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Friday, June 26, 2009
Boomer with Attitude / News Sanford’s unexpected humanity
Posted By John Grooms on Fri, Jun 26, 2009 at 12:30 PM
Isaac Bashevis Singer, the wonderful Nobel-winning author, wrote of how both love and fiction “merge the passions of the flesh with the yearnings of the soul.” I thought of that quote while watching a replay of SC Gov. Mark Sanford’s teary press conference, in which he ditched fictional tales of hiking for an unexpected love story. It was almost shocking in this age of pre-packaged political images and media manipulation, but there, live and in color, was something I thought I’d never see: a high-level politician baring his soul. Belying the usual image of a smug politician offering excuses and smarmy apologies, Sanford was a deeply conflicted, confused man wrestling with his emotions and beliefs, and, despite disagreeing with him on nearly every possible political issue, I felt for the guy. Maybe it’s because for the first time, Sanford, who previously had always come across as a heartless cold fish, seemed human. Love, lust, and personal ethics make for one of humanity’s thorniest, most difficult settings to navigate -- one reason I believe politicos’ private lives should be allowed to stay that way. In America, though, unlike our more worldly European counterparts, we elect politicians with an expectation that they will turn out to be moral role models, characters out of King Arthur stories and fairytales, and when their sexuality and/or emotional lives become public in any way, our bubble bursts and we yell “Off with their heads!” Yes, Sanford is still a political Neanderthal who’s never shown an ounce of concern for the people of his own state; and yes, he will no doubt pay politically for his professional irresponsibility. But nonetheless, it’s fascinating to see how even a cerebral oddball like Sanford can get caught up in such a deeply emotional, too-human whirlwind.
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