In Reply to Angela

I agree that Americans should hold our elected officials to a greater ethical standard, though I will propose a counterargument for both of our benefit -- to encourage empathy, I suppose.

A politician is a public figure, and subject to the constant scrutiny of the media and the citizenry that they represent. This is a good thing, but it also serves to both magnify transgressions, and cause extreme levels of stress. Even Martin Luther King, according to some not entirely unbelievable sources, was an adulterer (I link to wikipedia for expediency's sake, but the cited sources are listed). This is one black mark on an otherwise untouchable legacy, and I do not for a moment believe that it makes MLK any less of a leader. Similarly, John Kennedy is another unethical, but very well beloved, former President. I doubt greatly that many people would disregard the benefits that both of these men have brought to our nation due to the ethical shortcomings of their personal lives.

I argue that what is truly important for a president (and to a lesser degree, for a member of congress) is not necessarily ethical fibers stronger than the rock of gibraltar, but a sense of decency that transcends individual transgressions. With enough digging, and under enough pressure, any man, woman, or child will lash out at whatever happens to push their buttons. In a news conference, she’ll say something insensitive because she’s angry that no one wants to talk about the important questions, or perhaps he tried drugs in college and got caught, or she married the wrong man and found out two years too late and one drink too many. What I want from a President is humanity, plain and simple. I want them to have made mistakes in their past because if they haven’t made mistakes then they haven’t learned from them. I want them to have a temper, because if they can’t stand up for what’s right, then what good are they? Ultimately, I believe that the seat of power needs to have a small amount of volatility -- the President’s job is to be the tipping point of the nation and the voice of the people, and someone who’s never lived cannot speak for me.