SA Column - Mark Sanford and the Rarity of Honorable Statesmen

When Mark Sanford was asked last week by CNN’s Wolf Blitzer how John McCain’s economic policies would differ from those of George W. Bush, the governor might as well have stayed home. Sanford drew a blank, stammered and stumbled, and searched desperately for any possible policy examples that might differentiate the Republican presidential candidate from the current Republican president. Our poor governor never gave a satisfactory answer, something Blitzer pointed out as the television segment ended and newspaper editors nationwide began conjuring up headlines to chronicle what most observers agreed was a monumental gaffe. As a longtime admirer of Sanford, it was clear to me what happened. While the typical politician is prepared to lie on cue, as a man who has built his political career on sticking to principle and keeping his promises, deception doesn’t come naturally to the governor. Sanford didn’t offer any economic policy differences between McCain an...