How Jenny Sanford handled Mark Sanford's cheating
Do wronged political wives have a new role model?
"Finally, a new model for the wronged political spouse," said Ruth Marcus in The Washington Post. Jenny Sanford—wife of confessed cheater Gov. Mark Sanford of South Carolina—is "neither enabler nor victim." The wives of Eliot Spitzer, Larry Craig, and others have stood by their men—"looking stricken"—as the cameras whirred. But Mrs. Sanford let him face the cameras as he deserved to—alone.
Skipping the press conference is just the first step, said Maureen Dowd in The New York Times. But Jenny Sanford—any political wife, really—must follow several pieces of simple advice to survive her husband's sex scandal. When the cad says, as Mark Sanford has, "that he has found his soul mate" after straying many times, "but he’s going to try to fall back in love with you, change the locks. (At your second home, too.)" And don't get "dragged into his drama"—Hillary Clinton "refused to let that happen," and she bounced back rather nicely from Bill Clinton's cheating.
Jenny Sanford doesn't need advice from a "Clinton enabler" like Maureen Dowd, said Don Surber in the Charleston, W.V., Daily Mail. Mrs. Sanford "already wrote the guide" on how to preserve your dignity despite a wandering spouse. "Hillary Clinton could have used the advice, which boils down to don’t be a doormat." Elizabeth Edwards could have, too. But Jenny Sanford demonstrated her enduring self-respect by tossing Mark Sanford out.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
And Jenny Sanford will be holding some pretty powerful cards if she takes the next step and files for divorce, said Meredith Simons in Slate. Mark Sanford's admitted infidelity is, technically, illegal in South Carolina, and it's grounds for a fast-tracked "fault" divorce. It could also help Mrs. Sanford get a larger-than-normal share of the couple's assets.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Why ghost guns are so easy to make — and so dangerous
The Explainer Untraceable, DIY firearms are a growing public health and safety hazard
By David Faris Published
-
The Week contest: Swift stimulus
Puzzles and Quizzes
By The Week US Published
-
'It's hard to resist a sweet deal on a good car'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published