Would appreciate everyone's opinion!
 

I'm writing a paper regarding political scandals (PLEASE THIS IS NOT A DISCUSSION ABOUT ANY SPECIFIC POLITICIAN/PARTY OR ANYTHING OF THE SORT) and I think that people may perceive incumbents that are involved in a scandal differently depending on what type of scandal it is. By type I mean whether a scandal is professional versus personal (i.e. professional being a scandal related to the politician exploiting their position, etc while personal being a scandal related to a family issue perhaps cheating on their wife). What do you guys think? Would you penalize an incumbent MORE at the polls for being involved in a professional scandal versus a personal one? Do you consider both scandals to be equally as bad? Do you think both types speak to a representative's competence? What about integrity?

Again, this is not a political discussion per se, it's more a discussion about what is important to you as a voter when voting for or against your incumbent (whether your district representative, or Senate).

Can't wait to hear your input!

Professional I'm not okay with...lobby campaing contributions brides big deal with me.
Personal-sounds like a personal problem not my business...with the exceptions of the politician committing a crime...
Do you listen to Michael Franti/Spearhead? Sums up my views on it, totally popped in my head reading your poll post.

"I don't give a "blank" who they're screwing in private, I wanna know who they're screwing in public..." -Michael Franti and Spearhead "Oh my God"

I'd also like to specify with an example not to make this a specific political discussion on this example but, the only reason I felt the Clinton scandal was not just between Bill and Hillary was because it took place in the White House and during business hours..perhaps more could have been done in the middle east crisis at the time if Bill wasn't "distracted" during his phone calls...when a scandal or personal issue takes place on my dime as a tax payer it is professional misconduct in my mind and that is my business...and does effect my position on that persona's ability to perform their duty as a public servant.

Assuming that the behaviour is not illegal, I'd penalize more for professional misconduct than personal. I don't care what someone does in their private life, on their own time. If the personal misconduct is committed on the job, then it is most likely professional misconduct also and is therefore a double whammy.

I don't believe what a person does in his/her private life speaks to their professional competence. I hire people for the work they do on the job and as long what they do after hours doesn't compromise their work (i.e: drinking/drugs, etc) I have no issue with it.

Integrity??? I thought you said we were talking about politicians? :p

LOL very true. I don't hold them to very high standards because those kinds of people usually will do anything to beat their opponents.

With that being said, I am more worried about their professional discrepancies. It's crappy to cheat on your wife, but it's also none of my business what you do in your time off.

Good point...if someone is an alcoholic in their private life but not 'drinking on the job' I still have an issue as such can hinder their ability and job performance...but that's fine line in my mind also...if there's no issue in the competency at work...none of my business if they want to to drink themselves to death...suppose that's case specific to incidence of professional misconduct and job performance...LOL can this thread also cover job performance? Election promises being kept and more...Just kidding.:D

I haves mixed feelings. Infidelity is a problem for me. I'm old fashioned, perhaps, but I think the marriage oath is the most serious promise you can make to another person. If you can't be trusted to keep that oath, how can I trust you to keep your promise to me as my elected representative?

The legal point is an interesting one, and something that I didn't think about. I'm running a statistical analysis on the scandals that occurred in 2006 by members of the House of Representatives, and it's getting difficult to code whether someone was involved in a "professional" versus a "personal" scandal because some personal scandals involved things like drinking and driving. Other representatives were involved in BOTH! Also, what do you guys think about one representative not turning in another representative for doing something wrong? So let's say Incumbent A was involved in a sex scandal involving a minor and Incumbent B KNEW about what Incumbent A but didn't turn him in (since anything involving a minor is illegal) would you penalize Incumbent B as well?

What's scandalous personally seems to change over time. I mean being gay was scandalous a few years ago, and people could be blackmailed because of it. This is where the danger comes in, if a person can be compromised because of their personal behavior, then that behavior could become professionally scandalous. A drug scandal is dangerous, because drugs affect a person's judgment, again that could lead to professionally scandalous behavior. Sexual scandals, for the most part, I believe, are way overblown; they are between the man and his wife, not the public. I think politicians know that people will be outraged and use this to bring someone down, when they don't have any real goods on the person. Newscasters love sexual scandals, because the ratings go sky high, and they milk them for all they're worth. I mean charismatic men in office attract the ladies and all marriages are vulnerable at times, so eliminating a charismatic leader just because he's too sexy doesn't seems very smart. I still think much of our sexual behavior is related to hormones, and some people have to be so strong to refuse all the advances they get. Others don't have to be strong at all; they don't have many urges, and fewer advances.

A professional scandal, on the other hand, is a whole other problem. We are paying the person to do a professional job, and if he isn't fully protecting the public, he isn't doing his job. Anything that is even mildly professionally scandalous would ruin his integrity because a politician works for the people, not the other way around. So if the personal behavior leads you to make poor professional decision, then it has become professionally scandalous. I think most people were angry with President Clinton, not because of the affair, but because he lied to the American public. I always thought southern gentlemen lied about things like that to protect the "lady", so I could easily excuse his lying.

Yep. If I can't trust you to speak plainly, speak the truth, and speak out...GET OFF THE PLATFORM I VOTED TO PUT YOU ON.

I believe in people doing their job...in every field. It's not even about an illegal act, if you know about 'professional misconduct' speak up or go down with the rest of them...now good luck finding one politician that actually does do that...:rolleyes:

Professional conduct matters to me not personal

Depends on the personal misconduct. Ideally, my elected officials would have high moral values and be upstanding people, therefore their personal lives wouldn't be riddled with scandal to begin with. I think a high level of personal scandal goes hand-in-hand with a dirtbag politician. :rolleyes:

As for the B doesn't turn A in scenario...B goes down with the ship IMO. :thumbdown