Political gossip: Valid and informative or detracting and pointless?

Gawker
Gawker

After experiencing Sarah Palin overload this week, I got to thinking: how is gossiping about a politician different from reading and spreading rumors about a celebrity? The Alaska governor is gracing the cover of every tabloid this week (has Britney, Miley or Angelina ever accomplished this?) and has the whole country--women in particular--up in arms, whether in defense or objectification over every minute detail that has surfaced thus far.

Many of us, myself included, spend hours a day reading and regurgitating magazines, TV shows and online blogs that pick apart the daily lives of celebrities. Sure, some may say it's a waste of time, yes, it's kind of cruel to scrutinize people we don't actually know, and without a doubt, a lot of the information provided isn't even 100% true. But is there real harm in it, other than perhaps invading someone's privacy who longs to be famous?

Now let's turn to the lives of politicians. These people aren't staring in films or making albums. They are passing bills, voting for policies and making choices that can and will affect our daily lives. Does knowing personal information about someone in office influence the way you view their work? Can it influence your vote? I think, often times, the answer is yes.

We may say we can separate their personal lives from their professional decisions, but when it comes to the recent scandals of President Bill Clinton, former governor Elliot Spitzer, and most recently former senator and vice presidential nominee John Edwards, it seems so much of our opinions ride on the actions of their private lives that their work pertaining to the government almost becomes an afterthought.

Once again, I'm not speaking for everyone, but I do feel strongly that we should maybe step back and focus on the issues and decisions we want made by our politicians on the work front and less on what they do on their free time. The choices they make in their daily lives may factor into our opinions of their values and belief systems, but they shouldn't supersede what they're publicly trying to accomplish. After all, our rights ad the laws we must abide by are far more significant than a celebrities having babies, breaking up and sending racy cell phone photos.

Do you think gossip is important in forming your view on a politician, or do you feel it carries little to no weight in your opinion?