Jenny Sanford: The Kids Come First

By Sarah Matheny on July 5th, 2009

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I remember reading parenting books, before I had kids, that touted the ideal that in a stable family, your spouse should come first. I scoffed at the idea that my romantic relationship should come before the maternal duty to care for my kids, but the literature supported the concept that familial integrity was based on the foundation of a rock solid marriage. In other words, the trickle down effect comes into play and when Mom and Dad are good, everyone is good.

The problem lies, though, on what happens when Mom and Dad aren’t so good. Or say, Dad abandons his gubernatorial and more importantly, his fatherly and husbandly duties to do the macarena for a fortnight in Buenos Aires. Then what? Clearly this is the situation at hand for South Carolina governor Mark Sanford and his wife, Jenny.

I always took issue with public affairs involving politicians, and in fact, lost a great deal of respect for both Hillary Clinton and Elizabeth Edwards for standing by their men through the humiliating exposure of their respective affairs. I saw no other motivation, other than political and/or financial gain, for donning that victim hat and indiscreetly wearing it like Posh Spice at a Tom Cruise/Katie Holmes wedding.

In stark contrast, I have nothing but the utmost respect for Jenny Sanford and her response to her husband’s infidelity. When asked about her husband’s political future, Ms. Sanford stated, “His career is not a concern of mine. He’s going to have to worry about that. I’m worried about my family and the character of my children.”

While initially, Ms. Sanford may have put her spouse first, he has lost that privilege based on his behavior, and for that, Ms. Sanford has gained the respect of this woman, if not the entire nation.