Newt and Callista Gingrich, by Gage Skidmore
At tonight’s Republican debate in Iowa, all the candidates were asked at one point about their views on marital fidelity and whether it should be a factor in voters’ decisions. This comes shortly after Mitt Romney released an ad touting his 42-year marriage, children, lifelong Mormon faith, and work experience as evidence of his “steadiness and constancy.” New frontrunner Newt Gingrich has been married three times and started an affair with his current wife, Callista, before divorcing his second wife.
All six candidates answered more or less that yes, a candidate’s character does matter, and marital fidelity is an important part of character. That included Gingrich, who agreed with these sentiments, saying, “I’ve made mistakes … I’ve had to go to God for forgiveness.”
The best answer was Ron Paul’s. “If our marriage vows are important,” he asked, “What about our oath of office?” He then proceeded to change the subject to how politicians need to respect the Constitution, which I agree is a much more important topic than the candidates’ personal lives!
But to the extent that candidates’ personal lives should be a topic of discussion, I don’t think that Newt’s is a reason not to vote for him. Gingrich was married to someone whom, apparently, he was no longer in love with, so he decided to leave her and marry the woman he was in love with. Staying married to the same person is perfectly fine if that’s what makes you happy. So is staying single for your entire life, for that matter. All that Gingrich did was left a situation that wasn’t right for him and did what he felt was right for him and would make him happy. Although Newt may not have handled everything perfectly, doing what is right for you, especially when you know people will disapprove, takes courage, and that is not something to look down on.
