The fall of the Republican Party started when Nancy Pelosi gained control of the gavel. Hopefully it will not become manifest when Hillary Clinton gains control of the Oval Office. In the face of the Democratic takeover of Congress, the Republican leadership hasn’t shown much, well, leadership lately. The front runners in the presidential race, namely Giuliani, McCain and Romney — and I suppose we should include Gingrich — haven’t displayed much in the way of presidential qualities. The 2008 hopefuls each have their own flaws, particularly personal ones, which make them dubious candidates for the presidency.
Rudy Giuliani, hailed as perhaps the frontrunner, is the most troublesome. While arguably a good politician — he did clean up New York and handled post 9/11 panic with dignity and strength — he’s a terrible man. Married three times, he had extramarital affairs during at least two of those marriages, and is currently estranged from his two children. If a man cannot keep the sacred vow of marriage, to love one woman, how can the American public expect him to uphold the trust of millions of women nationwide? Giuliani could not be faithful to the women he married, all three of them. He won’t be faithful to his constituency either. We all saw what happened with Bill …
A reminder: the traditional marriage vow reads as follows — “I take thee, to have and to hold from this day forward; for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part.” The Presidential Oath of Office states, “I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” In essence, the president is marrying the country, promising to protect and uphold America as he would his wife. But if a candidate has been so lacking in his personal life, what’s to say he will be faithful to this country?
John McCain is another presidential hopeful who has caused controversy due to his stance on Iraq. Although he strongly supports the war and even maintains that the U.S. military has made “measurable progress” in Baghdad, he has been a harsh critic of Bush’s war tactics. As a former prisoner of war himself, McCain has prominently spoken out against torture and other breaches of civil liberties of our own prisoners. This is an admirable position, and like Giuliani, McCain is a successful politician. But that’s not all he and the former New York mayor have in common. Yep, that’s right, McCain is also guilty of cheating on his first wife. When his former wife was in a horrific car accident, her spine was shortened, leaving her dependent on crutches for mobility, and she gained a considerable amount of weight. As a result, McCain looked elsewhere for marital comforts and found his current wife. Maybe McCain lost his moral compass in the jungles of Vietnam.
This brings me to everyone’s favorite Republican, one of the men credited with bringing the party to the power it has enjoyed since the Reagan presidency, Newt Gingrich. Former Speaker of the House Gingrich, who condemned Clinton’s affair with Monica Lewinsky, was himself having an affair at the time. In fact, Gingrich, like Giuliani and McCain, is on his third marriage, the previous two having been ruined by extramarital affairs. Perhaps it is the curse of political charisma, or maybe a lack of scruples, but for whatever reason, it seems that the Republican hopefuls, men who should embody family values and the Religious Right, just can’t seem to keep it in their pants. Where is the moral compass in America?
Maybe Mitt Romney has it. A Mormon from Massachusetts, Romney has been true to his wife, Ann, since they met in high school. However, while his moral compass may be on target, his political compass can’t figure out which way is up. Romney has changed his views on hot-button issues such as abortion, domestic partnership benefits and stem cell research since his early days as a politician. Many party members question whether he is firm on his current stances or whether they are merely a political expedient for the campaign. He may not have cheated on his wife, but he may have had an affair with the Democrats … and that just won’t do.
So what’s a Republican girl to do? Vote for Hillary? Please, don’t make me laugh; she never had a moral compass to begin with. And Obama, well he’s just too … green. Edwards, as morally straight as he is, has bigger, more important problems to contend with, problems that will unfortunately most likely interrupt his term. Richardson, another minority, well again … not enough experience, but I hear he’d make a great vice president … if we had a candidate fit for the Oval Office.
All in all, the 2008 race is in shambles. There is not a single candidate on either ticket who has the political prowess, steady platform and moral constitution needed to lead America into the next four years. As a nation, we are faced with an ongoing war in Iraq, countless global humanitarian issues and increasing environmental problems (umm … it snowed during Cornell Days — the world is coming to an end). We need someone who has shown leadership, wisdom and integrity in his own home before he can earn the right to lead ours. Why isn’t Carlos 35 yet? Or American?
Hannah Stearns is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at hes32@cornell.edu [1]. Paint the Town Red appears alternate Mondays.
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[1] mailto:hes32@cornell.edu