Sanford's Dumber Move Was After The Affair

I'm not necessarily excusing the affair. But if you really think about the timing of this, he screwed up after the affair. He and his wife were separated. Duh!

He could have announced that and taken a personal vacation, right? I'm not saying the affair wouldn't have tanked any presidential bid due to a possible divorce. But if he had been straight from the beginning, the trip should not have been the problem.

Obviously, he tried to preserve his image despite the marital problems. That's sort of adding insult to injury and was just plain dumb. Michelle has the reaction from wife, Jenny.

Comments

[PA]

I see this affair as a shrewd preemptive move to thwart any possible Foley/Craig type rumors in the future. Now he can move confidently into the presidential "fast track" knowing all the gay whispering has been spiked.

[Reaganite Republican]

You are stating my exact thoughts...

What was he thinking? With this sort of judgement, I for one am glad nobody will be wanting to nominate him for the GOP presidential ticket. The DNC has been tracking his every move since he embarassed Chairman O with his rejection of porkulus funds. I don't think they uncovered this... but they would have.

Anybody with a dozen brain cells could tell you he would get caught.

Oh well- he wasn’t going to beat Palin, Gingrich or Romney anyway.

Thanks, stoopid- and good job, I hope it was worth it… I pray for your family.

http://reaganiterepublicanresistance.blogspot.com/

[wolfwalker]

I continue to wonder whether this was a case of creative incompetence.

Back over the weekend, when the cover story of "he's out hiking" was all anybody knew, I wondered if he had intentionally staged the incident in order to destroy his chances of getting the GOP nomination in 2012. No one ever believes a politician who just says "I'm not running" anymore -- if anything, it makes the will-he-won't-he speculation and the media attention worse. Only a highly publicized example of spectacularly unfit behavior can really end a political career these days. Dropping out of sight for five days following a vicious political fight is just such behavior, no matter the reason.

Now we find that he was down in Argentina with his mistress. I just don't believe that anyone smart enough to become a governor could be stupid enough to think he could fly to _another country_ and keep it a secret. Such a trip leaves far too many traceable records. Therefore he knew he would get caught. He could have mitigated the damage in any of several ways, but he didn't; he tried a clumsy coverup, and then when it was exposed he said "yeah, ya got me, I'm done, I know it, g'bye." That's not the attitude or actions of a man trying to save his private life, his public image, or his ambitions. So what _was_ he trying to accomplish? Maybe exactly what he did accomplish: end a marriage he no longer wanted, and the nightmare of being an assumed candidate for an office he didn't want either, with every word and move watched by a hostile national media.

[runescape money]

Just wanted to say a big huge CONGRATS on the thid! I look forward to reading it, and I love your blog and your column. Can't wait for the new blog