SOUNDING BOARD: Must we separate candidates' private, public lives?
Should perceived moral and ethical lapses in a candidate make a difference to voters? Newt Gingrich almost certainly has the experience to run our national government, but he also has been married three times -- and had an extramarital affair with his current wife, Callista, while still married to his previous wife, Marianne. He was also fined by the House for ethics violations. Should any of that matter? We asked members of The Californian's Sounding Board for their take on the issue.
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For more than 20 years, I was a teacher-coach for students in mock trial. One of the objections that the defense can raise is that character questions regarding the defendant cannot be asked by the prosecution during the trial. Character cannot be an issue. However, if the defense uses character to help the defendant, then prosecution can follow suit. It becomes an open topic.
A candidate for public office is just like a defendant in trial. If ethics and marriage questions are good for a president or presidential candidate, then the same rules apply to the person answering the questions. When Newt Gingrich questioned President Clinton's personal life in the 1990s, then he also tacitly agreed to use the same rules when he wants to be president.
However, the real issue has to do with the character of a presidential candidate. Character reflects your decision-making skills. Your value system influences your decisions. As voters, we need to separate a person's private life from his public life. Just as a person's religion should not be an issue to determine leadership, nor should a person's married life be a factor used by voters. When we, as voters, ask about a person's private life, it means we have not done our homework, we have not asked the important policy questions. We have left it up to the opposition to dig up irrelevant topics, ones that are inflammatory. They lead us away from questions that give insight as to how a person would lead the country.
Harry Love of Bakersfield is a retired high school social studies teacher.
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It is critically important that voters examine the moral character and integrity of those individuals that seek to become the leader of the greatest country in the free world. Candidates must be able to demonstrate, by example, that they are capable of leading according to the values and principles upon which this nation was founded.
A basic ingredient of leadership is integrity. Integrity is the basis of trust. Trust cannot be acquired. It must be earned. The issue is not the number of times Newt Gingrich has been married. The current divorce rate hovers around 50 percent. Divorce has become very common in this country. The issue is to what extent were integrity and trust, or a lack thereof, critical factors in each of his previous two marriages. A history of mistrust and deception does not create worldwide confidence in any future leader of the free world.
One of the ironies of our political system is that good leaders rise to the top in spite of their weaknesses while bad leaders rise because of their weaknesses. Consequently, all the rhetoric about Gingrich and morality seems insignificant and irrelevant.
James H. Williams of Bakersfield is the retired chancellor of the Modesto-based Yosemite Community College District.
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In a country where 50 percent of marriages end in divorce, it seems odd that Newt Gingrich is accused of being immoral and possessing bad judgment because of his marital history. If being divorced equals bad judgment and questionable morals, then an overwhelming number of Americans fall into those categories.
I want a president who has the skill and experience to lessen the current dependency on government to solve personal problems; who will lead the country and provide opportunities for those who are willing to work to achieve what we longingly call the "American Dream"; who will stop jeopardizing the future of my grandchildren and their children by digging the country deeper and deeper into debt.
The candidate I will vote for should have a passion for governing according to the Constitution. He should hold the citizens of this country in high esteem. He should surround himself with capable, strong people who care deeply about their jobs and their country. I want a president who believes that the United States of America can and should be the leader of the free world.
I am not sure which candidate will earn my vote this year, but if I determine there is one who possesses the above qualities, he will get my vote -- no matter if he's been married once or three times.
Caroline O. Reid of Bakersfield is a retired executive assistant.
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Think about the families of today. I have been married 52 years, yet both of my sons have been married three times. Circumstances in life generate problems that should not be used as a negative. I do not believe that Newt Gingrich asked his wife for an open marriage. It doesn't seem to take much to shred someone or spin something to fit the negative. By repeating over and over again, it seems to become the truth.
I want my president to be a strong conservative with the courage to take any beating he might endure for standing for what is right. Strength, wisdom, patience and understanding come from life's experiences. I want my president to demand the respect that an American president should have around the world. I want my president to believe in God, because only then will he know right from wrong. I want my president to respect the poor and the rich, recognizing all citizens have the right to succeed. I want a president uniting the people. Any person who wants to divide the country according to status wants to conquer and control the people.
Life is not easy -- the road is not smooth. Accomplishments and mistakes make the person. I am not looking for perfection, but one who has learned from mistakes and grown into a leadership role, that being president of the United States.
Irene Edmonds of Bakersfield is retired.
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Newt Gingrich brought us the Contract With America in the 1990s and knows more about government than almost anyone alive. I don't think that any of us has the right to judge his morality -- but I admit there are some questions about that.
He is a strong and stubborn candidate. I hope that he would be reasonable when dealing with other parties and countries. The fact is that we don't know what any of the candidates would be like as president. We just know that it is time to turn and face the other direction.
Phil Ryall of Bakersfield is a geologist.
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There are past presidents who are reputed or proved to have been morally or ethically lacking, even corrupt, but who distinguished themselves in office. JFK, Clinton, Nixon, Eisenhower, LBJ, FDR -- however, for the Republican nominee in the upcoming election, any history, any evidence, even any doubt about moral or ethical failings could lose the election for them. So, yes, moral and ethical tracks will matter greatly.
Democrats and media who support Obama will use any fault or failing, whether actual, assumed or rumored, to discredit the Republican nominee. This is already happening. For the Republican nominee to be proved or suspected of indiscretions is to provide additional ammunition to shoot them down. I expect the election to be very close and while moral and ethical lapses will not be deciding factors for me personally, some voters will care and as a consequence may vote for Obama, a third-party candidate, or choose to not vote at all. I think it's possible that voter disdain for a tainted Republican nominee could hand re-election to Obama.
Based on the last three years, I think another Obama term would be devastating for the United States and probably unrecoverable. For the sake of our once-great nation, the American people and future generations I think it is imperative that Obama be replaced. To that end, the more morally and ethically pure the Republican nominee is, the better chance they will have to take the day.
Dan P. Shobe of Stallion Springs is a computer consultant.
