Thread: The personal lives of our leaders: Should it be our business?

Originally Posted by aceman67

And Shadokan, I want to know how you voted for Obama when the democratic ticket hasn't even been set yet.

I'm not in the mood to explain how my country runs their primary elections. You can look that information up yourself.

Originally Posted by Arrianna

Actually it does if they have a girlfriend (or paying prostitutes etc.) since part of integrity is honesty. Having a girlfriend when you have committed to be loyal to a single person, your wife or husband, is not being honest. Again if they will lie and cheat on the person that is supposed to mean that much to them why wouldn't they do the same to you.


I didn't see how it was necessary since, again, if they don't have integrity why would I believe that they will put any effort into their job that doesn't benefit them personally. Given the choices you presented I would rather have an imbecile since with our system of government an imbecile can't do much damage but a selfish politician who cares more for their own profit and gain can do a great deal. Just look at the mess Clinton left the CIA and military in. Buuuut... I don't live in Canada and if I didn't live in the US and had those options I would be considering supporting a 3rd party candidate... or starting a revolution.

Is it lying when your wife knows about your girlfriend Arianna? Or are you saying it's morally wrong to have a girlfriend?

That's not what he's saying Arianna. He's saying would you rather have an incompetent person in charge who screwed up everything or a person who was married and had a girlfriend and ..... I don't know smoked weed. And was a great leader who did his job right. When I say did his job right I mean not using his power for selfish reasons like you're suggesting. Or are you saying it's physically impossible for someone in that scaranio to do that?

No, I don't think the personal lives of the politicians should be of our concern... not to the point where they cannot go out to eat as normal people. However a person's life can actually tell if the person is actually going to handle the whole country (or state) at the best; and I think the voters have the right to know what kind of person is going to run the country.

On the Clinton scandal, yes we know and of course he knows what he did was wrong and we should not take it out now. It has nothing to do with his wife whatsoever... but if clinton would have run for president again (if he could) his past life would have say that he is not actually very capable handling the country why? because if he cannot even control himself nor his household... how can he run an entire country?

Our business?

Yes. They're our leaders... and if they're doing things to make us look like idiots in the eyes of the world or compromise our trust in them, we should absolutely know.

The question is: whether certain sorts of private matters have any impact on their ability to lead and we aren't making ourselves look foolish by keeping them front and center 24-7 for months at a time and fighting over it amongst ourselves.

If the president did drugs in highschool -- it probably doesn't matter. If he's cheating on his wife -- it sucks, but ditto. If he's sending smarmy emails to male interns -- whatever.

BUT if he's laundering money, taking bribes or lying to us: yeah... I think it matters and I want to know.

Sort of a Clinton vs. Nixon situation ^^;

I don't give a damn really if the Prime Minister (or president) is cheating, having affairs, has been divorced 3 times and has had 10 children to 10 different wives or whatever.

I care is what they plan to do while they are in power, the policies they are going to implement, how they are going to fix our roads, hospitals, schools and other infrastructure. Where he/she stands on issues that I actually care about, what he has done in the past in regards to politic, what his party stands for - that is what is important to me

I don't care what they do in their personal lives - so longs as it doesn't infringe on their ability to run a country. More importantly what their party believes in.

And I don't think most people really care on the bits either. Some State politicians here have come out and said they have tried marijuana, Aust current Prime Minister has even admitted to have ' had to much to drink' and entered a strip club in New York. Obviously it didn't effect the election much because - well he's in power.

The only real reason why it's a big deal is because the media makes it out to be. The only time I'm happy with the media making a big deal out of politicians personal lives in when they are doing something illegal.

Originally Posted by tsurara

Our business?

Yes. They're our leaders... and if they're doing things to make us look like idiots in the eyes of the world or compromise our trust in them, we should absolutely know.

The question is: whether certain sorts of private matters have any impact on their ability to lead and we aren't making ourselves look foolish by keeping them front and center 24-7 for months at a time and fighting over it amongst ourselves.

If the president did drugs in highschool -- it probably doesn't matter. If he's cheating on his wife -- it sucks, but ditto. If he's sending smarmy emails to male interns -- whatever.

BUT if he's laundering money, taking bribes or lying to us: yeah... I think it matters and I want to know.

Sort of a Clinton vs. Nixon situation ^^;

I can see what you're saying Tsurara, in fact I can agree with you. I personally don't care about what goes on behind the closed doors of our leaders... To a certain degree.

Cheating on your wife, doin' drugs in high school/college, smackin' your woman around a bit, drinkin' like a fish, pretty much anything that was in the past or that is a domestic problem should remain where they originated. I don't think the media--or anyone else, for that matter--has the right to say anything about the actions of a person if those were meant to be personal issues. The Clinton scandal was a big waste of time and a pile of BS, to boot. Yeah, he lied under oath... Plenty of people commit purgory! But he wouldn't have needed to do so, had someone just said, "Why don't you go get marriage counseling?" Or something along those lines. An average "Joe" can cheat on his wife and there's no mass of cameras, no media swarm, but someone with some power gets a bit of skull action and it's the end of the friggin' world! It's sad, really...

I believe as long as they're not doin' anything illegal, it's none of my business.

Originally Posted by Shodokan

That's not what he's saying Arianna. He's saying would you rather have an incompetent person in charge who screwed up everything or a person who was married and had a girlfriend and ..... I don't know smoked weed. And was a great leader who did his job right.

If that is your interpretation of his question go right ahead and answer it yourself. That is not however what he said and I answered exactly what he asked.

Originally Posted by Shodokan

When I say did his job right I mean not using his power for selfish reasons like you're suggesting. Or are you saying it's physically impossible for someone in that scaranio to do that?

In my experience someone without integrity is less likely too yes, significantly so. Since I believe in making my choices based on past history I would prefer to take a chance on the imbecile then someone with a better then average chance of blowing it for personal gain.

Originally Posted by tsurara

BUT if he's laundering money, taking bribes or lying to us: yeah... I think it matters and I want to know.

Sort of a Clinton vs. Nixon situation ^^;

Don't you mean Clinton AND Nixon? Lets see... laundering, check; taking bribes, check (oh sorry, campaign donations from foreign governments); lying, check. Yep.

But I will definitely agree on the breaking the law thing. That is why Spitzer is in so much trouble right now... come to think of it, adultery just might be illegal. I know it used to be that is why it could be used as grounds for a divorce. Did that ever get taken off the books?