COMMENTARY | Affairs. Pot-smoking. Odd tweets. Strange behavior in college. Politicians from both major parties are often accused (and sometimes guilty) of such behavior. Recently, Herman Cain suspended his campaign after several allegations of sexual assault and one long-term affair. Meanwhile, Newt Gingrich, who has admitted to an affair, is surging in the polls.
Should we care about politicians’ personal lives?
I think we should care only if a politician broke a law, and maybe not always then. For example, I was much more concerned about the charges that Cain harassed women than about his affair. The latter is a matter for him, his wife, and the other woman. There doesn’t seem to be much of a link between a politician’s marital behavior and his (or her) performance in office. Many presidents (of various political views) were not faithful.Some politicians have been accused (or admitted) to smoking marijuana. I can’t really get excited about that. So many people have done it!
Worse, though, the media’s endless hyping of every aspect of every candidate’s personal life cheapens the discourse, discourages good people from running, and distracts from more important matters.
It cheapens the discourse by making the campaigns too much about “he said, she said”. If a person broke a marital vow, then perhaps the person’s spouse will file for divorce. That can be handled by the legal system, but slowly, and not in the media glare of a campaign.
It discourages good people from running because, well, who wants every aspect of their past gone over with a fine-tooth comb? Even if you’ve never done anything illegal, never cheated on your spouse …. have you never done anything you regret? Or something you wouldn’t want others to know about?
Finally, it is a distraction from the real issues. Politicians make laws and shape policy about how this country will be governed. The media should focus on that. Then we can make our decisions based on their positions on the issues of the day.