusing for years.

So I ask, how can we expect our political leaders to act in a way that is moral and upstanding when their own supporters say one thing and believe another?