DOES CHEATING MATTER?
As a partisan, I can be rather pleased about the recent bimbo near-eruption and can hope that it becomes a full blown scandal. But does it really matter in the whole calculus of choosing a president? Democrats may decide they don't want damaged goods as the nominee, but that says more about political strategy then presidential qualification. But assume Kerry is the nominee, does it matter in the general election?

Yes it does, especially for the "swing" vote. You know, those people who have no clear guiding philosophy and take pride in voting for the "right man," even when it means putting both John Edwards and Elizabeth Dole in the Senate and having their votes cancel each other out and rendering North Carolina's voice irrelevant in the upper house. There's no logic in that, so the question of whether cheating matters is not resolved by logic. The voters who don't know from day to day if they'll vote Republican or Democrat are swayed by everything from wedge issues, personal issues, favorite isolated policies and fear, among other things. But a big part of their decision will simply come down to whether they like the candidate.

The arguments will be made. Some would argue that if his wife can't compete with the candidate's desire to serve his own "needs," then can the good of the country compete? What does it say about the candidate's judgment to fool around with [describe mistress here]? What does it say about the candidate who lies about it? But these arguments only matter to the extent they have any effect on likeability. "He cheats on his wife, I knew there was something I didn't like about him." And now that person may be more inclined to go to the polls.

And it may go the other way, if the Republicans try to push it. "Complaining about sex again, I knew there was something I didn't like about them."

Yes, it matters. It matters to the same extent that President Bush's National Guard history matters. But who gets hurt depends on how the sides play the scandals. And, unfortunately, that's no way to choose a president.

What John Kerry said after returning to Vietnam is a different issue, it does matter for matters of reason, logic and philosophy, and I'll address it later.