Adultery and Politics

Topic started by Wolverine on June 26, 2009. Last post by Einherjan 4 months, 1 week ago.
Post by Wolverine (3,290 posts) See mini bio
474 ACH / 12595 P

Loading...

Online Now

Over the years there have been many political scandals involving very popular and powerful politicians commiting adultery. For example, the media has just reported that Republican Governer Mark Sanford cheated on his wife. Over the pass few days many people have been calling for his resignation. Do you think he has the right to keep his job after what he did?
I personally do. I don't advocate adultary but what he does with his personal life has nothing to do with his ability to do his job. If you cheated on your significant other do you think the company you work for should fire you because it shows lack of morals on your part? I certainly don't think so. I'm also a democrat by the way. I'm stating this to make sure people don't think I'm being biased.


Post by FlamingHobo (2,606 posts) See mini bio
1908 ACH / 35120 P

Loading...
I agree with you, and you make a very good point which I think that very little of the mass population think about.


Post by Weltal (1,196 posts) See mini bio
1011 ACH / 18326 P

Loading...
Right, except in your instance I'm hired to do a job, where as a politician is elected to represent the people. Not only is adultery a shitty thing to do it's a a violation of trust on the most fundamental level. Throw their assess out, as far as I'm concerned.


Post by Suicrat (2,762 posts) See mini bio
619 ACH / 11278 P

Loading...

Online Now

I personally wouldn't want anyone who would flaunt a legal contract in such a clandestine and despicable manner to have any political power over me whatsoever....

Then again, I guess they're all like that, aren't they?


Post by TheGreatGuero (2,932 posts) See mini bio
1064 ACH / 18651 P

Loading...
Pretty sad. But hey, most politicians are known for being corrupt, lying dirt bags, right? So it only seems fitting, I suppose.


Post by Insectecutor (328 posts) See mini bio
462 ACH / 6825 P

Loading...
What you have to realise is that the man on the street apparently has no willingness to take an active interest in politics and relies instead on ham fisted moral principles, the University of Life, Common Sense and a lot of other crap, reducing public figures to nothing more than pantomime villains and heroes in a black and white world of right and wrong.

I don't advocate adultery either, but I also don't know the circumstances of his personal life and I wonder how many of those calling for his resignation do. If he did a good job, he should totally carry on doing it.

Edit: PS: I don't know who this guy is. I'm from the UK. We have our own political crisis due to people finding out that government spends their taxes on pointless crap.


Post by Wolverine (3,290 posts) See mini bio
474 ACH / 12595 P

Loading...

Online Now

@Insectecutor: That is exactly the point I'm trying to make. Bill Clinton got impeached for lying under oath about his personal life. In my opinion they shouldn't have asked him such a personal question under oath in the first place.


Post by FrankCanada97 (1,283 posts) See mini bio
86 ACH / 1450 P

Loading...

Online Now

"The government has no place in people's bedrooms."


Post by Suicrat (2,762 posts) See mini bio
619 ACH / 11278 P

Loading...

Online Now

@FrankCanada97: Yes, but a man who will disregard a legal contract in such a manner has no place in the halls of power.


Post by NoXious (156 posts) See mini bio
750 ACH / 6820 P

Loading...
As a representative "for" the people you rely on your credibility and integrity - he just lost both with a single action.


Post by Insectecutor (328 posts) See mini bio
462 ACH / 6825 P

Loading...
@Suicrat: That's a pretty idealistic view of politics and politicians, and of marriage.

@NoXious: The question is: why does such an act undermine his credibility as a politician any more than it would undermine my credibility as a computer programmer? His personal life got fucked up and it could ruin his career. Maybe he should've thought about that, being in the public eye and everything, but unless it affected his ability to do his job well I don't see that he should resign.


Post by Suicrat (2,762 posts) See mini bio
619 ACH / 11278 P

Loading...

Online Now

@Insectecutor: A marriage is a legal contract, that's not an idealistic view of it, most "romantics" would argue that that's a cold-hearted view of marriage.

And why should anyone who disregards the law be given the power to make and repeal laws? Isn't there some sort of logical disconnect there?


Post by Wolverine (3,290 posts) See mini bio
474 ACH / 12595 P

Loading...

Online Now

@Suicrat said:
" @Insectecutor: A marriage is a legal contract, that's not an idealistic view of it, most "romantics" would argue that that's a cold-hearted view of marriage.And why should anyone who disregards the law be given the power to make and repeal laws? Isn't there some sort of logical disconnect there? "
Okay, then what happens if a politician cheated on his girl friend. That isn't against the law so do you feel then they should keep their job.


Post by Gamer_152 (1,554 posts) See mini bio
827 ACH / 12117 P

Loading...
I don't think private lives should have anything to do with politics, if a politician is helping their country then they are helping their country. Not only do I think it's not right that they be removed from office for what they do behind closed doors but I also don't think that the general public has any right to know what they do in their personal time anyway.


Post by Suicrat (2,762 posts) See mini bio
619 ACH / 11278 P

Loading...

Online Now

Sure, whatever, he didn't sign a contract promising not to do the one thing he did, then it doesn't matter. But none of this changes the fact that he signed a legal contract, and then breeched it. The fact that this doesn't legally exclude you from running for election, but being born in a different country does tells me that America abandoned its ideals a long time ago.


Post by Snipzor (1,896 posts) See mini bio
2467 ACH / 46504 P

Loading...

Online Now

I'm just shocked he did it with another woman.

He should resign, for many reasons. One of which is that he (Along with a bunch of other republicans) advocated for the resignation of Clinton. If he doesn't resign (which he won't), he will look like a massive douchebag hypocrite.


Post by BODDAH (262 posts) See mini bio

Loading...
@Snipzor said:
" I'm just shocked he did it with another woman.

He should resign, for many reasons. One of which is that he (Along with a bunch of other republicans) advocated for the resignation of Clinton. If he doesn't resign (which he won't), he will look like a massive douchebag hypocrite.
"
1. Clinton's scum
2. He lied under oath


Post by Insectecutor (328 posts) See mini bio
462 ACH / 6825 P

Loading...
@Suicrat: romantics are idealists. What's your point? My point was realistic, not cold: for some people marriage doesn't work out. Circumstances get difficult. I don't know the circumstances. Perhaps his wife wasn't responding to him and he felt self conscious and needed some validation. The man is human despite being a politician. The reason divorce is legal is because the civilised world realised marriage doesn't always work out and you can't lock people up for having problems with their relationship.

The legalities of marriage relate to boring money, benefits and tax nonsense and are not affected by him shagging someone else. Polygamy (Marriage to more than one person) is illegal, adultery is not (depending on which state you're from)

Edit: Just found out that this guy is from South Carolina, where he can be fined $100-$500 for adultery. That's not much: if you have anal sex you can be imprisoned for 5 years or fined not less than $500.


Post by Snipzor (1,896 posts) See mini bio
2467 ACH / 46504 P

Loading...

Online Now

@BODDAH said:
" @Snipzor said:
" I'm just shocked he did it with another woman.

He should resign, for many reasons. One of which is that he (Along with a bunch of other republicans) advocated for the resignation of Clinton. If he doesn't resign (which he won't), he will look like a massive douchebag hypocrite.
"
1. Clinton's scum
2. He lied under oath
"
Getting a blowjob and saying you did not have sex is hardly lying. Plus name one person who did not lie at least once about having an affair, time's up, they don't exist.


Post by BODDAH (262 posts) See mini bio

Loading...
@Snipzor said:
" @BODDAH said:
" @Snipzor said:
" I'm just shocked he did it with another woman.

He should resign, for many reasons. One of which is that he (Along with a bunch of other republicans) advocated for the resignation of Clinton. If he doesn't resign (which he won't), he will look like a massive douchebag hypocrite.
"
1. Clinton's scum
2. He lied under oath
"
Getting a blowjob and saying you did not have sex is hardly lying. Plus name one person who did not lie at least once about having an affair, time's up, they don't exist.
"
WHAT?? No, this must be a joke, no one is this stupid. I have never cheated on a girlfriend, my parents have never cheated, my grandparents have never, my friends have never cheated ... in fact, I don't know anyone that HAS cheated.

But that's not the point. Clinton lied under oath.


Post by Commando (915 posts) See mini bio
104 ACH / 1901 P

Loading...
"Celebrity birthdays, today Monica Lewinsky is 28. It seemed like just yesterday she was crawling around on the floor in the Oval Office."
-David Letterman.
All time greatest quote ever.


Post by Snipzor (1,896 posts) See mini bio
2467 ACH / 46504 P

Loading...

Online Now

@BODDAH said:
" @Snipzor said:
" @BODDAH said:
"1. Clinton's scum
2. He lied under oath
"
Getting a blowjob and saying you did not have sex is hardly lying. Plus name one person who did not lie at least once about having an affair, time's up, they don't exist.
"
WHAT?? No, this must be a joke, no one is this stupid. I have never cheated on a girlfriend, my parents have never cheated, my grandparents have never, my friends have never cheated ... in fact, I don't know anyone that HAS cheated.

But that's not the point. Clinton lied under oath.
"
You must have missed it. Nobody has ever broken the truth about an affair the first chance they had, this is a fact of life, humans are defensive. Everyone who has had an affair, has lied about it. Clinton, Sanford. Craig and Foley, Edwards and Ensign. I can keep on going. All of these men (Note: Men) have lied about it.

Plus nobody on earth thinks getting a blowjob is equivalent to sex.


Post by Commando (915 posts) See mini bio
104 ACH / 1901 P

Loading...
@BODDAH: I don't think you understand what Snipzor said. He said that every man who DID cheat on that girlfriend, probably lied about it later. He's not saying every guy's a cheater. He's saying, if you're a cheater, you're a liar too.


Post by BODDAH (262 posts) See mini bio

Loading...
@Snipzor said:
" @BODDAH said:
" @Snipzor said:
" @BODDAH said:
"1. Clinton's scum
2. He lied under oath
"
Getting a blowjob and saying you did not have sex is hardly lying. Plus name one person who did not lie at least once about having an affair, time's up, they don't exist.
"
WHAT?? No, this must be a joke, no one is this stupid. I have never cheated on a girlfriend, my parents have never cheated, my grandparents have never, my friends have never cheated ... in fact, I don't know anyone that HAS cheated.

But that's not the point. Clinton lied under oath.
"
You must have missed it. Nobody has ever broken the truth about an affair the first chance they had, this is a fact of life, humans are defensive. Everyone who has had an affair, has lied about it. Clinton, Sanford. Craig and Foley, Edwards and Ensign. I can keep on going. All of these men (Note: Men) have lied about it.

Plus nobody on earth thinks getting a blowjob is equivalent to sex.
"
I thought you meant everyone cheats, haha.


Post by Suicrat (2,762 posts) See mini bio
619 ACH / 11278 P

Loading...

Online Now

@Insectecutor: I was the one claiming to be cold, I wasn't calling you cold. Please read my words more carefully.

Marriage is a legal contract. If he felt he was no longer receiving value for his input into that contract from his counterpart (i.e., his wife), he should have sought a divorce, and I would have no ethical or legal objections to that. But that's not what he did. He merely breeched is contract unilaterally.


Post by Snipzor (1,896 posts) See mini bio
2467 ACH / 46504 P

Loading...

Online Now

@BODDAH said:
" @Snipzor said:
You must have missed it. Nobody has ever broken the truth about an affair the first chance they had, this is a fact of life, humans are defensive. Everyone who has had an affair, has lied about it. Clinton, Sanford. Craig and Foley, Edwards and Ensign. I can keep on going. All of these men (Note: Men) have lied about it.

Plus nobody on earth thinks getting a blowjob is equivalent to sex.
"
I thought you meant everyone cheats, haha.
"
Now why would everyone cheat? That's silly, just look at Denis Kucinich. Enough said, he's one lucky bastard and every man who saw his wife would understand.

Although everyone will use cheats once in a while. I remember back in the day when I used the money cheat in The Sims. Rosebud was the cheat, taught me how to type actually. I should file this under "Funny Story".


Post by goodwood (152 posts) See mini bio
549 ACH / 10960 P

Loading...
During Clinton's scandel San ford called for his resignation due to "moral illegitamacy" so isnt he a bit of a hypocrit here then?


Post by RUjellis22 (14 posts) See mini bio

Loading...
Clinton lied under oath, so he still deserved to be impeached.


Post by JJWeatherman (2,098 posts) See mini bio
1577 ACH / 36695 P

Loading...
@Wolverine said:
" Over the years there have been many political scandals involving very popular and powerful politicians commiting adultery. For example, the media has just reported that Republican Governer Mark Sanford cheated on his wife. Over the pass few days many people have been calling for his resignation. Do you think he has the right to keep his job after what he did?
I personally do. I don't advocate adultary but what he does with his personal life has nothing to do with his ability to do his job. If you cheated on your significant other do you think the company you work for should fire you because it shows lack of morals on your part? I certainly don't think so. I'm also a democrat by the way. I'm stating this to make sure people don't think I'm being biased.
"
I agree that the guy shouldn't be fired for that. It makes him a jerk but it doesn't make him unqualified for his job.


Post by goodwood (152 posts) See mini bio
549 ACH / 10960 P

Loading...
@Wolverine said:
" @Insectecutor: That is exactly the point I'm trying to make. Bill Clinton got impeached for lying under oath about his personal life. In my opinion they shouldn't have asked him such a personal question under oath in the first place. "
Clinton was never impeached, he was tried.