Marriage-wrecking adulterer Mark Sanford won a South Carolina Congressional seat last night. Quick check—yup, ring still on my finger, heart still committed to my wife.
But we can now take family values off the table as a distinguishing voting issue between Republicans and Democrats, right?
Dr. Blanchard, who may blog more now that finals are done, tries to get the bad taste out of his mouth by reminding us that Bill Clinton was sleaze, too:
The left undermined a lot when it circled the wagons around Bill Clinton, not the least of which was Bill Clinton. If Daschle had managed to lay down the law when the first bimbo eruption occurred during the campaign, Clinton might not have wasted so much of his presidency trying to weasel out of his many indiscretions. I am sorry to see Republicans doing the same thing in SC 1. Of course, they netted that seat. Maybe that's the only thing we care about anymore [Ken Blanchard, "Colbert Retort," South Dakota Politics, 2013.05.08].
For what it's worth, Bill and Hillary are still married. Congressman-elect Sanford apparently still believes in marriage: he's engaged to his Argentinian mistress.
"But we can now take family values off the table as a distinguishing voting issue between Republicans and Democrats, right?"
This is the real question and it'll be interesting to see the right-wing spin this.
If you supported Sanford, whether in South Carolina or not, then your a hypocrite
They forgive those who trespass.
It's good to see Ken evolving. In an alternate universe we might have been friends.
Let's see, he's an adulterer, The Argentine woman is an adulterer, he was campaigning on the Sabbath...nobody is stoning people these days because of what Jebus said....you know, he that is without....(gulp)....sin....and yet he's elected....then there's the problem with gay folk....etc.etc.etc. Methinks family values is a holy as Swiss poo.
"This is the real question and it'll be interesting to see the right-wing spin this.
If you supported Sanford, whether in South Carolina or not, then your a hypocrite"
Owen, There are hypocrites in both parties. It didn't take any event or any amount of logic for me to come up with that. If we want to make it even more illogical, we should follow up with vast generalizations. This way Dems can tout Repubs have no family values, and Repubs can tout Dems have no integrity. Now, do you feel any better being on either side?
South Carolina is crazy GOP land. They elect and re-elect some far out people there, and don't give a crap what they say or do as long as they have the R by their name.
If the shoe were on the other foot and the Dems put up someone as disgraceful as Sanford, I would vote for the Republican and send the disgrace into retirement. But in South Carolina there just aren't enough GOP voters who believe in dignity or shame. They're all yellow dog Republicans in South Carolina, and they just elected another yellow dog.
Blanchard and I see this differently. Republicans probably don't like Sanford's actions as a person but he was a standard bearer of common sense small government his entire time in congress (this was his old district) and as governor. The voters knew they didn't care for him but they liked his positions on issues.
Voters of SC weren't supporting his actions and I'm sure he knows he is on thin ice.
(Wouldn't it be nice if South Dakota Politics wrote about South Dakota politics once in a while? They are really far out of the loop when it comes to the legislature and statewide races.)
This was shameless. I'm all for talking about family values as long as it actually means something. I would have easily gone against my political preferences in this one and voted for Colbert-Busch.
Cory I agree with you about Mark but I don't agree that you can judge every Republican based on this
No, but apparently you can judge a majority of them by it.
I bet this "good" news has charged Edward's batteries....
Hypocrisy, thy name is Republican.
Republicans and others who voted for Thune on the basis of his sterling family values ONLY, will not be loudly criticizing Mark Sanford for flying off the South America to tryst and leave his wife. That is the kind of repulsive GOP hypocrisy that almost generates vomit.
It also reminds of Janklow who was tough on crime until he drove past a stop sign at 65 or so and killed a motorcyclist.
There is an acronym "IOKIYAR".. "It's OK if you are Republican."