A Government Constant

The US government is an ever-changing, moving, breathing, pliable entity. Laws, people, opinions, and values come and go, change with years and decades and centuries. Prohibition, suffrage… even individual freedom has not been a US constant.
Just a few things have been ever present in our country and government. One of which is the crucial presence of change itself, another is the “personal” lives of our leaders and the effects of those lives on American voters. I would like to briefly discuss the latter, and arguably, the more interesting of the two.
A more recent occurrence on the minds of today’s public would possibly be former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer. Governor Spitzer resigned from his position as governor after his personal escapades were uncovered. For more information take a peek at the article posted on CNN.com in March 2008 here, and you’ll see a little more about this story.
Less recent but on a much larger scale would be former President Bill Clinton and his “non-sexual” affair with Monica Lewinsky. President Clinton, who was the head of the country and a married father, committed adultery. This angered even moderate conservatives and pretty much all Republicans. Truth be told, almost any Republican that was not appalled at Clinton’s behavior at that point, was not really a Republican. I say this only in the sense that any leeway given to the president by a Republican was generally corrected swiftly and sharply by those more passionate about the issue. (This only coming from my personal experience as a former RepublicanJ) Amazingly enough, a large portion of American citizens still hold President Clinton in high regard.
Another example, President John F. Kennedy Jr. and his relationship with Marilyn Monroe, despite being married to Jackie O. at the time, JFK is still thought of as one of the countries favorite presidents. Even first president, George Washington was rumored to father children with a woman other than his wife, Martha. Alexander Hamilton apparently had an affair as well. Which brings up the question– what is the real priority for American citizens? Is it virtue or is it increasing civil liberties and connecting with the American people on a much deeper level? If we take anything from JFK and Bill Clinton, it may be that you may dally all you want in your “personal” life if you strive hard to win over the hearts of the American public. And if you work towards increasing people’s liberties, they won’t mind so much when you take yours. Maybe Governor Spitzer should have increased his work with the people and for the people, and then he might not have had to resign.