Et tu, TriMet?


Another memoir, another sordid affair, another intern.

Mimi Alford is the latest woman to claim an extra-marital affair with former president John F. Kennedy. At 19, she served as an intern at the White House and, according to her new book, Once Upon a Secret: My Affair with President John F. Kennedy and Its Aftermath, they engaged in an 18-month relationship.

She tells of how, on her fourth day at the White House, he took her on a private tour of the quarters, ultimately leading her to Mrs. Kennedy’s bedroom and taking her virginity.

It has always been understood that President Kennedy was a ladies’ man—a fact that, ironically, has seemed to add to his charisma and charm. And, yet one wonders, had it been today, and with everything we know, would he even have made it through the primaries?

As all eyes are fixed on the Republican candidates, one of whom will ultimately become the opponent to Obama in this year’s election, this book couldn’t come at a more interesting time. Though the climate today is very different from that of the 1960s, it still brings us jarringly back to the same question: does personal character matter?

Put simply: yes.

Every few months we hear a new story of a politician’s moral failings—such as John Edwards and Anthony Weiner and, most recently, Herman Cain.

And then there’s Newt Gingrich. His widely publicized infidelities and propositions to his ex-wife for an open marriage have been constant topics of the debates, and a point of discussion whenever issues of trust and reliability are concerned. Though Gingrich’s chances at gaining the nomination have not ended abruptly like Cain’s and others in the past, this is a topic that’s not going away.

But, the issue’s not as simple as one might think. Despite his widely rumored affairs, Kennedy remains the most popular American president, according to a 2010 Gallup Poll. Interestingly enough, Bill Clinton holds third place.

The two men with what some would call the most glaring moral failings remain our favorites. In light of today’s character conversation, doesn’t this seem a bit ironic

Apparently, however, this was not even a discussion 50 years ago. A former press aide to President Kennedy, Barbara Gamarekian referred to Kennedy’s relationship with Alford as a “sort of a special relationship with the president…the sort of thing that legitimate newspaper people don’t write about or don’t even make any implications about.”

Oh, how things have changed. In an era where pretty much nothing new can be kept from the press (and in which any existing skeletons will most assuredly be found), one is astounded at the suggestion that members of the press who were privy to Kennedy and Alford’s affair didn’t make a peep.

Fast-forward only 35 years to the Monica Lewinsky scandal, and it seems that not a single detail of her affair with President Clinton went unreported. And now, newspapers, blogs, Facebook and tweets are the most commonly accessed features for the dirty laundry of a public figure. As much as we are more informed and more aware than ever, does it make a difference?

Was Gamarekian right? Is a president’s private life irrelevant to how he leads the nation? Should we really care about what our president does in his bed as long as he is making sure we can sleep peacefully in our own?

In a June 2011 Pew Research poll, 46 percent of Americans said we should care and that an affair would make them less likely to vote for a candidate. Portland State students interviewed for this article also agreed that the lies someone tells in their marriage reflect their overall propensity for dishonesty and that one’s personal life mirrors one’s character.

So, why do we still love the presidents who pretty much took the cake when it came to dishonesty and lack of character? Is it because we see their humanity and identify with their failings? Or, is it because they were able to avert a missile crisis and balance the budget?

Despite the controversy, they got the job done. So, as much as character is still a significant part of the conversation, it is possibly becoming less and less a priority to Americans. After all, 49 percent said an affair made no difference to their vote in the same Pew Research Poll.

But if the president of our country is meant to represent the best of who we are, wouldn’t we want him or her to represent qualities such as honesty, loyalty and faithfulness? And, if they can’t manage that with the people they love, what makes us think they’ll treat us any differently?

“Presidents are not only the country’s principal policy chief, shaping the nation’s domestic and foreign agendas, but also the most visible example of our values,” said historian and author Robert Dallek.

It’s safe to say that we as a nation value the truth; to expect it from our leaders shouldn’t be too much to ask. But is it too high of a standard to expect that they have unblemished characters? Probably. They’re human.

If we gauged their honesty by their campaign promises, they’d all flunk. As President James Madison so eloquently said, “If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary.”

But the conversation is still absolutely vital. Our leaders need to be held accountable. As soon as they think they’re above reproach, there’s something very wrong. Only time will tell what will become of Gingrich, but at least there is an important dialogue and he’s being asked the tough questions. If he does become the Republican candidate, at least people know what they’re getting.

Leading a nation like ours takes an extraordinary person, so we should expect that they behave accordingly. Character matters.