Jenny Sanford's Hints

Emily, I suspect S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford’s wife, Jenny, was hinting at her husband’s infidelity during her interactions with the press while her husband was AWOL. If she were really putting up with his affair and trying to cover for him, wouldn’t she have said that she knew where he was but that he was trying to lay low? Laughed off the inquiries with a harmless quip about a slow news day? The “Where in the World Is Mark Sanford?” game was stoked in large part by the fact that even his wife couldn’t pinpoint his location on a map. Yesterday, she told CNN, “I am being a mom today. I have not heard from my husband. I am taking care of my children.” That sounds like a woman who knew exactly where her husband was and who he was with—and was tired of grinning and bearing it. And if that’s true, good for her—she didn’t expose their troubles, but she didn’t try to gloss over them, either.

Comments

stand by your man (iac)

By: fzrip | Thu, 06/25/2009 - 13:38

I just don't get the "stand by your husband no matter what" attitude.

Why is this the measure for marital relationships - "And if that’s true, good for her—she didn’t expose their troubles, but she didn’t try to gloss over them, either."

That a nice life - "don't tell but don't lie."

How about this - "My husband has violated my trust; I have no further desire to see or speak to him, and I do not care to talk to the press. My husband is a piece of and I will not stand by and condone his actions with wifely evasions of not exposing troubles but not glossing over them."

It seems like every time a guy cheats, the wife can't fall over herself fast enough to support him (Spitzer's wife, the wife of that Colorado televangelist who slept with a male prostitute, et al.) Also, the Craiglist Killer's fiancee Megan McAllister stuck by her man even though he was seen on surveillance cameras at the hotel and the gun that killed the woman was found in his house - "He's innocent - I love him - I will always support him." She initially stuck by the plans for their August wedding. Does this comply with "good for her—she didn’t expose their troubles, but she didn’t try to gloss over them, either"?

Just lately she has "revealed that she met with Markoff last month and told him that she is moving on, adding 'it would be quite a long period of time, if ever, before she saw him again." Duh.

Why don't more journalists question the rampant but brainless and seemingly self-negating "stick with the cheater/killer"?

Is it sexist to ask why more female journalist/bloggers don't call for an end to knee-jerk support for people who don't deserve the support?