The Moral Scandal

The Moral Scandal
With the resignation of Eliot Spitzer, governor of New York, a question arises that was much discussed before Republican Candidate, Rudy Giuliani, dropped out of the presidential primary: does a politician’s personal moral track record matter?

JFK, Martin Luther King, Jr. and many more of America’s “finest” leaders have a record of infidelity (not to be confused with a history of engaging with prostitutes). It appears, then, that such things don’t play a role in their ability to lead…but what about our international image?

The “Ugly Americans” image rings in the ears of many American voters today. My Grandmother (a non-political type) tells me how much she dislikes “being hated by other countries” (B. McGarvey c. July 2006). Be it the French or the Jihad, how much does our leaders’ example matter to the global community?

Apparently, a lot. Time Magazine quotes Osama Bin Laden saying, “Hostility toward America is a religious duty, and we hope to be rewarded for it by God . . . . I am confident that Muslims will be able to end the legend of the so-called superpower that is America.” Who is represented America more prominently than our politicians? In 1997 CNN quoted Bin Laden saying, “We declared jihad against the US government, because the US government is unjust, criminal and tyrannical.” Who runs the American government? With Middle Eastern crisis abounding at the hands of our political leaders, I conclude that YES, the moral fiber of our elected officials matter.