A Gentleman’s view.

This has been the most self indulgent public display of hypocrisy I’ve ever seen.

The Republicans are trying their best to do as much damage to their national political party as they possibly can each in their own special way. Governor Mark Sanford of South Carolina, after watching the public fiascos of Larry Craig, David Vitter, and John Ensign, not to be outdone, puts on a show for all times. Then he continue at every opportunity, giving away more information than the world needs to know or his family be embarrassed by. These gentlemen have been designated as the future heads of the party and potential candidates in 2012. He joins a group from the Republican Party who preach the righteous behavior of the fire and brimstone teachings of the Christian religion and the Religious Right. They are very good at attacking those who either compete against them or disagree with them as anti-American or not patriotic as the party has hijacked the virtues of patriotism, family values and strong national defense as pillars of the foundation of the Republican Party, when in reality, few members ever serve in the military or can live up to the standards implied. Falling short and confessing, begging for constituent forgiveness to be allowed to stay in office because of it being in the best interest of the district represented happens all the time.

This was different, Stanford implied, something unlike just any other fling or flirtation with an intern that may have gotten out of hand. That passion clicked in a special way from the very beginning, implied, that the one experience in life that all of us would love to have happen and that is to truly fall in love with someone and simultaneously have the special moment in life when the object of your affections is impacted the exact same way at the exact same time. Who can argue with true romance? That meant, by gosh, this one man, this father, this husband, this Governor, this head of State, this Mark Sanford’s soul could now truly rest in peace when he died having really experienced love in his lifetime. Whoop tee do! But that is just me! Then, it turns out that this thing that happened all of a sudden had been happening over eight years, and many emails. Then, it went live last year and you had other things happen. Then you almost had 7 other things happen with other women that were inappropriate, but you didn’t have sex with any of them, except the one you still love in Argentina.

All of the men around America, not just Republicans, are thinking; Oh My God, Governor, for the sake of your innocent family who didn’t have a choice in participating through this very public humiliation, please shut up already! It is just so unfair and self-indulgent of you to put them through this and thusly be grounds for impeachment. Truly, the reason you should resign is for putting this very personal experience before the interest of the whole State of South Carolina and not appreciate just how irresponsible that was. Then you compounded that with not informing your staff you were leaving the country, which I am sure under some statute, probably requires that you turn over authority to someone while you are gone. But, for me that is not the worst of your crimes, Governor. The worst of your crimes is to do this to four kids by behaving like some high school love struck kid, while actually a middle aged self centered fool, with no consideration of what you are teaching your sons about the treatment of women by what you are doing to their mother before the whole world.

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