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Sanford Should Resign
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After his disastrous press conference, the South Carolina governor ought to pack his bags, The Daily Beast’s Mark McKinnon writes. Now who’ll be the GOP's savior in 2012?
Plus, read more Daily Beast contributors' reactions to Mark Sanford's flameout.
The “spark thing” problem.
Tina Brown called this one immediately. She knew powerful guys don’t just go take a walk in the woods.
Apparently, Mark Sanford’s walk in the woods was really a flight to Argentina to check on that “spark thing” with a woman with whom he had a sexual relationship for a year.
Ruh-roh.
You lied. You cheated. How about you step down as governor?
How pathetic to watch yet another politician begging for forgiveness and understanding from his wife and children.
We thought, or hoped anyway, for a moment that Sanford might be a unique character who just liked to get out of the spotlight to do some thinking. Obviously, he liked to get out of the spotlight to do more than think.
And Sanford’s press conference was a disaster. Did he really think the millions watching wanted to hear a dissertation about how “innocent emails” turned into a torrid love affair?
And he talked about needing his trip because of the stress caused by trying to turn down stimulus money during South Carolina’s legislative session. Well, it was obvious to everyone watching that the purpose of his trip was to turn up his stimulus.
And he resigned as chairman of the Republican Governors Association. Big whoop. You lied. You cheated. How about you step down as governor?
We said it about John Ensign a week ago. We’ll say it again today. Mark Sanford is not just toast. He’s charcoal.
That’s two Republican presidential contenders off our Top 10 list in the last week.
At this rate, President Obama may not have much to worry about in terms of opposition in 2012.
Republican candidates have got a big problem with “the spark thing.” They can’t seem to put out the ancient fire that has burned so many before.
As vice chairman of Public Strategies and president of Maverick Media, Mark McKinnon has helped meet strategic challenges for candidates, causes, and individuals, including George W. Bush, John McCain, Governor Ann Richards, Charlie Wilson, Lance Armstrong, and Bono. McKinnon is co-chair of Arts & Labs, a collaboration between technology and creative communities that have embraced today’s rich Internet environment to deliver innovative and creative digital products to consumers.
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Lloyd Grove is editor at large for The Daily Beast. He is also a frequent contributor to New York magazine and was a contributing editor for Condé Nast Portfolio. He wrote a gossip column for the New York Daily News from 2003 to 2006. Prior to that, he wrote the Reliable Source column for the Washington Post, where he spent 23 years covering politics, the media, and other subjects.
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As vice chairman of Public Strategies and president of Maverick Media, Mark McKinnon has helped meet strategic challenges for candidates, corporations and causes, including George W. Bush, John McCain, Governor Ann Richards, Charlie Wilson, Lance Armstrong, and Bono. McKinnon is co-chair of Arts & Labs, a collaboration between technology and creative communities that have embraced today's rich Internet environment to deliver innovative and creative digital products to consumers.
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As vice chairman of Public Strategies and president of Maverick Media, Mark McKinnon has helped meet strategic challenges for candidates, corporations and causes, including George W. Bush, John McCain, Governor Ann Richards, Charlie Wilson, Lance Armstrong, and Bono. McKinnon is co-chair of Arts & Labs, a collaboration between technology and creative communities that have embraced today's rich Internet environment to deliver innovative and creative digital products to consumers.
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As vice chairman of Public Strategies and president of Maverick Media, Mark McKinnon has helped meet strategic challenges for candidates, corporations and causes, including George W. Bush, John McCain, Governor Ann Richards, Charlie Wilson, Lance Armstrong, and Bono. McKinnon is co-chair of Arts & Labs, a collaboration between technology and creative communities that have embraced today's rich Internet environment to deliver innovative and creative digital products to consumers.
My head is whirling. Isn't this the same guy who was pushing Sanford for president just a few days ago?
You cannot make this stuff up!
LOL, yes, I immediately came back to this site after hearing the news..couldn't wait to hear what McKinnon had to write..
These stupid people are just fun to watch republican vs republican free entrainment!
Don't forget Democrats Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid.
There are clowns on both sides of the aisle.
Don't forget Democrat Robert Byrd, a former member of the KKK.
Based on the columnist's premise
should Clinton have resigned the Presidency for his
multiple womanizing escapades?
I can't wait to hear the liberal rationalization
for defending Clinton's behavior.
I can't wait to see
How FOX news is going to
Blame Obama for
Sanford's downfall.
Once again, the issue is not philandering, it's hypocrisy. Democrats don't go around beating bibles telling people how to live their lives. Sanford is an extremist right winger with all the bells and whistles who actively pursues the evangelical vote by pandering to their old testament morality.
sophia 5 below, Clinton's conducting an affair with Monica Lewinsky was a betrayal of his marriage, as was Gov. Sanford's affair. Yes, Clinton lied, which was reprehensible, although not grounds for impeachment. Clinton, however, did not leave the country without a leader for 5 days. There is a difference.
I believe it was just yesterday.
I think I have whiplash following this guy.
He flip-flopped so quickly! Yesterday he was saying "And it appears he has a very healthy marriage..."
McKinnon needs a good dose of cynicism lest he keep making statements like that.
Gay marriage?...Looks like the conservative republicans are the real threat to traditional marriage.
no kidding.
Amen.
Did I just read that a politician lied. Hey, make bigger news with someone actually telling the truth. Maybe its just me, but I do not believe anyone in power anymore, i do not think that the gene that drives people to seek high office permits the telling of the truth if such telling would have the least adverse consequences on the teller. Of course, a version of the truth may be told if the teller has already been caught in the lie, but even then you have to love the expression "I mis-spoke".
What? You're expecting consistency from a Republican supporter. Where have you been this last decade.
I know I came to look for that article. Where did it go? Poof, it was gone like Keyser Soze in Usual Suspects
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-06-23/sanford-crazy-lik e-a-fox/
...AND he's not the best writer. McKinnon should resign.
Most embarrassing McKinnon piece ever, really.
On his TDB page, both articles are now displayed as: Sanford For President / Sanford Should Resign. Good for a laugh!
LOL. SANFORD FOR PRESIDENT.
Wow, what a different tune than the one McKinnon was singing just yesterday. Now all we have to do is catch Romney and Palin doing each other and the entire Republican party will likely implode.
jds8181 THANK YOU!!!! your comment made me laugh so hard my daughter asked me if I was ok
"And he talked about needed his trip because..."
"At this rate, President Obama may not have much to worry about in terms of"
Spell/Grammar check not working?
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Medication and therapy can help with OCD...
If you read his previous post, you'd know McKinnon shut off his thought process a long, long time ago.
I must admit I find it amazing to watch the Republican Party self destruction in front of my eyes. Of course one could say that people are people and all people have their faults, EXCEPT the Republican Party keeps throwing Family Values at us. It is OK to be Anti-Gay, Anti-Immigrant, Anti-Anti, all the while secretly keeping a mistress on the side, or keeping your homosexuality in the closet or basement ( or an Airport's Men's room). Lets see. . . . how could this be topped??? Maybe Sarah P having an affair with Dick C.??? All you young Republicans better start throwing out all those old hypocrites, if you want to be a political force in the future.
McKinnon is the same person who just yesterday said that Sanford is crazy like a fox, but today he should resign?
Well, yeah, he should, but McKinnon's about-face is courtesy of his zeal to get in front of a still-developing story by overlooking the obvious --Sanford was doing something he had no business doing-- in favour of an outside the box perspective.
As for Sanford, no surprise there. More and more, members of the GOP are showing themselves to be opposed to being faithful to their wives. It happens, but the moralizing that Republicans do makes it difficult to be empathetic when they hurt their families and, to hear Sanford tell it, their lovers.
I hate to say this, McKinnon, but everyone commenting at TDB -BUT YOU- smelled a rat!
Thanks for the link to the previous article praising the guy. I'm wondering whether this means I should take your opinions seriously or not. I'm thinking not.
But thanks for playing.
I doubt there are but a handful of top level political figures who are faithful to their spouses.
I don't think it is the unfaithful part--it is the hypocrisy part. I never had a problem with Clinton: he didn't tell others how to live his private life. All these holier than thou Republicans hit Dems up about "family values." There is the problem.
You've entirely missed the point, drmarkklein. What consenting adults do behind closed doors should be their business. The point is the hypocrisy of it all.
For years the Republicans, whipped up by the likes of Falwell and the so called Moral Majority, have preached Family Values and made this fairy tale a plank of the Republican manifesto.
It is not Sanford's actions that disgust, as much as it is the HYPOCRISY of his actions. But inspite of being the self proclaimed party of family values, the party won't, I'm sure, feel that makes him unfit to be a Governor, a presidential candidate or, even a Republican if he can run and win any office--including dog catcher.
If he makes amends, the Republicans will embrace him, just like they do Ensign and Craig and Gingrich, etc., etc. It turns the stomach just to think about it--the "it" not being Sanford's sexual pecadillos, but his stunning hypocrisy.
What I would like to know is, would Sanford had been so forth coming had he not gotten caught in his lies? Everyone is applauding his "honesty" in his press conference.
Give me a break!
Instead of running off to Argentina to be with his mistress, why wasn't he home trying to repair his marriage?
I feel very bad for Mrs. Sanford and her sons. I do NOT feel sorry for the Governor....His "hypocrisy" is disgusting. I am so sick of these guys using the "bible" and the "tears" when they get caught.
Sanford needs to just go away!
Wow, Mark, I've seen figure skaters who couldn't do a 360 that fast!
LOL..but I think you mean 180..
I'm meant to say "do a 180," not a 360. But I have an excuse for my mistake - I'm tired from, um, "hiking the Appalachian."
great save!
You mean a 180! ;^))
Wow. Just wow.
I continue to be surprised by our propensity for incredible "Stupid Human Tricks."
this is outrageous. McKinnon is trying to cover his ass. McKinnon, you are a fucking partisan hack just like all the other neocon writers on the daily beast, and now you have been undeniably revealed for what you are. It is time that the neocon writers on the daily beast stop writing shock factor articles just for the sake of being little partisan pricks.
I saw you on Maddow, and you seem like a nice guy, but you gotta stop writing before you say something you can't slither your way out of. you were just promoting this guy for president you slime.
doko84 -- Tells you a lot about "professional" political strategists.
I am not from Georgia but seems like if you are Gov. there are some requirements to schedule your leaving the state. And maybe leaving a phone number.
Quit or get impeached.
Or was it simply needing personal stimulus? Maybe he just misunderstood.
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You're a fucking moron. Don't you realize that the Republicans making a big stink about that ruined any chance for any Republican to ever recover from an affair scandal. Not to mention the guy was single handedly destroying his own state. Even the Repubs there hated his weaselly guts.
The difference is Clinton didn't disappear from the White House for a week!
Your predictive powers are no better than McKinnon's. He has already been severly "scratched." He has had to resign the GOP governors association.
Congratulations, you've just won the disingenuous comment of the day! (Disingenuous being a synonym for dumbass)
In case you forgot, the MSM spent 2 years harassing Clinton about Monica and to this day, they still love to bring it up (see Maureen Dowd today) and he got impeached!
Lived to tell about it? Yeah, the regular peole in this country didn't care but the press corps? Dysfunctional, millionaire airheads that they are, they tried their best to drive him out of town.
When that didn't work, they went after Gore for 2 years straight. The press corps, including many who write for TDB, helped put George W Bush in the White House.
How'd that work out for everybody?
What a maroon you are.
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It was consensual and he never told others how to live their private lives. Personally I don't care what he an Monica used for a sex toy. He never told others that "Jebus" didn't want gays to marry to protect the "sanctity of marriage." You just don't get it.
Gee, thanks for reminding us. And who said he did that Jonah's Mommy??
flaunt-
Don't be an idiot. You have no good arguments.
What you're saying is irrelevant to Mark Sanford's decision to have an affair.
Democrats may not as be critical about Clinton's affair as Republicans, but we don't point fingers at others and say "What about him?!?".
BTW I'm not saying he should resign or be impeached because of his affair.
If he's removed for anything, let it be because he left the state for no reason and didn't tell anyone where he's going; that's a serious security problem.
Don't knock it till you've tried it.
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One track mind much?
One time was enough.
flaunt -- Just about how long do you think you can post at TDB before you are no longer welcome?
and this, then, gave free reign to republicans to screw anything that moved. "look - if bill can do it...so can i, with a time out to hypocritically scream my family values screed"?
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Had the stimulus refusing Governor actually hiked the Appalachian Trail, a National Park, that would have been more newsworthy than this.
He'll likely resign but, this blew up quickly. Give it a month, so the news cycle will move along and he'll be able to assess his next move.
Sanford can always become a lobbyist.
Of course Tina Brown got it right, Mark. She atleast doesn't have her head shoved up the ass of the republican spin machine like you certainly do. Maybe just maybe if you pull your head out and wipe the shit from your eyes you can actually get down to doing some good writing instead of all this shit colored cut & paste you call writing you continuously spew every time one of these republican nimrods opens his mouth or fly, whichever.
LOL
said in perfect terms this asshat mckinnon just "might" understand, mugly...kudos.
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Well....uhhh...I'm speechless. Can I say I'm thoroughly entertained??
Re ElvinMelvin's comment it remains to be to seen whether Obama's marriage is really the fairy tale sold to the public.
It's certainly in a lot better place then Governor Sanford's
Why the need to hate on the Obama marriage? Neither he nor Michelle have proselytized about how to have a Christian marriage and not only that, they have no advocated for others (GBLT) not to have the same type of marriage that Sanford has enjoyed.
Frankly, I believe if Obama strayed in his marriage, Michelle would string him up by the balls.
But, drmarkklein, thanks for trying to re-direct the conversation to your own narrow hate of Obama - NOT!
Actually, Obama supports civil unions. He does NOT support gay marriage (he has defended the Defense of Marriage Act). That's advocating for others not to have the same type of marriage that straight people enjoy.
Not that I don't think he's great, just getting the facts straight.
Maybe it is; maybe it isn't. That's their business--not mine, or yours, for that matter, drmark.
But rest assured if Obama had every stepped out on his wife, the Republican Morality Machine would have gleefully announced it to the world by now. Those glass house/stone-throwers never pass up an opportunity to play Peeping Tom.
"The South Carolina governor isn't an irresponsible lunatic for wandering off the reservation-he just made himself a better bet for president in 2012." Mark McKinnon, 24 Hours Ago
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA - god i love the backtracking of republican spinners.
Want some fries with your Crow-Burger?
"At this rate, President Obama may not have much to worry about in terms of opposition in 2012."
Well no @#$%, Sherlock........
*snort*
Nothing gets past these "political strategists" does it?
Thank you.
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