Politicians and Privacy
How much do we need to know about our leaders?
A young reporter once saw John F. Kennedy going into a hotel room with a beautiful young woman. When he went to tell his editor about the story, the editor replied that this was a personal matter and was not the sort of story that the media should report on.
Today the private lives of politicians are no longer considered so private. From the Mark Sanford scandal to the pregnancy of Sarah Palin’s daughter, the lives of politicians – and those of their friends and family – have become headline news.
Yet how much do we need to know about the private lives of our leaders?
A key component of this question is whether the personal experiences of a politician have any bearing on his or her abilities to fulfill the duties of office. Many would argue that a politician who makes immoral choices in his private life will be more likely to make immoral choices while serving his constituents. Further, a politician’s personal and professional lives can become entangled, such as when Mark Sanford made “business” trips to South America in order to meet with his mistress. Finally, embarrassing personal conduct can bring disrepute to the office itself.
Nevertheless, some contend that these private issues have little to no bearing on a politician’s ability to govern. Many of our most beloved presidents, such as Thomas Jefferson and Franklin Roosevelt, had illicit affairs. Should their behavior have disqualified them from holding elected office?
Regardless of whether there is a relationship between a politician’s private life and his or her ability to govern, some may simply be uncomfortable being led by someone who has engaged in inappropriate behavior X.
For instance, a person may say, “I expect politicians to uphold certain ethical principals and I would not vote for or support someone who has had numerous affairs.” In the Atlantic Monthly, Conor Friedersdorf dismisses this notion, arguing that we are electing a politician—not a moral leader:
Should my child get sick, and require a surgeon, I’ll find the most skilled, talented, tested, highly evaluated professional, even if he is a thrice divorced polygamist cheating on both wives with a Chinatown mother and daughter unaware of one another’s involvement. Am I wrong? Why should politicians be different?
On the other hand, there has never been universal agreement on what criteria should be used to determine the merits of a political candidate. Integrity in one’s personal life may matter to some people but not to others. And no matter what, perhaps it is the media’s duty to report on such issues, leaving it to each individual to decide whether the politician’s private indiscretions are relevant.
Unfortunately, growing access to private information – and the means to disseminate it widely – means that this challenge will not disappear anytime soon.
-Luke
Related posts:
- Oh, politicians and they things they say
- The right to remain private
- When should politicians resign?
- Politicians and party
- Out with the old in with the new
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[...] months ago I posted on how willing reporters should be to dig into the private lives of politicians. In yesterday’s NY Times [...]