I was in a funk after learning that Governor Sanford had adulterated his marriage. The reason that Sanford’s admission has affected me greater than some of the other recent adulterous admission, such as Sens. Vitter and Ensign, has to do with something that I have been pondering a lot lately: role models and heroes.

I am happy to say, and maybe even a bit surprised with myself, that the first thing that came to my mind after learning of the disgusting mess was not Governor Sanford’s political career but his family. You see, I have been paying attention to Gov. Sanford for some time now. Even before the 2008 election, he had appeared a few times as a rising star on our country’s political stage. Being a feverish consumer of all things politics at times, I naturally researched his biography and family. “Perfect,” I thought to myself. “He seems like a real family man.” That was the first thing that struck me as devastating. Mr. Sanford is going to be blighted, damaged goods, if you will, in the eyes of his family. His reputation, his word, has most likely been damaged beyond repair with his four beautiful sons. Who will now be their role models for a representation of a good husband and father who can be faithful to both his bride and his children? Therefore my first instinct is to worry and pray for his family.

Secondly, however, Sanford’s adultery affects me, and I think a lot of others in a more personal way. As I stated earlier, I have been following and cheering for Sanford for some time. After President Obama assumed office, Gov. Sanford became Obama’s greatest critic and represented what many of us thought should be the direction of a strong opposition. In that sense, for those of us who think the bad guys are often in Washington D.C., Gov. Sanford was a hero to us, the only one standing up to the full weight and power of the United States Federal Government, even against his own party in his own state. This took great political courage, and it is courage that many of us could get behind. In a sense, Sanford was becoming something of a hero among conservatives.  He was a hero for standing up to those who would have us believe that they are smarter than us; that if we only just leave our health, our education, our morals, our defense, our food, our textbooks, our churches, and our guns, to them, they will handle it all. In a sense, Sanford was saying no to all of that, claiming that South Carolina could handle itself much better without the Federal Government getting involved. Back in September of 2008, he was pretty much saying it alone.

Yet, at the same time, he was living the opposite in his own life. He was thinking he was smarter than his family. He could get away with it, not taking into consideration anything but his own extremely selfish wants and desires. So yes, in one sense it is simply a personal matter between his family. However, for those of us who thought well of him, who admired his principles and the stances that he took, and who bought into the same façade that he pitched to his family, he let us down too. It leaves at least one person thinking either that I have placed too much faith in politics, or that I should have given up on heroes a long time ago. For once, I hope it is the former.