The Affairs We Forget

Let’s hear one man’s first impression of the woman who would become his mistress:

She was lovely, intelligent and charming, 17 years my junior but poised and confident.  I monopolized her attention the entire time, taking care to prevent anyone else from intruding on our conversation. When it came time to leave the party, I persuaded her to join me for drinks at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. By the evening’s end, I was in love.

Not John Edwards, but close on the first name.  Thus John McCain, while still married to his ailing first wife Carol, described Cindy, the blond, 25-year old cheerleader & daughter of one of Arizona’s greatest power brokers (NY Times here).  Why is it that Democrats get run through the gauntlet for any misstep, while McCain’s missteps – romantic and financial – get glossed over?

Let’s make one thing clear.  I don’t want this to be a main campaign issue.  It would be wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong for Obama to bring this up, for all kinds of reasons – two being that we need some substantive discourse between the candidates and in this campaign, and, more practically, it would tank Obama’s positive ratings – but this might be a good job for the more unseemly of political hitmen.  I’m looking at you, MoveOn.org.  Or you, DailyKos.  I’ve gotten enough “have you heard Obama is a Muslim?” chain letters.  What about the “have you heard McCain was an adulterer?” chain letters?

Admittedly, I’m just mad about the latest swath of negative ads.  And I don’t want to distract the discourse from important issues.  But if McCain is going to, and we don’t want Obama himself to, do we, as Obama’s surrogates, have a choice?