July 6, 2009
How to Be a Horny Politician . . . and Survive
Married South Carolina
Gov. Mark Sanford’s recent admission of a
lengthy affair with an Argentine mistress
proves yet again that the heavy burden of
public office can come to bear down so
heavily on the shoulders of these poor souls
that sometimes the only solution is to open
that pressure valve controlled by their fly
zipper. Before the next politician goes down
that road, I’d like to offer some general
advice to them in my capacity as a political
and media strategist.
1) Leave God out of
it. Politicians who end up ensnared in
sex scandals don’t just wake up one day to
discover their libido is in charge. The
surprise is only ever on the part of the
public – not the person responsible for the
behavior. Knowing that you’re uncontrollably
horny and possibly headed for disaster, how
about taking care that God isn’t seen riding
shotgun with you? This will ensure that he
doesn’t end up getting thrown from your
pimpmobile when it inevitably comes crashing
to an abrupt halt. God was first spotted in
Sanford’s passenger seat as he moralized
against Bill Clinton for his relationship
with Monica Lewinsky. Then Sanford
conveniently dragged God into his own mess
by holding him responsible for the fact that
he’s not going to step down as governor.
Quite simply, he’s staying because God told
him to. Even God has to be rolling his eyes
at that one, along with the rest of us.
Instead of using God as a scapegoat for
whatever you did or are about to do, voters
would respond better to the idea of
accepting full responsibility and
accountability.
2) Keep your
apologies targeted. Cheating on your
wife doesn’t mean that you cheated on
taxpayers. Don’t confuse the two. If you
didn’t do anything in breach of public
trust, then just keep your mouth shut
completely. People who argue that
politicians who screw around on their wives
only prove that they don’t have the
requisite character to hold public office
don’t know what they’re talking about. Lack
of character in one area of your life
doesn’t create some kind of slippery slope
into another. That’s like arguing a bank
robber is likely to commit pedophilia. Point
this out, if necessary, by saying that
whatever private difficulties you’re facing
really have nothing to do with your job, and
you’d appreciate being left alone to get on
with it.
3) Shake it off like
European leaders. Don’t cry in the media
like Sanford did, allowing them to set the
agenda by responding to them almost daily
like you’re a willing participant in some
sort of reality show. Just keep going about
your job and responsibilities until you’re
forcibly removed (which is much more
difficult to achieve if you can prove that
you’re effective and competent). Italian
Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s wife
publicly announced that she wants a divorce
because her husband won’t stop cavorting
with young women. He then publicly
demanded an apology from her – and
went on to enjoy a major victory the
European Union elections and the support of
at least half of the voting public. His
critics are now so desperate that they’re
circulating a petition trying to convince G8
country wives to boycott the upcoming summit
on Berlusconi’s turf simply because he’s a
cheating lout. Likewise, French President
Nicolas Sarkozy’s personal life has taken a
beating in the media over the years but he
has never been distracted from his job.
Unless your sex scandal rises to the level
of the Profumo Affair – in other words,
you’re a War Minister spilling secrets to
your mistress while she’s also bedding an
enemy of the state – don’t let the media
pretend your sex life is that important.
4) Don’t ask for
your wife’s cooperation. Be a big boy
and take the heat alone. From Silda Spitzer
to Hillary Clinton and Jenny Sanford, what’s
the deal with these political wives who
stand by their man after he gets busted for
cheating on them? None of them ever look
like they’re keen on being there or genuine
in their diplomatic approach to the
situation. It’s actually better for both the
husband’s career and the wife’s mental
health if she just lets him have it publicly
with both barrels. The wives will feel
better about it, and voters may even start
feeling sorry for the guy. Everyone wins.
Some have referred to Jenny Sanford’s
statement as “classy”. I find that to be a
characterization typically used by men who
hope that their wives would be equally calm
and understanding if they were ever caught
cheating themselves. If I was in Jenny
Sanford’s place, my statement would have
been 10 percent identical to hers – meaning
all the prepositions and conjunctions would
have been the same. But that’s where the
similarities would have ended.