Is a candidate's private life relevant to you?

[joko104]

Does a presidential candidate's private sex/relationship life matter to you? Do you care if the candidate is married? Been divorced? Had an affair? Has a mistress? How much does the candidate's private life matter?

From Clinton to Edwards, Kenedy to Cain, this comes up time and again. It just eliminated the front running candidate. Some consider it an issue about Gingrich.

What say you?

 

[1Perry]

I wouldn't allow a one time indescretion cause me to completely dismiss a candidate but I believe that a person who would screw over his family would screw over anyone.

 

[marduc]

For the most part no, their private life does not matter to me, their private life should be just that, private. Unfortunately it becomes very hard for public figures to maintain a private life, and when details of their private life do emerge that are contrary to their public face or hypocritical to their stated beliefs this does matter because in this case it is a window into their character.

So basically, no I do not care about their private lives, but they should practice what they preach - and if it comes out that there is a disparity there, woe be unto you.

edit: I voted I don't want to hear about it, because I really don't - private lives should remain private. The reality is that all too often they do not remain private though, which is why they need to practice what they preach

 

[AdamT]

I would vote for someone who hasn't fooled around over someone who has, all else being equal, but in and of itself is not at the top of my list of things to worry about. It becomes more of a factor, OTOH, if there is a lot of hypocrisy involved, e.g. a politician hounding another politician over an affair while he himself is carrying on an affair, or a candidate campaigning on the "sanctity of marriage" while he is cheating on his wife and sexually harassing coworkers.

 

[jgarden47]

Does a presidential candidate's private sex/relationship life matter to you? Do you care if the candidate is married? Been divorced? Had an affair? Has a mistress? How much does the candidate's private life matter?

From Clinton to Edwards, Kenedy to Cain, this comes up time and again. It just eliminated the front running candidate. Some consider it an issue about Gingrich.

What say you?

When candidates parade their families in front of the cameras to demonstrate their commitment to "family values," they are opening the door to have their supposed "squeeky clean" private lives scrutinized.

If a candidate has something in their past, they should announce it before someone else "dredges" it up.

 

[Redress]

It depends entirely and completely on specifics. However, more often than not, no. I could care less who a candidate has slept with.

 

[jgarden47]

It depends entirely and completely on specifics. However, more often than not, no. I could care less who a candidate has slept with.

Sam Giancana at one time shared a girlfriend with JFK. Frank Sinatra had been sleeping on and off with a dark haired beauty named Judith Cambell, she had been introduced to Frank by Johnny Roselli. In February 1960 Frank Sinatra introduced Judy as she was known, to John Kennedy, they hit it off straight away, Kennedy and the young divorcee started off on what was to become a serious long-term affair. Cambell had also been introduced to Giancana by Sinatra who had introduced Sam as Sam Flood one of Giancana`s many aliases, during a period of about two years she slept with both Giancana and Johnny Roselli while still carrying on an affair with John F Kennedy.

Cambell would subsequently reveal that she carried satchels of cash from JFK to Giancana to be used in Kennedy`s West Virginia primary. Giancana was said to have told her " Your boyfriend wouldn't be in the White House if it wasn`t for me."

Meantime J Edgar Hoover had spotted a pattern emerging that linked Sam and Johnny Roselli to the President via the sexual connection all three had with Judy Cambell. Hoover had no great love for the Kennedy`s, he decided to wait and see what would emerge hoping that given enough rope the Kennedy`s and Giancana would hang themselves .....

Who a presidential candidate is sleeping with is of the utmost importance, given that these partner(s) may also be conducting affairs with other individuals - including prominent members of the Mafia!

We may never know whether Kennedy was blackmailed by the Mafia over this "indiscression," - what is known is that it virtually guaranteed the reappointment of J Edgar Hoover as head of the FBI.

 

[conservativeguy]

It's relevant but it isn't binding unless the behavior is off the chart bad.

 

[liblady]

Does a presidential candidate's private sex/relationship life matter to you? Do you care if the candidate is married? Been divorced? Had an affair? Has a mistress? How much does the candidate's private life matter?

From Clinton to Edwards, Kenedy to Cain, this comes up time and again. It just eliminated the front running candidate. Some consider it an issue about Gingrich.

What say you?

i say that anyone who calls for the impeachment of a president while having his own affair is too big a hypocrite for me.

 

[jamesrage]

Does a presidential candidate's private sex/relationship life matter to you? Do you care if the candidate is married? Been divorced? Had an affair? Has a mistress? How much does the candidate's private life matter?

From Clinton to Edwards, Kenedy to Cain, this comes up time and again. It just eliminated the front running candidate. Some consider it an issue about Gingrich.

What say you?

You wouldn't trust a child to take care of a dog if that child can't take of that hamster would you? I dog is a bigger deal than a hamster. It requires more responsibility that a hamster. So how can you trust someone who is not loyal to their spouse to be loyal to the country?

 

[conservativeguy]

i say that anyone who calls for the impeachment of a president while having his own affair is too big a hypocrite for me.

Another day, another liberal lie. BJ Clenis was impeached for LYING UNDER OATH. If you can find Gingrich lying under oath AND supporting the CLenis impeachment, then he is a hypocrite.

 

[joko104]

I think it is all irrelevant UNLESS there is hypocrisy in relation to the candidate - meaning the candidate runs on traditional family values declaring fidelity proves his/her values - when it is a lie. this means it is only relevant if the candidate makes it relevant.

A troubling aspect is the presumption that all candidates who are married also are in monogamous relationships. Not all marriages are. Not all relationships are. A candidate having "an affair" may not be violating any fidelity with his/her spouse at all, nor should a candidate have to explain the privacies of the relationship with his/her spouse. To assert marriage also means sexual monogamy to everyone really isn't true. Yet that is a topic where Democrats tend to go judgmental-religious-rightwing nearly as much as Republicans.

 

[Helix]

don't want to hear about it, but i would prefer to have a candidate that isn't screwing around on his or her spouse, of course.

it's a minimal consideration; i'm much more interested in policy positions.

as for other issues like whether they drink or whether they smoked a doob in college, there is absolutely no way that i could care less.

 

[joko104]

I still say Bill Clinton didn't have "sex" with that woman and therefore didn't lie.

I also suspect the Bill and Hillary came to their own private understandings many years before this. She was probably only ticked off that he stupidly got caught, so they both had to go thru the media act.

 

[Redress]

Another day, another liberal lie. BJ Clenis was impeached for LYING UNDER OATH. If you can find Gingrich lying under oath AND supporting the CLenis impeachment, then he is a hypocrite.

And another incomplete statement from a conservative. He was acquitted of those charged. He was also acquitted of the other charge against him(obstruction of justice). Funny how you did not mention that he was acquitted, even though it is the most pertinent detail of the whole event.

 

[Redress]

Who a presidential candidate is sleeping with is of the utmost importance, given that these partner(s) may also be conducting affairs with other individuals - including prominent members of the Mafia!

We may never know whether Kennedy was blackmailed by the Mafia over this "indiscression," - what is known is that it virtually guaranteed the reappointment of J Edgar Hoover as head of the FBI.

We have a section of the board for conspiracy theories. It's further down.

 

[Aderleth]

Does a presidential candidate's private sex/relationship life matter to you? Do you care if the candidate is married? Been divorced? Had an affair? Has a mistress? How much does the candidate's private life matter?

From Clinton to Edwards, Kenedy to Cain, this comes up time and again. It just eliminated the front running candidate. Some consider it an issue about Gingrich.

What say you?

I don't generally care unless a) the candidate spends a lot of time up on the soapbox talking about morality (in which case it's the hypocrisy, not the personal life as such that I don't like), or b) he's banging kids or animals or something.

 

[ThePlayDrive]

Does a presidential candidate's private sex/relationship life matter to you? Do you care if the candidate is married? Been divorced? Had an affair? Has a mistress? How much does the candidate's private life matter?

From Clinton to Edwards, Kenedy to Cain, this comes up time and again. It just eliminated the front running candidate. Some consider it an issue about Gingrich.

What say you?

It depends on the particularly situation, but in general, I do not consider a person's private life relevant to his or her quality as a candidate. I consider it relevant when it's clear that their private life positive or negatively affects their political decisions. For example, I would consider a gay person more likely to support gay rights and if one's alcoholism affects their performance, then that would factor into my evaluation. But things like affairs and stuff is no big deal. I do, however, have a problem with sexual harassment and other things that go from simple indiscretions to breaking the law and negatively affecting other people.

 

[jgarden47]

We have a section of the board for conspiracy theories. It's further down.

With all due respect, the John Kenndey/Judith Cambell Affair has been widely documented - it isn't some unsubstantiated right-wing accusation, like that of the Birthers.

It illustrates that whom a presidential candidate/president "sleeps" with is very important because it puts that candidate/president in a position where they can inadvertently divulge secret information or be subject to "blackmail" at a later date.

What if Judith Cambell, or any other of John Kennedy's numerous "girlfriends," had been a Soviet spy - unless he was informed by the FBI and/or CIA, he would never know.

 

[Redress]

With all due respect, the John Kenndey/Judith Cambell Affair is been widely documented - it isn't some unsubstantiated right-wing accusation, like that of the Birthers.

Let me quote you again:

We may never know whether Kennedy was blackmailed by the Mafia over this "indiscression,"

That is a conspiracy theory along the same lines as "I am not saying Obama is a Kenyan, I an just asking questions".

 

[liblady]

Another day, another liberal lie. BJ Clenis was impeached for LYING UNDER OATH. If you can find Gingrich lying under oath AND supporting the CLenis impeachment, then he is a hypocrite.

i know what he was impeached for. i never posted that he was impeached for anything else. what i am saying is that hypocrites won't get my vote. check this out:

Washingtonpost.com Special Report: Clinton Accused




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


By Ceci Connolly and Howard Kurtz
Washington Post Staff Writers
Friday, October 30, 1998; Page A1

The GOP's multimillion dollar ad campaign invoking President Clinton's relationship with Monica S. Lewinsky was devised by House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) and tested before more than three dozen groups of likely voters before Republicans unleashed the assault, party sources said yesterday.

In reviving the presidential sex scandal just one week before Election Day, Gingrich and his chief strategists aimed to energize their most loyal supporters, whose enthusiasm appeared to be waning after House conservatives lost the budget fight and the Clinton scandal fell off the front pages

 

[jgarden47]

Let me quote you again:

That is a conspiracy theory along the same lines as "I am not saying Obama is a Kenyan, I an just asking questions".

John Kennedy put himself in a position where he could have been "blackmailed" by the Mafia. Of course we will never know, but given Nixon's lying over Watergate and Clinton's denials over the Lewinsky Affair, it can't be assumed that a US president will necessarily place the best interests of the nation over their own self interests.

Conversely, Obama could not be "blackmailed" over his place of birth because the documentation exists in Hawaii.

 

[Redress]

John Kennedy put himself in a position where he could have been "blackmailed" by the Mafia. Of course we will never know, but given Nixon's lying over Watergate and Clinton's denials over the Lewinsky Affair, it can't be assumed that a US president will necessarily place the best interests of the nation over their own self interests.

Conversely, Obama could not be "blackmailed" over his place of birth because the documentation exists in Hawaii.

And you are putting yourself into a position where you could be blackmailed for your words here. It's not likely however. Conspiracy theories are like that, they don't need proof, they just need paranoia and a willingness to believe what you want in the absence of facts.

 

[conservativeguy]

And another incomplete statement from a conservative. He was acquitted of those charged. He was also acquitted of the other charge against him(obstruction of justice). Funny how you did not mention that he was acquitted, even though it is the most pertinent detail of the whole event.

What is pertinent is addressing why he was impeached. I am not a Clenis tool so I didn't feel it necessary to talk about the rest of his life.

 

[conservativeguy]

i know what he was impeached for. [/url]

Nice try. The fact that Newt was a cheater did not disqualify him from voting to impeach a sitting president for lying under oath. How is lying under oath the same thing as cheating on your wife. Grant it, both are bad but how are they linked. Are you saying every person in congress that has had an affair can not vote to impeach a President for perjury? Wow, that will probably knock out a hundred congressmen.