Dirty Politics

Prostitutes, affairs, dirty sex.

Many people avoid talking about sex. They cringe at the thought of those three letters coming together and rolling off of someone’s tongue. Yet, it is the first thing everyone gets excited about (no pun intended) when sex is associated with scandal. No, I am not talking about your neighbor having an affair with the mailman. I am talking about the scandals that involve politicians. Sex and politicians do not mix, well at least in America.

Photo courtesy of nola.com

I guess many Americans want government officials to be immortal human beings. Politicians must be perfect in a sense, but we all know that major corruption is associated with politics. Although we would like politicians to be honest reformers, we know that most politicians can never be trusted. Nobody is perfect, but why is it such a big deal when politicians are caught with a mistress, same- sex partner, or even more scandalous prostitutes?

You have to admit, politicians are human beings and are looking to seek pleasure just like you and me. So why is it such a problem when a politician is caught having an affair? Do sex scandals leave a mark on a politician’s career?

The French President Nicholas Sarkozy was accused to have affairs while being married to his first and second wives. Nevertheless, he is holding office since 2007. I doubt any Americans would ever vote for a candidate that was married more than once and was accused of having multiple affairs. Former Governor Elliot Spitzer had a hard time redeeming his reputation after it was uncovered that he was a frequent client in a prostitution ring with the infamous Ashley Dupre. Governor David Paterson, his successor, was heavily criticized because both he and his wife admitted to having extramarital affairs. Will history judge the actions of Paterson fairly? Will historians and the American public look back at his governing abilities positively or will they be overshadowed by his infidelity?

Which politicians come to your mind when you think of scandals? Bill Clinton, John Edwards, Mark Sanford, Larry Craig, and James McGreevey to name a few. But do some politicians get away with scandalous affairs? David Vitter, the Senator from Louisiana, was accused of seeing several prostitutes at a company owned by the “D.C. Madam” in 2007. During President Clinton’s scandal, Vitter publically defamed Clinton and believed that the president should have been impeached because he had an extramarital affair. Does having an affair impair your leadership skills? Clinton did not flee to the country to see Monica Lewinsky.  (Unlike Mark Sanford, who just fled South Carolina to go see his mistress in Argentina. I am not saying he was not allowed to have an affair, but he haphazardly left the state, and did not really inform his staff to take over in case an emergency arose). Clinton eventually admitted to the affair, but was it so awful that he needed to resign?

Vitter replaced Congressman Bob Livingston in 1999 after Livingston committed adultery. At the time, Vitter believed Livingston’s decision to resign should send a message to Clinton. He thought Livingston was noble and Clinton should have done the same. Nevertheless, Vitter was victorious in his re-election bid this past election cycle.

Another surprising scandal I read about involved newly elected Governor Nicky Haley. She was accused of having an affair with a conservative blogger, but she denies all allegations. Despite the rumors, Haley was able to defeat her Democratic opponent.

Are we more partial to forgiving some politicians rather than others? Does it depend on the politician’s political party? Why do some politicians like Vitter and John Ensign continue to advocate for family, wholesome, values, yet they are involved in affairs? I believe that the American public should not be heavily concerned with the sex lives of their representatives in Congress or even in higher offices. But, it does bother me when some politicians preach values and accuse others of being less wholesome, even though they are hiding some dirty, sexy, politics themselves. Should we take a lesson from France?

-Nidhi