where do we draw the line on politician's private lives?

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Permalink Reply by Spytap on September 4, 2008 at 5:03pm

To be honest, and I don't think there is an off-limits line when it comes to information that would help me decide who I would like to support as the most powerful person on the planet and de facto leader of my country.

My father told me when I was young that how a person handles their personal life is reflective of how they handle their professional life. Someone who is nice to your face but rude to a waiter or doorman or taxi driver is saying something about their opinions about themselves and other people. How a mother or father treats their children and their parents is also reflective.

If Sarah Palin or Barack Obama feel that information about their private lives is off limits then they shouldn't seek public office. My tax dollars are at work with this person, and to a certain degree I'm giving them carte blanche to influence and affect my own life.

If I were buying a company, I would want a very deep look at their files; it's called due diligence. I want to do my due diligence on the candidates and that includes finding out whether they walk the walk in their personal lives or just say they do.

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Permalink Reply by DeadPianoPlayer on September 4, 2008 at 5:54pm

There's a huge difference between electing a person and electing a personality.

I'm not going to vote for the candidate that i think would be coolest drinking buddy, or a good pal, or even one who i can necessarily relate to.

I look at the politics, not the personal lives. That's what matters most, POLICY! He/She could be the biggest D-Bag in human history, but as long as they do all they can to insure that this becomes the country we all know that it can be. . . well then i'm a happy camper.

just think of it this way: what was more important? who clinton screwed (monica, with his penis), or who bush screwed (everyone, through policy)?

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Permalink Reply by brandbulldawg on September 4, 2008 at 6:12pm

I hear a lot about experience in this election. But I have to call B.S. on that, since in my opinion, judgement is a more important criterion. If we consider the current president (who is about to move 20 miles from me), I would say he has a lot of experience and NO judgement. I am Canadian and cannot vote in my new country, so I do not have the ability to vote here. This is a bit of somewhat partial perspective.

Is it important that we understand what Sarah Palin is about? Hell, yes. The RNC didn't properly scrutinize her before her adornment as the VP candidate. Does she scare me? Yes. Mostly because she is considered to have experience by running a town. Let's have some perspective. The Alaskan town she was running had 50 employees and an annual budget of 12 Million dollars. Obama had 2500 employees NOW and a budget of 36 M dollars a MONTH.

My real question would be to the girl. Did her mother and father force her to have the baby? Think about this long and hard. It terrifies me that a person could have this kind of influence on the entire country.

Good Luck!

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Permalink Reply by georgefrouzakis on September 5, 2008 at 6:27am

Personally I think that the line should be drawn to whereas politicians are breaking the law in their personal lives. However in reality the life of a politician as a public figure, a celebrity, is hard to be neglected. It gives so much news to numerous media with the saucy details and all of that... But also it can bring things to our attention...
I understand that in this particular instance of Palin and her role as mother, kinda failed the christian anti-abortion line of the happy american family prototype. That's tough. No her fault either. But as a parent you can say... I personally don't care.

My biggest concern is what I mentioned in the beginning and that is what I'm totally concerned about, following the laws like the rest of us.

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Permalink Reply by Leadpipe on September 5, 2008 at 7:35am

I don't think anyone is suggesting that people not know about political candidates, Palin or otherwise. I think Obama's call of "off-limits" is more in terms of political attack. I don't think he meant to avoid discussion on the issue of personal lives, but to try to make the point that a person's personal life is their own choice and that it should be respected as such. The line is hard to draw, but I think it's more to draw more emphasis to substantive discussions of policy.

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Permalink Reply by (tubejay) culture over aquisition on September 5, 2008 at 10:37am

to some degree, it is impossible to get in politics and expect a private life. that's a practical issue that all politicians are aware of, but morally speaking, we have to be able to mention the lives of politicians when the issue demonstrates poor or hypocritical policies.

i feel very strongly that bill clinton's improprieties were irrelevant to any of his political duties, but not everyone would agree. it's very, very relevant that palin's daughter is pregnant with the child of a 17-year-old, when a. "abstinence training" results in more teen pregnancies than teaching birth control, b. palin supports abstinence before marriage and c. her daughter is a teenager that got pregnant out of wedlock that demonstrates what a useless idea abstinence training is.

(it's also relevant that clinton appeared to respond to the pressure and attention of the lewinsky "scandal" with a distracting bomb raid on iraq, but i'd sooner impeach him for bombing innocent people than getting a freaking blowjob.)

people who think it's disgusting that the democrats mention the pregnancy forget that the republicans would and always do the same, and miss how unfair to palin's daughter it is that they're now going to get married just to help the political career of a governor and candidate for vp. i think otherwise there would be no marriage, and there should never be a marriage of two people that are not ready to commit to each other- that would be a lot more cruel.

either way, republican politicians and their supporters have no room to talk, after impeaching clinton for trying to keep his sex life private.

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Permalink Reply by I'llturnnative on September 5, 2008 at 1:10pm

I agree with Spytap to a certain extent, how a person behaves in their private lives is a reflection of how they will handle the responsabilaties of the office they seek to hold, for this reason, McCain's temper (PTSD, calling his wife a cunt, etc.) should be a qualifying factor in understanding his personal life, Palin's attempt to ban certain books that she personally does not agree with is fair game, however Palin's daughter should not be, because her daughter is not her. Her daughter is her own human being able to make her own decisions about how to occupy her time and weigh the perspective consequenses of her actions (even if she is a minor)
Getting pregnant at 17 does not reflect negative parenting skills since kids are just going to have sex anyway.

This does not mean that a person's private lives should take center stage in the selection process. When it comes to policians, the issues are what's important. There is never going to be a politician that reflects exactly what you feel is important the way you feel important about it, the economy, global warming, the war, etc are all very important but at least when you see them for who they are you can see how they will behave in the primary responsabilities of the office of president, the nations #1 diplomat, commander in chief of the armed forces and the head of the executive branch of government.

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Permalink Reply by I'llturnnative on September 5, 2008 at 1:43pm

...cont.
It is impossible to find a person that can fill all the roles that I have listed above, it is also impossible to foresee all of the problems that will plague the next administration, We have seen with the current administration the effects of picking an guy we could see ourselves having a beer with, and we have paid the price as a country. We cannot afford to throw our most powerful political gift, our vote so carelessly. We can however pick an individual that attempts to better themselves, as we all do and adheres to the values, and protects the liberty that we hold dear as a republic.

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Permalink Reply by Laurence on September 7, 2008 at 10:24am

I'd Like to deviate and tell how things are on this side of the atlantic

being from the UK, it has now reached the point where, If a politician ISN'T exposed as a sex addicted raving pervert, or hasn't indulged in any affairs, then I'm somewhat disappointed in them, Mind you I'm also quite mad when they do, usually because I'm Jealous :P

here are a few examples..

The Now Lord mayor of London, Boris Johnson

Liberal Democrat Leadership Challenger Mark Oaten had to withdraw from the leadership race.

The early - late 90's conservative prime minister, John Major seemed to be a complete dullard, till Revelations about what he got up to emerged several years later.

Even blind former Labour home secretary David blunkett got some

Much like they were, The British Satirical press were quick to pounce...

Boris Johnson:

Mark oaten:

John Major:

David Blunkett

These are just a handful of examples out of many over here. But my own take on such political scandals varies somewhat.

I Don't mind these political figures enjoying doing who they want however they want so much. It's a case of "whatever floats your boat" as is so often said in the UK. Many of these political figures have worked hard since their youth and have often been social outcasts in their pursuit of power, often forgoing a good social life and dating girls on their rise to the top. Ergo I don't Begrudge them "letting their hair down" once they've reached it.

But... and like many of them I've seen In Houston, It's a big "But"...

Many of these political figures have Gotten Married, started families, and promoted/said they were happy with/pursued the "happy family" Way of living, in what I presume, is to let the general public see that they are *cough* decent, respectable human beings on the high moral ground.

And this is what gets my goat, I'd have more respect for a political figure if they were single and openly admitted - for example - that they liked dressing up as gimp and being spanked silly with a cricket bat (or whatever other practice "floats their boat"), rather than one who's living a sham of a life with a family and Gets outed by the press doing this very act after a fame & money hungry dominatrix sells her story to the press...

As far as What's going on with Sarah Palin goes, they discussed this thing on Mock the week a couple of days ago, but it's not on "the tube" yet, as soon as it is, I'll embed it here, as it echoes my thoughts on the matter perfectly

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Permalink Reply by Laurence on September 8, 2008 at 8:21pm

got it!!


starts discussing Sarah palin from 3 mins onwards, all is still funny nonetheless. And Lauren (the rather nice blonde girl) makes a really valid point about sarah's daughter.

on a more positive note, I'd like to add that US politics is getting really interesting to me, I mean US politics has served up what I consider to be the very first PILF ( P= Politician) but also the first G-MILF as well!! :P

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Permalink Reply by Lee R.E. on September 7, 2008 at 10:53am

I think we live in a orld that is such when you become a public figure on purpose such as politicans and entertainers, or even a web personality you start to give up your rights to privacy.

However when it comes to politicans the line for me when they break the law. Especially laws they support. If and when that happens I no longer gives two horsepuckies about your privacy. I want all the facts jack.

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Permalink Reply by DeadPianoPlayer on September 7, 2008 at 1:11pm

how about short minute long daily Fu bites? is that an option?

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