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Former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards recently admitting to fathering a love child with his former mistress, and politicians like John Ensign, Mark Sanford and Eliot Spitzer have all admitted to extramarital affairs. Many are left wondering, why are all these politicians risking their political careers for extramarital affairs?
We look at perspectives from ABC, MSNBC, HLN and the American Chronicle
A.J. Hammer of Showbiz Tonight talks with experts, who say this phenomenon is not so surprising.
“This man not only cheated on his wife stricken with cancer, he was basically cheating on the country asking us to put him in the highest office in the land. ... Being a politician, you expect it. Unfortunately it happens more commonly amongst politicians."
On the American Chronicle, Infidelity expert Ruth Houston says that for many politicians, having a mistress is a sign of success. One they would rather keep private.
“The main reason many politicians cheat on their wives and have extramarital affairs is because they are confident that they can get away with it. And countless numbers of them do. If they thought for one minute that they might get caught, most of them would never even take such a chance.”
ABC New's John Berman asks a panel of experts, what is it about politicians that give them the illusion that what they’re doing is okay?
“Psychiatrists say it’s part of what makes them politicians. They have a set of traits that is sort of what drives them into politics. Risk taking, ability to handle uncertainty, being turned on by the agilation of the public.”
If infidelity is part of a politician’s code, many media outlets note that most, if not all, the politicians who have been caught in affairs have been males.
“So there is a sort of old boy’s club mentality, that you know, the behavior of men relative to women, sexually in their lives, is not really a matter that should impact their political lives. And I think that’s a mistake.” (MSNBC)
What do you make of politicians prone to infidelity? Do you think it’s in their nature or is there another factor at play?
Writer: Marlena Kopacz
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