Strange Bedfellows, Indeed

Well, I had this week’s topic (government intervention) pretty well set in my mind and then, out of left field, Governor Mark Sanford (R-SC) strays from the Appalachian Trail all the way to Argentina. Now there is one wrong turn, folks! They say that politics makes for strange bedfellows, but this is getting out of hand.

Amid calls for his resignation, Governor Sanford is striving to maintain some semblance of order in the operation of his state’s business. Camps are divided between “Who cares” and “When is he leaving”. Personally, I care a great deal. Why? Good question. After all, I do not fall within the blanket of South Carolina government, so why should I lose any sleep over who Sanford is sleeping with?

To answer that, I need to go back to the ’80’s and take a look at the Reagan administration and policies that sprang from that era. As far as I can tell, things began to change during Reagan’s second term when then-Attorney General Ed Meese convened his Commission on pornography. The next thing you know, Southland Corporation (7-Eleven stores) was pulling Playboy and Penthouse magazines off of their shelves.

Up until that point, “Republican” was a reference to fiscal conservatism and the empowerment of the individual. It seems to me that the Republican Party, in trying to prolong and preserve its power, began to see the Religious Right as an important ally in that quest. It took some time and tinkering, but, by the end of the 20th century, they had it down pretty pat: family values and the like with the full voiced support of Republican office holders and candidates. Throwing stones at the left? More like bricks, if you look their response to Bill Clinton’s dalliances.

The only problem in this approach is that all of us, regardless of political persuasion, are subject to straying from the straight and narrow. Now, should a regular guy get caught in a strange boudoir the outrage is relatively tame. But if this same guy historically espouses “family values”, that outrage grows exponentially due to the hypocrisy, if nothing else.

Political sex scandals are nothing new and the distribution among the two parties is nearly split. The Republicans, however, suffer much more through these trials because of their family values stance. No one likes a hypocrite and the right sets themselves up for major retribution by clinging to this holier-than-thou position. Trust me, no politician should waste time claiming to be above any kind of fray.

We should not give a rip about the bedroom or bathroom (in the case of Larry Craig) habits of our elected officials. We should care, however, about the two party system. If the Republican Party continues to concentrate on socially admirable traits rather than the solution to real problems they diminish their importance in the political debates that need their input.

So come on, you guardians of the right: leave the bedroom behind and walk over to the office, where you belong. While I may not agree with some of your proposals, I recognize the need to keep you at the table. Continuing to hang your hat on the nails of fidelity and family will only ensure your limited effectiveness in remaining a viable voice within the political spectrum.