Jenny Sanford Weighs In On Marianne Gingrich Interview (VIDEO)

Former First Lady of South Carolina Jenny Sanford appeared on MSNBC Thursday to talk about the upcoming GOP primary, and Chris Matthews asked her whether Newt Gingrich's messy marital past should impact his presidential candidacy.

"I think anybody's behavior in their personal life does have to impact what they do in their professional life," she said. "Because I think it comes down to the simple question of character. I think character matters. It matters in your family, it matters in your business, it matters in everything you do each day of your life."

Sanford would know. In 2009 her ex-husband Mark was caught in an affair with an Argentinian mistress while he was governor and supposedly hiking the Appalachian trail. She later divorced him, but she told Matthews that under certain circumstances people can overcome personal failings.

"Does that mean that we can't overcome failings on the one side? Absolutely not," she said. "I think the American people are actually fairly forgiving. But there has to be some notion if there were failings on one side, there has to be some notion that there's a very, very strong stance on the other side for me to work on that."

Marianne Gingrich, Newt's second wife, just taped a revealing interview with ABC in which says her ex-husband requested an open marriage so that he could continue his affair with Callista, now his third wife. Sanford told Matthews that she thinks Marianne's revelations could hurt Newt's campaign.

"I think that actually seeing one of his wives speaking about him in an unflattering manner, it has got have an impact in some respect," she said. "It does call into question his character certainly on the personal side. And, you know, as a voter, I encourage people to look at both sides, the personal side. And if you're going to overcome somebody's moral failings or infidelities, you have to also look at where they stand ideologically and how much does their rhetoric match their reality. In my mind, Gingrich falls short on both fronts. So, he wouldn't get my vote."

Comments

[Rdmptn]

11:59 AM on 01/23/2012

How dare Jenny Sanford say there's no race problem here in South Carolina? I wish Chris Matthews had challenged her a little harder when she made that statement.

[jojo1216]

04:14 PM on 01/21/2012

If they cant maintain an organized and successful personal life. What reason do I have to believe that they can successfully orchestrate and run politics? Because that's what lasting relationships are, politics. You learn to work together in order to make things happen... so if I see a candidate that cant keep his/her home life working it sends a very negative message to me. Its a simple rule that I use in life, if you aren't in control of your own life, then you shouldn't be in a position to control other people.

[demofem]

06:42 PM on 01/20/2012

I guess I'm having a harder time working up great admiration for Jenny Sanford than other posters here, to my embarrassment. Perhaps I'm not being gracious--though I think she handled herself well when exposed to a public humiliation--but I find her more than a little smug, and incredibly presumptuous to assure us all that there is no racism in South Carolina. I imagine that she, as a very wealthy and privileged white woman, has experienced very little racism indeed. But she'd have to be a blind not to see what's happened all around her, from Lee Atwater right up to and including today.

[BienAime]

01:06 PM on 01/20/2012

I like what Jenny said, she is a very classy lady. However, her answers are tainted with her own experience and feeling although she tried to be as reasonable as she could. Me, personally I don't give a cr... about the candidates personal life, I think John King made a big mistake by bringing this thing up. hoping to unsettle the candidate, it didn't work. For conservatives, they were able to see a fighter, someone who is not affraid of riding the bull. Jenny talked about how the flaw in personal characters could potential spill on the professional characters, she's right. However, we are looking for a president for the USA, a country so big, so diverse and with many competing groups, it is almost impossible to find someone that will be able to navigate this landscape that is flawless. In fact,on my list I am looking for someone who is ruthless, calculating and conning, but, has some policies that I can identify with. That was during the Cain' surge taht some politicians said: "This is a job for prostitute." For example, I like Jimmy Carter but he was to gentle for the job. Lasted only one term.

[Jen Celli]

12:23 PM on 01/20/2012

Most intelligent and sentient women, Republican or not, would find him lacking the proper character to gain their vote. You handled your husband's infidelity with grace and style; your character is intact. Newt and Callista aren't even in the same class.

[passthesewords]

07:33 PM on 01/20/2012

Character matters. Would Newt do something dishonest? Is he trustworthy?

[Jen Celli]

10:59 AM on 01/23/2012

Character does matter. He has already demonstrated is dishonesty. Is he trustworthy? Not in th eleast.

[mjvoter]

12:12 PM on 01/20/2012

Here's the deal Republicans. You went after Bill Clinton. You were so Christian and pious and holier than thou. So don't complain when we go after you. Fair is fair. Newt take a little of the treatment you gave to Bill Clinton.

[mjvoter]

12:08 PM on 01/20/2012

I don't know what is worse for Newt. His ex wife's interview or the fact that this was the woman he cheated on the mother of his children with. Personally I wouldn't care except that Newt acted like he was such a pious virgin when he went after Bill Clinton. Don't criticize other men when you can't keep your own pants zipped up.

[CSKAP]

11:53 AM on 01/20/2012

We are missing all the Pro-Adultery, Pro-Gingrich commenters here.
Speak up Boys (I assume it will be mostly boys)

[stape45]

11:51 AM on 01/20/2012

"Good morning, people. And welcome to 'Just ask an expert"'.

[StillAmused]

11:04 AM on 01/20/2012

The obsession of so many commenters with the 'Clinton thing' is very revealing, centering on a former president who distinguishes himself in service to the world and a superlative Secretary Of State who has the respect of most Americans and foreign leaders...

... and trying to draw strained parallels with a transparent fraud, career antagonist, greedy profiteer and loud, LOUD hypocrite (Newt distinguished himself, leading the torch-and-pitchfork crowd in the failed Clinton impeachment effort while getting his own on the side) who talks one game and consistently plays another.

The Clinton comparisons are really tiresome, but they appear to be all the knuck/edragger class has to defend itself and its dashboard heroes.

[edtheengineer]

11:30 AM on 01/20/2012

The failure of the knuck/edraggers with the "Clinton thang" has not fazed them. They are still hoping that they will find some mooselim chick who had a multi-year affair with Prresident Obama.

[mjvoter]

12:09 PM on 01/20/2012

Well if they do remember none of them seem to be able to keep their pants zipped up either.

[Know-some-secrets]

01:30 PM on 01/20/2012

It is always amusing to see agressive Clinton defenders strainnig to claim that somehow Bill Clinton is different from other serial adulters in leadership positions, in this case Gingrich and Sanford. The only obvious differences here are party affliation and for Clinton, a wife who chooses not to divorce him but to tolerate his recklesss behavior for decades in the interest of her own ambitions and "career."

Gingrich and Clinton are serial adulters who have lied repeatedly and are hypocrites­. Newt's hypocrisy is based on preaching "family values" and not practicing them. Bill's hypocrisy is in claiming to champion "women's rights" and then using his power as governor and president to seek sexual favors, use jobs in the process, and trash the reputation­s of women who spoke up.

Also on the issue of character and integrity, both Newt and Bill since leaving office have cashed in to make themselves multi-millionaires by selling their influence, particularly to grateful corporations they served in office.

Our nation will never meet its challenges if we don't hold all of our leaders both Democrats and Republicans to higher standards of integrity.

[valley boy]

10:52 AM on 01/20/2012

Let's ask the women. not the cheating men what it means to have weak character. They are the victims, despite what the men will tell you.

[areaemail]

10:37 AM on 01/20/2012

Every other minute of every day, Newt's definition of marriage is 'one man, one woman'. So Newt, we have to ask - what part of 'one' don't you understand? Skanky man.

And I don't see quite the distinction that Jenny Sanford makes here, on the 'personal side' of character. The same qualities of character run thru both personal and public lives. You can make mistakes, and can be forgiven. But serial infidelity is not an isolated mistake; it is absolutely a matter of character, choices, and childish self-indulgence, and it is definitely a sign of poor presidential material. Go in peace, Newt. Just go.

[blueken60]

10:36 AM on 01/20/2012

Newt "falls short" and pudgy. The Pilsbury dough boy with the morals of Pinoccio.

[edtheengineer]

11:40 AM on 01/20/2012

Ah, but unlike Pinoccio, The Newt's nose does not grow when he fibs.

[blueken60]

01:37 PM on 01/20/2012

No his chinny chin chin does.

[Maria Korovessis Sewell]

10:33 AM on 01/20/2012

It's not like Newt is exemplary in his professional conduct either: his censure and ethics-related fines caused him to slink away from his position as Leader. His personal conduct just gives us the fuller picture.

[Sam D man]

10:32 AM on 01/20/2012

Mormon doctrine condones poligamy."Marianne Gingrich, Newt's second wife, just taped a revealing interview with ABC in which says her ex-husband requested an open marriage so that he could continue his affair with Callista, now his third wife".
Gingrich could use the euphenism to cover himself.