[kel varson]

I'm sick and tired of supposedly conservative commentators such as Bill O'reilly and Sean Hannity saying we need to keep people's personal lives separate because it doesn't effect their "work performance." Some recent examples include Giuliani (marital problems) and a few years ago Bill Clinton. Hannity was fine to criticize Clinton's escapades but when it comes to Giuliani he says it isn't fair. Come on...give me a break.

My feeling is this. If your personal life becomes public knowledge, Republican or Democrat, it is fair game. Someone's personal life reflects their true character. If a person will lie and cheat in private, he will most certainly do it elsewhere, such as when he is serving his country. A person of character is honest and trustworthy in their home and in their public life. Conservatives can't have it both ways.

What say you? Maybe some conseravtives have some skeletons in their closets, eh?

By the way, I classify myself as a conservative and I would vote for Mike Huckabee if he gets the nomination.

[El Scorcho]

I don't listen to the "commentators", for the most part. (Hannity, Papa Bear, Levine, etc.) That helps me not to be so upset with them. There are few on talk radio I can stand because of their unwillingness to offer any criticisms of the current administration.

I think there are a lot of things that factor into being critical of someone's personal life. Is it a current issue or a past issue? Were they honest about it from the get-go, eventually or only after they were caught? I do agree that it's a pretty accurate representation of someone's character, but for the most part I think the vast majority of people have at least one media-friendly skeleton in their closet. I don't necessarily think it should preclude them from public service.

[01LUGrad]

Your personal life is fair game. You said it. If they lie and cheat in the rest of their lives, you can be sure they will do it when they get all kinds of power.

That being said, the lives of your family members should be kept out. You can't control what kind of dumb decision your kid makes when he/she goes off to college (see Bush and Gore kids as an example). Imagine if your parents had to account for everything you did...

[SuperJon]

If their personal lives don't effect their "on-the-field" performance, then it doesn't deserve to be talked about. Clinton getting oral sex didn't effect how he ran the country. Shoot, JFK was screwing Marilyn Monroe, and half of the other presidents have had affairs on the side. So you have marital problems? That doesn't mean you can't run the country. It means you and your wife can't get along. Leave the personal crap out of it and we'd all be better off.

[whmatthews]

Clinton lied under-oath, a great quality for a president to have. I think it's fair game when you consider integrity a part of why you want to vote for someone.

[TDDance234]

Their personal life and convictions effect their decisions while in-office. It's extremely vital to understanding their positions and how they would handle each situation.

[Fumblerooskies]

If their personal lives don't effect their "on-the-field" performance, then it doesn't deserve to be talked about....Leave the personal crap out of it and we'd all be better off.

Do you hold that view for church leadership, too? Most of the time I agree with you, Supe; but not on this one. One's personal life identifies who they are as a person...and one needs to be consistent in all areas.

[bigsmooth]

If their personal lives don't effect their "on-the-field" performance, then it doesn't deserve to be talked about. Clinton getting oral sex didn't effect how he ran the country. Shoot, JFK was screwing Marilyn Monroe, and half of the other presidents have had affairs on the side. So you have marital problems? That doesn't mean you can't run the country. It means you and your wife can't get along. Leave the personal crap out of it and we'd all be better off.

SJ, man you make me laugh! I do agree with scorcho that if they are upfront and honest about it, it should not take them out of public service. people make mistakes and if they atone for them, i have no problems. people can change.

[TDDance234]

If their personal lives don't effect their "on-the-field" performance, then it doesn't deserve to be talked about. Clinton getting oral sex didn't effect how he ran the country. Shoot, JFK was screwing Marilyn Monroe, and half of the other presidents have had affairs on the side. So you have marital problems? That doesn't mean you can't run the country. It means you and your wife can't get along. Leave the personal crap out of it and we'd all be better off.

I have to disagree here.. if you can't run your marriage/household, how can you run a country?

[LUconn]

It's fair to question it becuase they're public figures. That's part of the job. If they don't like it they need to find another job. But that really wouldn't affect my decision too much.

[RubberMallet]

If their personal lives don't effect their "on-the-field" performance, then it doesn't deserve to be talked about. Clinton getting oral sex didn't effect how he ran the country. Shoot, JFK was screwing Marilyn Monroe, and half of the other presidents have had affairs on the side. So you have marital problems? That doesn't mean you can't run the country. It means you and your wife can't get along. Leave the personal crap out of it and we'd all be better off.

I have to disagree here.. if you can't run your marriage/household, how can you run a country?

yeah i agree....

[FlameDad]

If the person admits - repents - changes, then they are fit for service to country, family, church, etc.

You are who you are when no one is looking, whether you are Bill Clinton or anyone else.
The bible speaks to patterns of behaviour as disqualifying an individual for service.

SJ, I ask you to not use the street term (BJ) on this board.

[bigsmooth]

noted and fixed flame dad.

[FlameDad]

Thanks smoothie

Not trying to be a prude or seem "holier than thou"

I just dont want my son and other people reading this board and this great discussion getting any wrong ideas

[LUconn]

I'm pretty sure SJ has already given many people the wrong idea over the past few years.

[SuperJon]

Wow, people are offended by that term? Holy crap. Take the stick out of your butt. If you're son's above the age of ten, he's heard that term.



Having marital problems and running the country do not go hand in hand. Just because you and someone fall out of love or never were in love to begin with, and you can't stand living with each other 100% of the time, doesn't mean you can't run the country. That's a one-on-one, very personal relationship.

There are CEO's across this country who have personal issues but still run their companies perfectly and without fail.

So what Bush was a drunk in college, 85% of college students are.

So what Clinton smoked weed. (Wait, sorry, let me rephrase so no one is offended: he smoked an herbal product that can affect your judgement.) Half the kids in college do that at least once. Big deal.

If you think people in offices in businesses (and that's what the White House is) don't hook up with each other over the year then you're living in a bubble.

This stuff doesn't affect their job. I don't think a president talking to the Prime Minister of Bolivia is influenced by whether or not he's gonna sleep with his secretary that night. Do I think it's right? No, I don't. It doesn't affect their job performance though.

[RubberMallet]

Wow, people are offended by that term? Holy crap. Take the stick out of your butt. If you're son's above the age of ten, he's heard that term.



Having marital problems and running the country do not go hand in hand. Just because you and someone fall out of love or never were in love to begin with, and you can't stand living with each other 100% of the time, doesn't mean you can't run the country. That's a one-on-one, very personal relationship.

There are CEO's across this country who have personal issues but still run their companies perfectly and without fail.

So what Bush was a drunk in college, 85% of college students are.

So what Clinton smoked weed. (Wait, sorry, let me rephrase so no one is offended: he smoked an herbal product that can affect your judgement.) Half the kids in college do that at least once. Big deal.

If you think people in offices in businesses (and that's what the White House is) don't hook up with each other over the year then you're living in a bubble.

This stuff doesn't affect their job. I don't think a president talking to the Prime Minister of Bolivia is influenced by whether or not he's gonna sleep with his secretary that night. Do I think it's right? No, I don't. It doesn't affect their job performance though.

i think you have alot to learn if you think it doesn't affect their jobs...

[LUconn]

Well, if they know they'll be under a microscope, it is very telling about their judgement. Which is the entire job. But that's different than something they may have done when they were younger.

[SuperJon]

Why? I have seen people complete their jobs like normal while going through a divorce and no one would've known they were getting a divorce if they didn't tell anyone. You know, there are people out there that can separate business and home. It's hard for some people to imagine, but people do it on a regular basis.

[vastrightwinger]

I think a lot of evangelicals like Dobson are using the divorce issue as a scapegoat. No one seemed to mind that Reagan was divorced. As a matter of fact, many evangelicals seem to think he was one of the greatest presidents ever. I happen to agree. He is a case in point that failures in the past don't always translate to failures in the future. I have no problem supporting a candidate that has been divorced if they are strong on the right issues.

[SuperJon]

Holy crap, I agree with someone whose name is vastrightwinger.


If you guys don't want someone who's been divorced, then it's going to be twice as hard for you to get a Christian in office since the divorce rate is higher among Christians than any other group of people.

[El Scorcho]

You know, there are people out there that can separate business and home.

So how does that explain Clinton? He abandoned his "home" and brought "business" into his place of business.

Not disagreeing, but just saying. He did the opposite of separating business and home.

[SuperJon]

I was talking about that in terms of the divorce and marital problems not affecting the way someone does their job.

[somethingbrewing]

I agree with you SuperJon

but for the record that statistic you threw out at the end about the divorce rate being higher among Christians is skewed...yes its high...but the highest?? I doubt it...simply because 60-70% of this country believes they are Christians....maybe even more then that.

But I agree with you, I just hate when people throw that statistic around....

[SuperJon]

I actually looked it up before I typed it. Granted, the article did say that there was some disagreement with the number, but I wanted to make sure what I had heard from multiple professors was at least somewhat accurate.