Tim's Take: Mark Sanford reaction

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By Tim Guidera - bio | email

SAVANNAH, GA (WTOC) - Mark Sanford crossed all kinds of lines during his little disappearing act.

But he drew much clearer ones around how politicians can act, outlining again where excusable ends and unacceptable begins for elected officials.

"It's a trust issue,'' Hardeeville resident Andrea Clifton said about the South Carolina governor's confession Wednesday that he misled his staff and family about his whereabouts during a five-day absence and had been unfaithful to his wife. "How can you trust somebody who's doing that?''

It was just interesting to see which of the various wrongs that Sanford was doing received the most scorn, how admitting an affair seemed to trump shirking the affairs of state for nearly a week.

And how strong opinions formed about which was worse.

"Having the affair, of course,'' said Diana Scott, of Bluffton. "You know, your family comes first no matter what over your job.''

"People react to it because, really, it's not right,'' said Ron Martin of Hardeeville. "If you're married, you're supposed to stay married.''

Not to condone or excuse infidelity in any way, but isn't it somewhat surprising that lying to one person can be considered such a greater offense to so many than lying to an entire state?

Not according to licensed psychotherapist and couples counselor Michelle Aycock.

"Infidelity really kind of hits us as humans more than, say, somebody not doing their job,'' said Aycock. "Especially a man that is an elected official with a wife and four kids at home.''

Perhaps because none of us can identify with a Governor professionally, but we can all see what being unfaithful represents about Sanford personally.

"With a marriage, you take vows,'' said Aycock. "So when you factor that in that someone who is committed or is in a committed marriage and he went outside that marriage, that really says a lot about his character.''

And is says a lot about why so many people considered Sanford breaking his marriage vows worse than betraying the public trust.