Blame it on the Y chromosome. It might be natural for male politicians to risk everything for an affair .

According to Dr. Laura Betzig, a Darwinian historian, powerful men throughout Western history have always had lovers and concubines, even though they married monogamously. With their wives, they produced legitimate heirs; with the others, they produced bastards. Any distinction between the two categories of children is cultural, not genetic.

Why would Bill Clinton, the most powerful man in the free world, jeopardize his job for an affair with a young woman in 1998? Why would Gary Hart, a candidate for the presidency,have dared the press in 1987 to catch him having an affair ? Even more puzzling, when photos of him and his girlfriend Donna Rice were splashed across front pages, was he out of his mind as he maintained that the press was unfair?

Is John Edwards any different? Katy Couric asked him in 2007: “So how important do you think infidelity is in the grand scheme of things? His answer? “I think the most important qualities in a president in today’s world are trustworthiness, sincerity, honesty, strength of leadership. And certainly that goes to a part of that…”

Narcissism? Death wish? Self-sabotage? Split brain personality? If Darwinian history carries any weight, forget the rhetoric about serving the country, making the world a better place, restoring our country to greatness. The goal of public office could be access to women.

This entry was posted on Sunday, August 10th, 2008 at 3:39 pm. Visit the archives for all blog posts.