Sanford's Affair Sparks Debate In GOP Over Family Values Emphasis

Gov. Mark Sanford's admission to an extramarital affair with a woman in Argentina has sparked a debate within the backchannels of the GOP over how strongly the party should emphasize morality and religion going forward.

For decades, the GOP has used issues like respect for the sanctity of marriage and the notion of family values as a key component of its political platform and a point of divergence between Republicans and Democrats. A series of sex scandals involving high-ranking officials, however, has drastically altered that equation. And now some strategists are questioning whether the party should rethink the way it emphasizes these matters.

"It creates a very interesting tension for Republicans because they understand that there is a very interesting constituency that they have to appeal to, particularly in places like South Carolina, by resorting to that kind of moral values rhetoric," said Mike Maslansky, CEO of Luntz Maslansky, a predominantly conservative communications firm. "I don't say rhetoric as a means of demeaning it. Talking in those terms is a way to appeal to the base. In an election season they find it is a significant advantage to talk in those terms. Maybe for the other three years out of their term they wish that they hadn't."

The GOP, to be certain, will never get to a point where it willfully cedes the moral high ground to Democrats. The social and religious conservatives who comprise a large and vocal portion of the base won't permit such a drift. Nor, for that matter, does it make political sense. The failings of Sanford and others, they argue, were isolated and personal events and not reflective of the party as a whole.

"It is a personal tragedy that he talked about some length," said Frank Donatelli, chairman of GOPAC, a conservative political action committee, and former political director for President Ronald Reagan. "But I don't know that it has implications beyond that."

That said, conservatives have hit a rough patch in the last few years on the family values front, with Sen. John Ensign, Sen. David Vitter, and former Sen. Larry Craig all setting the stage for Sanford's own marital misconduct controversy. And there is a growing belief among strategists that Republicans might -- at least for the time being -- be better served to stress the economic components of their platform rather the social or moral aspects.

"Look, of course, we are the conservative party and we are going to have a conservative message," said Donatelli. "But I do think by talking a little bit more about economic opportunity that we as a party want to offer both at the national and state level, that is what we can do I think to broaden our ranks."

Craig Shirley, a long-time Republican strategist who has been vocal in his criticism of the party, added: "The problem with the Republican Party today is not having principles; the problem is the betrayal of principles. Frankly, I think the whole issue of 'family values' is overstated as a problem in the GOP. The Republican Party has a lot of problems, no doubt, but for every John Ensign or Mark Sanford are ten so-called conservatives undermining the Jeffersonian message of individual rights, individual dignity."

Get HuffPost Politics On Facebook and Twitter!

Comments

[EvereaderinSC]

JC1010 if I remember my history correctly, I think the two parties in Jefferson's times - and "party" did not even really mean the same thing as it does today - were the Federalists and the Democratic­-Republica­ns. I think John Adams was a member of the first and Jefferson of the second. I also think for a certain period in those early elections the candidate who got the lesser number of votes became the vice president to the person who got the most votes.

The Democratic party in the first half of the 19th century I think would have had much more in common with today's Republicans. The first Republican candidate for president was John C. Fremont, who ran in 1856, just before Lincoln captured the Republican nomination. The "Solid South" which voted Democratic up until the first part of the 1960's was as much of a block of voters as the Republicans have been in that same region up until 2008 when Obama seemed to break its hold a bit. What boogles my mind is that Adlai Stevenson won the South as a Democrat the two times he ran, but only I think because that was the last of the generation that voted against the Republicans they remembered from the post-Civil War years.

[Durango]

Martin Luther King had to agonize long and hard before he endorsing John F Kennedy over Richard Nixon in 1960.

As a matter of fact, Nixon had a better record on Civil Rights. On the surface anyhow.

However Dr. King saw through him.

But it wasn't easy.

if you want an excellent explanation of what turned African Americans against the Party of Lincoln read Rising Tide, The Great Mississippi River Flood of 1927, by John M Berry.

One of the best books I have read. on any subject.

[olmossy]

Is it true that Sanford has ask Prsident Obama for an appointment as his Minister of Foreign Affairs ?

[JessWonderin]

After submitting his "Offshore Drilling Proposal" . . . .

[olmossy]

LOL

[SarcasticFringehead]

There is a large portion of Americans who have been raised to see the world a certain way: morality is always black and white; science is a threat to their values; religion is of utmost importance; we must have a strong military at all costs; sex is for procreation -- on and on it goes.
This is really a mind-set. It's a set of parameters for the mind, beyond which, one does not dare let one's mind stray. It is called being a conservative. One has made up one's mind about life, and that's it -- no new information is needed.
These people are a large enough section of America, that if the Republicans did not to cater to them, they would experience a major loss of voters. Regardless of how Republican politicians behave and how they show themselves to be hypocrites, they must nonetheless put up a front that they stand for conservative values. Without these conservative voters, the Republican party would vanish like a puff of smoke.

[Happylib]

They already experienced "a major loss of voters" and their party is imploding right now and is only one hypocritical move away from vanishing "like a puff of smoke" which I have no doubt will happen any minute. They deserve everything they are getting.

[Godweiser]

Luckily for us and unfortunately for them, they're a dying demographic whose existence is threatened by the information age. They're having the same problems the Iranian mullahs are in regards to a youth that has access to other sources, often more authoritative sources, on issues than the town's fire and brimstone preacher.

They're in a losing battle with modernity. Pardon me while I cry a tear.

[Flavor]

This govonor is going to have to go but they may have to vote him out because it (appears) he isn't leaving on his own. I also think they should make him pay back the money he used to go on this trip to visit this woman, you got a struggling state and you take a expensive trip off of taxpayers money because you want to be pleased, do it with your own money stop!!!! taking from poor struggling people that are holding on by a thread to keep their jobs and their homes and put food on the table for their children. He is not the only one who does this I'm sure there are more of them out there, if you are I did this we would be incarcerated for taking taxpayers money and living it up. All of this frivolous spending that (some) of these politicians are doing got to come to an hault. If you put demands on the people then you should live by them also. You are representing the laws that be, then be that example or don't run for public office. Yes, everyone makes mistakes we are human but there are consequences that come to us all when we do wrong, and besides we aren't a governor governing a mass of people. Who is left to trust?

[zeus51]

Did not Sanford and Ensign call for the resignation of Senator Craig and Pres. clinton for thier martial infidelity, oh, I forgot about Sen. Vitter

[Whitley2009]

Any of you military whiz kids with commissions want to tell us what this does to his MILITARY SECURITY CLEARANCE as an officer in the Air Force (Guard/Reserve)? Is this the kind of officer we want to entrust with confidential federal military information? Inquiring minds want to know.

[dragonlady620]

The Europeans have it right-most of them thought the firestorm over Bill Clinton's behavior was ridiculous. They thought it was absurd that the US would eviscerate a competent leader over a bit of sexual dalliance. The prevailing sentiment was "ALL politicians do it. Who cares? How does he run your country?"( In fact a French editorial published at the time suggested that political talent and increased libido seem to go hand in hand-in other words, the good leaders all seem to be oversexed.­) One's private life should remain private and shouldn't factor into how well a person does his particular job. Ideally it shouldn't be an issue at all. But since the Republicans have MADE it an issue-and are quick to condemn anyone else (that is, anyone who isn't Republican) for such actions they have made themselves fair game for similar attacks.
It's not the deed, it's the lie-and the hypocrisy.

[JiminNC]

You're right. I don't care who does who, as long as they don't do it on my diome and they do not allow their actions to compromise the country's or state's well being. In the same breath, sanctimonious moral-rhetoric does not go over well from the mouths of adulterers.

[dragonlady620]

It's worth noting that the hundred-million dollar impeachment of Bill Clinton-by a group of hypocrites who didn't give a rat's a$$ about his behavior and who for the most part were guilty of the same thing-was also on the taxpayers' dime.It was a GOP campaign ad that the public paid for (in more ways that one).

[Godweiser]

I bet Republicans wish they could unring that bell now, but that's hubris for you. It's fairly merciless. On the other hand, Republicans tend to work in the realm of wolkenkuckucksheim, where they're perfect beings and mistakes and errors are made by everyone else.

They hammer away at human frailty because it'd never be them. Then, one day, they discover they've been blindsided and are humans and fallible after all. Then their comrades turn on them and declare, "That's not us!"

They are a party selling a fiction and a lot of people embrace them because they seek denial in numbers.

I can't say I have much pity for them. So long as they continue to be stern, unpitying and preachy on morality, I will continue to enjoy when they (inevitably) come up short of the ideal they enjoy holding everyone else up to.

[Pammy2]

So let's sum up: Since they can't live up to the 'principles' they claim to have, they'll just abandon them? Sounds about right for Republicans.

For decades they've claimed a monopoly on 'morals' and 'values' and 'righteousness' and it's finally dawned on them that they've never really lived up to any of those things. I guess they get points for self-awareness, finally.

[JGC1010]

Wow, talk about "retro-future shock"...w­hen Craig Shirley chastizes the Republicans for abandoning "the Jeffersonian message of individual rights, individual dignity." Wasn't Jefferson a Democratic president/ Or has that section of history been rewritten, too?

[PhillyQuaker]

"Question with boldness even the existence of God; because if there be one, he must more approve the homage of reason, than that of blindfolded fear." Thom. Jefferson

http://www.monticello.org/reports/interests/religion.htmlon.html

[the964kid]

The debate won't last long, the extremists in the GOP always win their internal arguments.

[mcvet]

What I must really ask is of those who are so narrow minded and blinded by hate that they will continue to buy this Snake Oil. These Politicians sell it to them by the Gallon and these very small minded ignorant people, who's sole goal in life is the same as the Taliban in the Middle East, just continue to support people so low they will tell them what they want to hear at the SAME time they are doing worse. If these "born again" losers want to know how a Hooker feels... welcome to the real world!!

[Whitley2009]

Arg! It's so true.

[MaryanneAZ]

They like to tell themselves as they warm church pews each Lo.rd's Day that they are not using abor.tion services when their precious 13 year old gets in trouble, they are not cheating on their spouse in cheap motels, their sons and daughters are not gay, they are not abusing their children, they are not steal.ing from their employers by taking long lunches, they are not cheat.ing on their tax returns, etc. The truth is that they are just as human and fallable as the rest of us. They just keep it from their fellow chuch members by omission. They will of course continue to voice their sanctimony and family values for all to hear and with no regard to the truth.

[LiberalLee]

Guess it explains why he was sooooo eager to use stimulus $$ to pay down state debt: He was sticking his constituencey with the bills for his philandering.
B@llsy, eh?

sheesh.

[tahoegal]

Governor "Itchy Pants" should resign immediately. Those people who elected him look foolish, now to let him remain in that position of power is pure stupidity. Give him a one-way ticket to Argentina where he belongs. Hypocracy is just the most common trait of the GOP. So Sanford brought pigs in to demonstrate the evils of pork in the legislature - what will he do now, bring in hookers to demonstrate the sanctity of marriage. SC deserves to start with a clean slate.

[caterpol]

Not so surprisingly, the GOP's concern is not with the adultery itself, or the hypocrisy of their scolding rhetoric, but on their ad campaign's effectiveness.

As for them never ceding the moral highground, it's not theirs to cede. Their actions will speak for themselves, and the voters will decide their sincerity.

[LiberalLee]

What really cracks me up is this:
"Vote for The Defense of Marriage!" Why bother? They don't even pay lip service to the sanctity of their own marriages, but want to regulate who can marry whom.
Pathetic hypocracy, thy name is Republican.

[DemoGoddes]

They are the nobility and may behave as they chose. Laws are for those of lower rank.

[JonW]

Those that yell the loudest against sin (at least their version) are generally the biggest sinners of all.
When foun out, they fall back on their pseudo-religious bleetings of the "devil made me do it", "I'll repent forever". "Ill spend my life from now on with my kids, beloved wife, etc" ad nauseum.
Didn't know that the prominent " Rethugs had taken a "Hypocritic Oath". Real douch bags!!!