Political Suicide? Who Cares?

I just watched South Carolina's Governor give a news conference on his whereabouts for the last five days....he told the world the ugly truth. I watched a political pundit afterwards criticizing him for "going too far; " "giving too many details"...making it hard for hard for his own political survival. I think it was evident the Governor is not thinking about his political survival, for once. He faced the media with transparency, for once, thinking of how his actions affected others. (Contrast this with the way John Edwards tried to keep his presidential campaign going regardless of the pain of others)

I am disappointed, as everyone is, over his failings--another leader many believed in with weak flesh....His former aide said he was "shocked--this is the last person in the world I thought would do this". It seems like I think the same thing nearly every time something like this happens. Flesh is weak!! Just ask Mark Sanford! Why would he disappear and not be with his four boys on Father's Day? What made him think, as Governor of a state, that he could slip out of the country without telling anyone? What if there had been a disaster in the state? Who was in charge?

Does he not remember Governor Kirk Fordice? (the former two-term Governor of Mississippi and family friend who told his State trooper escorts to "take a couple of days off", then dashed to Memphis to see his girlfriend, only to have a near-fatal crash on the way back.) Governor Fordice threw it all away--divorced his wife, alienated his children, tarnished his reputation. Those years were sad for all who knew the family. His judgement became very clouded during that time. His final years thankfully were spent with his children and ex-wife rallying around him as he battled cancer.

I'm not sure it was a great thing for Governor Sanford's young kids for him to be so candid to the world. I pray that people and the media will have the decency not to make things even harder for them. But I do think it is refreshing for him to stand up and tell the truth--facing personal and professional ruin--but still laying it all out and saying "I'm sorry." I saw a broken man who had come to terms with God that he had fallen into sin . Everyone is talking about how this is another hit for the Republican party--well, they are right, but there will be plenty more. There will also continue to be Democrats who keep letting their party down. I don't think it is right to either glorify our leaders, although it's the natural thing to do-- (that will surely lead to their fall) or to crucify them when they do let us down. Pray for them--and find a replacement. I do think he should resign as Governor--not necessarily for personal misbehavior , but for losing his head in such a major way that he would mislead his staff, his state and the nation and not follow the law by putting someone else in charge of the state.

By resigning the Governor will also have time to literally, put his house in order.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/ap_on_re_us/us_sc_governor_where