Posted by
Roxanna M. on Sunday, January 29, 2012 1:16:18 PM
So said a friend of mine when I asked if he thought that Newt Gingrich was done with adultery. I should note that this friend has been a Newt fan for as long as I can remember. Nonetheless, his answer surprised me.
Do we really not care about the personal lives of those we elect? If he beat his wife, would we care? If he put puppies and kittens into a chipper/shredder, would we care? If he molested his kids, would we care? Of course we would. What my friend appeared to be saying, then, was that he didn't care about this aspect of Newt's life.
Character has been defined as what you do when no one is looking. If you don't care if a politician is honest in his personal life, what right do you have to expect him to be honest in his public life? You knew what you were getting.
If Newt is the eventual nominee, I will vote for him, because he's still head and shoulders above Obama . . . but I'll hold my nose when doing it, and I certainly won't be surprised when he breaks his word or starts sniffing around for wife #4. After all, there is precedent.