McCain Smear Campaign: Why Do We Care?

It is almost old news, having been blasted all over CNN, NBC, CBS and more. It is supposedly sensational, having been broken by the formerly austere New York Times. Yet, people are still getting their panties or boxers in a twist over Republican front runner John McCain.
You know the details: John McCain is purported to have had a relationship with a telecommunications lobbyist, Vicki Iseman, as long as nine years ago. Nine years!
Both parties have denied the sentimental relationship but whether it is true or not, the question remains, loud and clear: who cares? Why do we care? Granted, we want the president of the United States to be a man (or woman, or woman!) of integrity, but don't we also want him or her to be human? It has gotten to bad that politicians running for high office feel the need to confess their sins before they are gleefully uncovered by sharp journalists or digging bloggers.

Let us take the following example: In his book 'Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance', Democratic Illinois senator Barack Obama nonchalantly confessed that he had used cocaine while in high school. There has been some talk about this, but Obama is now soaring high in nationwide polls, proof that prevention is better than retention.

On the other hand, when news broke about President Bush's marijuana and alcohol use, all hell broke loose.

Must all politicians now present a detailed list of sins and transgressions before even testing the waters? I would like a list of high school sweethearts, please, as well as prepubescent experimentation. Catch my drift?

Last summer, Senator Larry Craig was caught allegedly making sexual advances (in form of under-the-bathroom-stall-hand-signals) to an undercover cop in an airport bathroom. Another senator exchanged suggestive Instant Messages with a young intern. The list goes on. On one hand, the public should be aware of the goings on. On the other, there is too much alarmism, followed by the glee that gossip seems to provide.

Gossip is catchy, I will be the first to admit that I avidly read Page Six in The New York Post even though I do not recognize half the names in there. Cindy Adams and Liz Smith, famous gossip columnists, provide light hearted chit chat for the weary young mother that I am. But it comes to the point when it's just too invasive, meddlesome, even corrosive to the fabric of our society. Why are we so fascinated by the lives of others? It boggles my mind.

The world's fascination with new French President Nikolas Sarkozy's divorce from his wife Cecilia and marriage to Carla Bruni is another example of what has been discussed above. Sarkozy divorced Cecilia in October of 2007 and married Italian Carla Bruni in February 2008. What I am interested in is what the new president is doing for his country, not his love life. It seems we all learn from the French.

Returning to John McCain, it seems like a lot of fuss over nothing. It's not as if the 71 year old war veteran is going to run off with some White House nymph should he get elected. But our thirst for gossip, followed by the media's need for sensation, continues to feed the monster. It is also befitting of the famously liberal New York Times to attempt to besmirch the Republican front runner. All is fair in love and war, they say. Still, I think this particular supposed dalliance is being blown far out of proportion.