EDITORIAL: Moving on from Gov. Mark Sanford

For the time being anyway, Gov. Mark Sanford is safe. One never knows when the fickle winds of politics may turn, but according to reports out of Columbia last week, talk of impeachment has at least been put on the back burner—if not taken off the stove entirely—for now.

The actions of Sanford can never be justified and if the governor had years left on his term instead of months, the proper action might be resignation or impeachment. Of course, we will never know what might have happened if this scandal had occurred at a time other than when it did, so exploring such hypothetical questions is a waste of energy. The question political leaders and citizens of South Carolina should be asking themselves now is whether or not Sanford is getting a fair deal, given the current circumstances.

In truth, political justice has already been served. When Sanford leaves office next year, what awaits is cold obscurity, a wasteland for scandalized politicians who eventually fade away or limp through history with a figurative “kick-me” sign pined to their backs. Whether you agree with his political philosophies or not, if you are able look past the enormous shortcomings in his personal life, Sanford is a polished, educated and very driven human being. He posses traits and talents that most in his field envy and work hard at obtaining for themselves. Not unlike the politician from across the aisle with whom he should be forever linked, Sanford is akin to Bill Clinton as being regarded by political friends and foes as a master politician and wonderful conversationalist.

Unfortunately for him, Sanford wasn’t quite in the same league as Clinton when it came to handling his scandal and the media will not be able to bail the South Carolina governor out like they did their beloved Slick Willy.

When he makes the move from Columbia to Charleston, Sanford may be fading away from the public eye for good.
If he had more time left in his term, perhaps he should have been impeached, but with the way his cards have been dealt maybe having to walk the long road into the dark unknown is an even harsher punishment.