A Quick Response is Needed to Todd Palin Affair Accusations

On Jan. 20, 2011, The National Enquirer reported Todd Palin, husband of Sarah Palin, was involved with masseuse, prostitute and madam Shailey Tripp in early 2010. The Enquirer went on to state that Shailey Tripp had been arrested in March of 2010 in Anchorage on a charge of maintaining a house of prostitution.

So far, the Huffington Post has been most accurate in describing the Enquirer release as "thinly-sourced." No names were listed in the article, only references to tenants in the building who allegedly saw Todd enter and leave and heard "noises that sounded like someone having sex."

As of 9:30 a.m. EST, Jan. 24, no statement has been issued by the Palin camp. This is not inconsistent with Sarah's modus operandi, as she waited several days before releasing a video statement in response to the Tucson, Ariz., shootings earlier this month. When she did comment, she ended up further muddying the political waters by using the controversial term "blood libel," as MSNBC explained.

The fact that Palin has waited the entire span of a weekend to say something in defense of her "Dude," Todd is a bit condemning whether or not the accusations are true as it allows for speculation about the Enquirer story as well as her lack of response.

Accusations of infidelity are nothing to toy with and have prevented more than one hopeful for seeking a presidential seat. In the 2008 presidential election, two of the main Republicans speculated to run prior to the primaries, Rudy Giuliani and Newt Gingrich, both carried the mark of adulterer, according to Washington Monthly, and neither rose above it.

Gingrich left two wives for women he had affairs with while married and, reportedly, had multiple affairs throughout the 1970s. While Newt Gingrich never actively campaigned for the presidency in 2008, his name is still brought up in discussions focused on presidential hopefuls. However, it is unlikely that Newt could win the highest office as his infidelity appears not only morally wrong but also hypocritical considering his pursuit of Bill Clinton throughout the late 1990s.

Giuliani is a well-documented adulterer with an equally well-ventilated public divorce to prove it. Giuliani walked through a New York City St. Patrick's Day parade with his mistress and was accused of near constant infidelity by his ex-wife. Because of these scandals, Giuliani never had the grass-roots support enjoyed by other 2008 Republican candidates.

Sarah Palin's political career is based on her appeal among grass-roots activists and people who consider her a moral, Christian lady. These supporters overlooked her teenage daughter's pregnancy and dismissed other scandals surrounding Palin, but accusations of Todd's marital infidelity, if proven true, could be the tipping point for SarahPac contributors who support Palin's ideas but remain on the fence about her and her potential as a future presidential candidate.

1 Timothy, 3:5 in the KJV of the Bible states "For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?"

While Palin may not be seeking to run a church of God, she endeavors to provide a moral commentary on national politics and has not ruled out the possibility of seeking the presidency. The wisdom in this verse applies here. If you do not know how to manage and understand what is closest to you, how can you manage something larger?

Whether or not Todd Palin had an affair with a prostitute, the Palin family should learn how to respond to a controversial situation in a timely fashion without creating another controversial situation.