Sanford whereabouts known, but questions remain

On Monday I wrote about South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, who went missing for four days over Father’s Day weekend. At the time of my entry, Gov. Sanford’s whereabouts were still unknown even to his wife, but since that time, it’s been determined Gov. Sanford spent his time away from South Carolina hiking the Appalachian Trail. As a nature lover, I can appreciate Gov. Sanford’s desire to hit the trails and soak up the Appalachian Trail’s natural beauty, but as a father and husband, I’m still wondering what possessed him to pick the weekend of Father’s Day for his solo jaunt. What’s more, why didn’t Gov. Sanford tell his wife and kids where he was going and what he was doing?

Gov. Sanford had been mentioned as a possible GOP presidential contender in 2012, but I can’t help but wonder if his Father’s Day hike on the Appalachian Trail will doom his campaign before it even got started. After all, are conservative Republicans really ready for a presidential candidate whose idea of relaxation is leaving his wife and kids on Father’s Day weekend to commune with nature?