Profile of Jenny Sanford

The New York Times has a suprisingly good profile on SC First Lady Jenny Sanford, the “woman scorned” in the Gov. Mark Sanford affair scandal. The piece talks about how she was and is arguably the women “behind the man” – the one who perhaps had more influence on his decision-making both inside the office and outside of it than some of is own staff and advisers, after giving up her career in the financial sector shortly after they got married in 1989.

She’s different than many of the wives of adulterous politicos in that she’s not necessarily “standing by her man” but at the same time she’s not totally given up on him, either. She appears to me to be a woman who has genuinely tried to save her marriage in spite of the fact that her husband appeared/appears to want to only on the surface. She’s conducted herself with grace and strength through this whole drama, while not losing her identity, and in spite of what I’m sure has to be immense personal pain at finding out after 20 years of marriage that your husband is cheating on you, she’s not making herself out to be a victim but is instead mostly focusing on her 4 sons and how this will impact them.

I don’t say any of that to judge Elizabeth Edwards or any other political wife who has chosen for whatever reason, for better or for worse, to stand by their husbands. But I do find Mrs. Sanford to be an interesting and inspiring person for managing to stand tall throughout all this while keeping her dignity intact and her faith in the Lord strong. My hat is off to this transplanted Southern belle for maintaining her calm during this storm.

Cross-posted to Right Wing News, where I am helping guestblog for John Hawkins on Sundays.