Mark Sanford Gets Lucky. Again.

Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good. And if you're South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford it's better to be lucky than a "good boy."

Sanford was looking at being fodder for the tabloids on a Jon and Kate level after getting busted fresh from an Argentine love tryst. And, as an aside, proving that, yes, Sonia Sotomayor was correct in saying that a wise Latina woman can arrive to better conclusions than a white man 'cause at the very least Sanford's wise Latina paramour was smart enough to not have to pack a passport and hop a plane just to get a little something.

So, I'm sure Sanford went to bed on Wednesday night praying to whatever God whose commandments he disrespects: "Oh, please, Lord, could you stir up a little something to grab the attention of the quickly distracted media?"

Then Thursday morning comes news that actress Farrah Fawcett had died.

And I'm sure Sanford prayed again: "Uh, what else you got?"

Michael Jackson.

Way to get lucky. Not since Gary Condit who, days after squirming on Connie Chung's grill, was able to hide behind the news wall that was 9/11, has a politician been so in debt to the churn-and-burn media.

Sanford now has until Sunday, ironically, and the morning political roundtables which will surely focus more on his abdication than our loss of "The Gloved One" to try and keep a finger tip's grip on his office.

May not happen, as now it seems the man who famously refused federal stimulus dollars used state funds to get himself stimulated south of the border.

On Father's day.

President Obama spent the day giving sermons on the importance of fathers being good role models for their sons.

Sanford's got four of them.

So much for the culture wars.

 

 

Comments

[modrocker]

After reading Sanford's pathetic biblical self-comparison to King David, I recalled Fla. Secretary of State Katharine Harris' similar dragging in of Queen Esther to illustrate her tortured "soul searching" and justify throwing democracy out on its head when mobs directed by Republican operatives violently demanded the halting of the vote count after Jeb Bush's Fla. botched the 2000 election. This is a very common recurring thread among Republicans. The idea that their struggles are somehow tragic in a biblical sense perfectly illustrates this observation by Christopher Hitchens. Religion poisons everything. Religion, like patriotism, is one of the last refuges of a scoundrel. Hiding behind the flag and the bible. Republicans have worked that strategy to death. It would be laughable if not for the fact that so many people today are facing a devastating future that our elected leaders not only did nothing to stop but aided and abetted and took personal advantage of with their inaction. This man was concerned with the man in the mirror and not the people who unwisely allowed him his position of power.

[reason2008]

Ridley, you wrote the same article when John Edwards had an affair and child out of wedlock?
All the while, his wife is cancer stricken?

I know you gave it to Edwards on this post, right?

Hmmmm.....don't recall that one.

[vote2009]

the best line from Dowd: Sandford was fantasizing about catapulting himself into an exotic life where stimulus had nothing to do with budgets.
This guy refused the stimulus money that will help many middle class and the poor but went to Argentina to take stimulus from Maria! What a Putz!

[soyicecream]

What do Newt Gingrich, David Vitter, Ted Haggard, Larry Craig, John Ensign, and Mark Sanford have in common?

They will do most anything for illicit sex but say most anything to make themselves appear to be morally superior to Democrats.

[EqualMeansEqual]

Agree 1000%.

[theclosetconservative2]

Mr. Ridley, why all the anger. I also don't get the part of praying to whatever God whose commandments he disrespects. You know the God he prays to. I don't know your religious affiliation sir but I'll bet you pray to the same one. Sanford is obviously guilty of betraying his wife. He's also runined his political career. He may have had aspirations to run for President but would've been one of the many also-rans under the best of circumstances. Now with his adultery as public knowledge he'll be lucky to hold onto his current job. And he'll never rise from the rank of governor to President no matter what. Unlike say...... Bill Clinton? http://theclosetconservative.com

[Deli]

What anger? Sounds like Ridley can hardly keep from laughing. Bill Clinton wasn't preaching about morals.

[SJBrown]

No, just telling lies.

[AKaurora]

What a strange take on all of this. He's known he's been cheating for at least a year. His wife has known for half a year. The public has known for a week. The cheating was almost the lesser of the events -- I think what will play far longer in SC politics was his disappearance without notifying appropriate administrators. Politics is a game of carnivores, and the sharks will be circling, especially the Lt. Gov. It's unlikely that taking it off the obsessively driven media's front page agenda will truly make the SC public or the Republican or Democrat political machines forget him. It will just become far more subtle--instead of chumming the waters, it will be attacks from behind.

As for the cheating, I'm less impressed with the shock and awe of that. It's his baseline hypocrisy that will live far longer. He's definitely a case of "people who live in glasshouses shouldn't throw stones."

[SharedHumanity]

Ah yes, just keep them informed of his where abouts. That is the real issue.

"The governors press secretary has reported that the Governor has left for a visit to Argentina to bonk his Latina paramour. As always, he will stay in daily contact with his staff and continue his high level of service to the citizens of South Carolina."


See how that works.

[Jimmyboyo]

there is no god

enough with the foolish fairytale toothfairy in the clouds for adults

[andmyopinionis]

Beleve it or not, your opinion is not shared by all.

[TheMellowFellow]

Because his actions certainly don't mark him as a Christian, like most Republicans out there.

The Bible is the most oft quoted book, and also the least read.

[GafferTapeLvr]

Thank you Mr. Ridley!

[martina1965]

"...Sanford got lucky. Again." How do you mean? O.K. Michael Jackson hysteria replaced Sanford hysteria. So? Are his political, legal and marital problems going away? No. Will his family forgive him? Probably not in the long time. So he will pay, no doubt. But in the process, if there will be less yammering about "why do politicians cheat" and "what is his wife thinking", if there will be less people reading his personal e-mails, I say good for him! And, by the way, Obama is a politician too!

[Sassys]

Yet again another Republican doing what they all had Clinton impeached for! Then they wonder why no one trusts them any longer? Hypocrites!

[SJBrown]

No, Clinton was impeached for lying under oath.

[DesertZ]

Oh, do you mean like lying about hiking the Appalachian Trail but, going to Argentina to have a roll in the hay with his mistress instead?

[twogunmojo]

i wonder if conyers is doing some praying of his own....

[slowtono]

What exactly do you all believe the rich do with millions of dollars and to much power. Ability to fly here and there and have girls or men stalking them. What, are you all so naive that you don't realize that Bathsheba knew her bath was in complete view of the castle veranda. What you do in Vegas,? what you do in Argentina? But since Nixon what you do in the oval office - best be behave. Maybe the lefties should take this opportunity to defang our government. Less pay, less travel, less junkets, and complete accountability. The rich bankers and financial wizards (thieves) threw parties with bailout money, and I'm sure the wives weren't about! Riches, money and power it's what has brought the country to it's present state of affairs. Force the rich to give more payolla to their workers and alot less to themselves. You don't get to keep what you earn, that's capitalism.

[peterg76]

Whether Sanford was on the Appalachian Trail or in Argentina is, at best, a distant second behind his dereliction of duty. HE WALKED OFF HIS JOB. There might have been a crisis, and yes they plan for contingencies and the lieutenant-governor would have stepped up, but that could have meant delays and delays could have cost lives. The media has become so focused on the private lives of politicians that they've stopped caring about basics like whether they show up for work.

[confuseddemocrat]

thank you

[SadieGirl]

Exactly. We are not interested in his infidelity - that is essentially his and his wife's problem. However, when you leave the country and leave your State without having informed the lieutenant governorn of your plans so that he can take over ini the event of a State or national disaster - he should be fired. Straight up.

[ruth606]

Okay, I've read sevearl articles about this and I'm still confused. Being away from the state wasn't a problem when he was vacationing with his family. Obviously, he was not eager to make his whereabouts known to everybody. Why does the general public have to know exactly where he spends his time off?

Why not just express outrage over the fact that he has questionable morals, why claim that it's because he was away? Unless I'm wrong, he's ALLOWED to go away.

[Macawmom]

Not the problem - problem is he left without telling the Lt. Gov he was in charge of the state for x number of days. He left the state without anyone in charge - if those terrorists Cheney keeps seeing had attacked SC, nobody would have been in charge.

I could care less if he was in Argentina or on the Appalachian trail, but any CEO, of a state or a corporation, needs to leave someone in charge when they're gone. Most also leave a phone number where they can be reached, but either he wasn't answering his cell at any time or he doesn't have one. They literally had no clue where he'd gone or when he'd be back.

He has to give the Lt. Gov power to run the state when he leaves; he didn't.

[ramblingjohnny]

Sanford might feel lucky about MJ death but I bet Iranians don't feel so lucky! They are getting crushed to a pulp while the world is now indifferent because it old news and the media's got a new big story to focus on.

[AKaurora]

The world isn't indifferent nearly as much as it's a case of a sovereign nation's political woes. There isn't a single country who is willing to intervene. And, if a country did intervene, militarily, do you really believe that there would be a lower loss of life? Is the clamp down really unexpected? Nor, is this saga over. But, it must playout as an Iranian saga, not even as an Islamic one or a Western nation one. We didn't intervene in China, we don't intervene in Saudia Arabia, and we won't intervene in Iran. Accept political and diplomatic realities.

[TheMellowFellow]

We cannot intervene, and no one should, ESPECIALLY not militarily. The most we can do is give them as much press coverage as possible, and let people KNOW what is going on.

This is a problem the Iranians have to figure out. They just need some cheering from the sidelines. Intervening would only make the problem worse.

For once, America cannot be the world police.

[DahliaZ]

unfortunately, too true. I haven't been able to watch any of the US-based news since it happened. I've believed the media fell asleep at the wheel some time ago, and more recently have been practically comatose in dereliction of their duty.

but now - there will be real world, serious consequences for people who need our support and need to know the world is truly watching. We have a chance to clarify our priorities and I hope many people write to the news networks/cable channels and tell them to grow up, get serious and provide news that matters.

[karinova]

Okay, that third paragraph? Brilliant.

[saranaghati]

I am absolutely thrilled with Jenny Sanford. At long last, a woman who refused to stand there and be shamed while her selfish husband explains his betrayal of her in public. I hope she makes a terrifying example of him. Forgiveness requires sincere repentance and amends. Ever see that done publically? I'll say not. He needs to grow up. He needs to think of his children. Marriage not working? That's ok, but have the maturity to divorce and then mess around. He chose to marry, and he chose who he would marry. And the icing on the cake is he also chose his arrogant, self-righteous stance on family values and his vilifacation of Clinton. Does his wife sound bossy!!! Oh gee whiz.

[HesDanTheMan]

This is why it is so important that we, the bloggers make sure to keep this story prevalent. It is imperative that we keep Sanford's hypocrisy in the forefront, even while we mourn Farrah and Michael Jackson.
Do not let up one iota. Make sure this man's hypocrisy is major news until he resigns!

[TheMellowFellow]

Why? Why would you ever want to sink to the level of Conservatives?

If he resigns, it should be for walking off the job -- not for cheating on his wife. Private matters should never affect politics.