Maybe it would not be so bad if we could go back to the days when a politician’s private life or especially when a president’s or presidential candidate’s private life was just that, private. But I think the using of so-called “family values” as a campaign and general political theme or device has pretty well ruined that.
Newt Gingrich is one heck of a hypocrite when he goes after a news person for daring to question his own family values — that is the assertion by a former wife that he had asked her to allow him to continue to fool around with his mistress but remain married to her.
Gingrich went after Bill Clinton when Clinton was president over his affair with Monica Lewinsky.
To be fair, as I understand it, Gingrich is denying his former wife’s allegation, but the story of his infidelity or infidelities has been around for years and in statements I have heard make on television he has all but admitted or conceded to the point.
If Gingrich does not think his sex life is fair game for news coverage then he would have done better to keep his mouth shut about other people, that is unless he is the pious one who is beyond reproach. But he himself has already noted that he has sinned in the past (no specifics, but tacitly admitting to his infidelities) and has said that he now is trying to atone for those sins.
Former drug addicts (I don’t mean he is or was one), alcoholics, and sinners are the worst at lecturing others on their behaviors.
Newt and his partisans made much hay about putting CNN questioner John King in his place by Newt going after him for asking the embarrassing question. There is room for debate on whether he should have asked the question or waited for some of Newt’s opponents to bring it up or have framed the question differently or so on. Certainly if Newt had just before that moment made a pro-family values statement the question would have been right on.
And if this assertion of Newt’s infidelities not been an old story, such a question might be closely akin to the “when did you stop beating your wife”- type of question. You can’t answer one of those without making it seem as if you are in the wrong, whether you are or are completely innocent. I doubt Newt is completely innocent.
I say: Calm down Newt. If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen (and maybe make sure you are in the correct bedroom).
P.s.
Candidates and their followers prefer soft ball questions. Journalists who play along with that are not real journalists. And the general voting public have inquiring minds (or should) and just want to know (or they should).
