Politicians are not puppets on a string or actors on a stage — they are people who should be judged by the same morals and values by which we judge ourselves.
Newt Gingrich, candidate for the Republican presidential ticket, has recently come under scrutiny for immoral behavior in his personal life. Marianne Gingrich, Gingrich’s second ex-wife, said he asked for an “open marriage” during his affair with Callista Bisek, to whom he is now married. This isn’t the first time Gingrich has been accused of unethical behavior.
Gingrich was fined $300,000 in 1997 — the first time the House of Representatives punished a speaker in the 208 years of its existence. Gingrich admitted to providing the House ethics committee with false information and financing two projects that broke federal tax law.
However, Gingrich isn’t the only politician accused of moral wrongdoing.
President Richard Nixon had the Watergate scandal. President John F. Kennedy had his famous affair with Marilyn Monroe. Former Senator John Edwards admitted to having an affair, and who can forget President Bill Clinton’s affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky, which ultimately led to his impeachment.
The list of politicians and their moral offenses stretches throughout history, beginning with our Founding Fathers. There are those who argue that a politician’s personal life should not be a deciding factor during elections because they are being voted into a legislative role, not a moral one. But the morals and values a person deems important are insights to their character and dictate how they will behave — in personal and professional aspects of their lives.
Politicians are public figures, and therefore subject to a higher level of scrutiny and judgment. But it is difficult to judge someone for who they truly are from the smiling faces we see on TV or scripted statements we read in newspapers. It is the responsibility of the media to inform the public about incidents like Gingrich asking for an open marriage so we can make informed decisions about who we are voting into office.
Americans vote politicians into office and trust them to make ethical and unselfish decisions on behalf of the entire country without knowing who they truly are. If politicians don’t make moral decisions in their personal lives, it is likely they will exhibit that same immorality in their career.
Being informed of politicians’ morals and values will allow voters to elect people they can trust to make decisions using their hearts and minds — not their pocketbooks.