South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford’s revelation that he has been in Argentina with Maria Belen Shapur instead of hiking the Appalachian Trail comes as a surprise to the American people.

I guess at this point in time in our society it should not be a surprise at all. Gov. Sanford is the latest in a long line of celebrities and politicians to be caught up in illicit, extramarital affairs that includes: Nevada Sen. John Ensign, A-Rod, South Carolina Sen. John Edwards, Mel Gibson, Sen. John McCain, Bill Clinton, Rudy Giuliani, John Kennedy, Franklin Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, New York governors Eliot Spitzer and David Paterson, Louisiana Sen. David Vitter, Newt Gingrich, Gary Hart, New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey, and a host of others.

I know it’s not nice to kick a guy when he’s down, but after all, as a U.S. Representative, Sanford voted to impeach Bill Clinton over Monica Lewinsky, in the name of “moral legitimacy.” Now he claims he spent five days “crying in Argentina” with his mistress over their “impossible love affair,” with no one left officially in charge of the state he governs.

Sanford admitted Wednesday to having an affair over the last year and covering up a secret trip to visit his mistress last week. The admission rocked the South Carolina political scene and has also captured the attention of the world media.

It is interesting how the public views these situations. A lady reporter on CNN said that extramarital affairs involving Democrats are not as damaging to the individual as those involving Republicans. She said the Democratic Party does not place emphasis upon family values and morals, as do the Republicans, so Democrats are not as concerned about their politicians straying. I don’t think all Democrats feel that way. Another reporter said the liberal media loves to catch the Republicans in “love trysts” so they can humiliate the person, their family, and the party.

How many times have we seen politicians from both parties, celebrities, and even religious icons stand before the cameras and tearfully apologize to the public and voters first, then to their loving and understanding wife and family, and lastly to God. Somehow they all are able to find God when they are caught and exposed, and God may be the only one in the group willing to forgive them. They usually have their loving wife standing by their side, but seldom does the wife speak at these apologetic events. Have you noticed the face of those wives? I remember Hillary and many others standing there alongside their philandering husband with a stoic look, not a loving look upon their face. I’m sure they could have bitten a 20-penny nail into two pieces. My own dear wife has told me that I should never expect her to “stand by her man” if I ever have to make a tearful apology. I think her plans would have something to do with firearms, a butcher knife, and a lawyer.

I am amazed that men who spend their lives seeking the presidency will risk it all for a dalliance. It does prove to us that regardless of their birth, privileged upbringing, standing in society, riches, and power, they are human. They are no better than the best of us and no worse than the worst of us.

Jim McGreevey, the New Jersey governor who resigned after being caught in a homosexual affair said, “Too often in the political process, you begin to think of yourself as master of your own universe and your own set of ethical structures, your own sense of decision-making.”

Politicians don’t necessarily have different reasons for cheating than non-politicians, and they don’t necessarily cheat more often. They live their lives in a fishbowl, and that has responsibilities and costs with it. An adulterous politician doesn’t just betray his family’s trust; he also betrays the public’s trust. When politicians get caught, they do so in extraordinary fashion and their actions raise questions about their judgment, character, and integrity as a leader. If they can lie to loved ones, who is to say they won’t lie to everyone else? If they can’t stay faithful to their marriage vows, who is to say they’ll stay faithful to their oaths of office? If they have secrets in their private lives, who is to say they don’t have secrets in their public lives?

Sanford needs to quit singing, “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina,” and start singing, “How Do You Solve a Problem like Maria?”