Sex scandals show true character

Politicians dishonest, fake

Rep. Anthony Weiner, former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and former Sen. John Edwards are just three of the most recent political figures caught in sex scandals. As their pictures continue to be plastered on every channel, some may question why these scandals actually matter.

Since scandals of this nature deal with the personal lives of politicians instead of with their actual jobs, defenders may argue that scandals hold no relevance to their campaign. As Weiner’s supporters argue, “It’s just sex.” However, I disagree with the idea that these scandals aren’t dangerous and don’t interfere with their ability to create and pass laws.

Imagine the repercussions from these scandals. Let’s use Anthony Weiner’s specific case to highlight potential problematic scenarios. Weiner decided it was a great idea to send inappropriate pictures of himself to whom he claims to be only six women. Thanks to the global scale of the Internet, Weiner could easily forward these pictures to girls all over the world, some of whom he doesn’t even know personally. These women could easily use the pictures as blackmail and influence the policies he creates or the campaign funds he earns (like John Edwards did).

Does it not bother anyone that the name of the person who broke his wedding vows appears on official letterheads and makes numerous legal guarantees? If politicians can’t be honest and trusted to keep their word in their personal lives, how can we believe that they will in their careers?

It’s baffling to see people remain supportive of someone who has done so much to deteriorate the trust surrounding his character. Regardless of what part of the politician’s life a sex scandal involves, if they can’t be trusted by people they love, do you think they will care about following through with promises made to the public?

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