Sanford And Sons Was Cancelled This Year

Sanford and Son was the iconic, runaway 70’s hit featuring Redd Foxx as Fred Sanford, a junk man who epitomized some of the most stereotypical behavior of black people.  Lamont Sanford was his son, played by Demond Wilson.  Fred Sanford didn’t have much respect for his son although Lamont did most of the work around the place.  And in many episodes, Fred would refer to Lamont as, “You big dummy!”  That catch phrase came to mind listening to the antics of Mark Sanford, the South Carolina Governor who ducked out on his responsibilities over the Father’s Day weekend to engage in an international tryst with a woman in Buenos Aries, Argentina.

You big dummy!

Mr. Sanford ducked out of the Governor’s mansion leaving his staff to wing it as they came up with excuses for why the Governor wasn’t available.  Staff said that the Governor was off hiking the Appalachian Trail to clear his head after a particularly difficult legislative session.  And then the story changed that the Governor decided the Appalachians weren’t exotic enough and on a whim at the airport he decided to whip out the passport and blow the joint for a trip to Buenos Aries where he did nothing but people watched by his lonesome in various street cafes.  And when there was undeniable proof that his trip abroad was more than just an innocent head clearing getaway Mr. Sanford, who always claimed to be the poster boy for family values, admitted that he was having an affair.  That exotic getaway turned out to be an erotic getaway.  And when he talked about clearing his head we just assumed he was referring to the one above his shoulders.

You really big dummy!

High profile politicians getting caught with their pants down is nothing new.  High profile conservative politicians who spend a great deal of time nurturing a holier than thou public persona and getting busted for being just as base as the next guy are nothing new.  And yet, we never seem to tire of the depth of their hypocrisy.  Mr. Sanford is on record as coming down like the heavy hammer of Thor on President Bill Clinton’s head.  Mr. Sanford said that Mr. Clinton failed in his responsibilities to the public and needs to step down for the good of the people.

Will Mr. Sanford stand by his words and follow his own advice?  More than likely he will not.  He’ll find any old excuse why his situation is different.  Mr. Sanford will grasp at any straw to justify his double standard.  His reckless rendezvous was a true love affair and not just a torrid booty call so he should be excused and people should empathize with his situation.  But the fact remains.  Putting the people’s business in a backseat to runoff out of the country on a weekend you should’ve been spending with your sons is pretty shameful.  There was no Sanford and sons for Father’s Day this year.

Dummies don’t come any bigger!

What I find most detestable isn’t the fact that Mr. Sanford would take such risk with his career and with his family.  Many men, and women, will betray their commitment to their significant other.  I believe that even some of the strongest relationships will have to endure somebody’s illicit indiscretions.  And I also believe that politicians are people too and they deserve understanding as well.

But what I find despicable is when a politician moves to score points at the expense of others, unwilling to budge an inch and give even an ounce of empathy when they see their chance to pounce.  In public these people will beat the drum of high moral judgment void of compassion.  But behind closed doors, away from public view, they will prove themselves just as deprave as the next guy. The list of people guilty of this hypocrisy is a long one.  Mr. Sanford will find himself in bad company indeed.

If Mr. Sanford would have simply kept his mouth shut when others were going through their public embarrassments then his hypocrisy wouldn’t be such a big deal.  The fact that he abandoned his constituents is still pretty bad, but at least he wouldn’t have been such a hypocrite when he did it.  However, not only did he two timed his wife and family, not only did he two timed the people of South Carolina, he two timed the world with his facade of being one of the good guys above reproach.  He was quick to cast a damning judgment on others for failing to meet a standard of human behavior that he should have known that he was incapable of meeting himself.

I do not want to cast judgment on Mr. Sanford.  At least I don’t want to judge him for having an affair with serious ramifications for his family and for the great state of South Carolina and for his career.  Mr. Sanford has already cast judgment for himself.  He who’s willing to judge shall be judged, or something to that affect.  But it really is hard to pass up the fact that this is a man who appears to be a seriously big dummy.  His career appears to be dying before our very eyes.  His career is clutching at its chest, looking to the heavens as it staggers around the room saying, “I’m coming Elizabeth!  I think this is the big one!”