South Carolina Governor

I'm hesitant to include this link, except that I think everyone's already heard or read the story.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/06/24/south.carolina.governor/index.html

I generally think people's private lives are their own business - including celebrities and politicians, even though they're in the public spotlight. However, when it comes to politicians, I think it's NOT ok for them to be advocating something at the top of their lungs that they're secretly doing the opposite of behind everyone's back, because it's what voters or their party want to hear.

While doing something like cheating on your wife does have a direct bad impact on your family and the people in your life, in the grand scheme it does not necessarily make you a bad person, and does not mean you're a bad governor, senator, etc - i.e. it isn't directly impacting the parameters of your job. The fact that Bill Clinton was about to be impeached for what he did seems silly compared to some of the things other presidents have probably done that had huge impacts on our country and the world.

This is not a problem unique to republicans, it happens on both sides of the aisle. I guess for me though, I get particularly upset when I see politicians who scream about the "traditional family values" while getting elected, and then cheat on their wives, or politicians who vote against simple anti-discrimination protections for gays and lesbians (even against laws to protect children who are being bullied for real or perceived sexual orientation - see recent North Carolina legislature activity) and are secretly closeted gays themselves.