TAMPA, Fla. — Mark Sanford, who knows a thing or two about being put through the political wringer, told TPM Thursday night he felt some sympathy for Rep. Todd Akin’s struggles in Missouri.
“I think any candidate or public official ultimately ought to be judged by the whole of their experience rather than a phrase, however great or bad,” he said from the floor of the Republican convention.
Sanford said he hadn’t kept up with the Missouri Senate race too closely since the national GOP disowned Akin over his “legitimate rape” comments, he nonetheless offered up some kind words.
“We’re all going to have great days, we’re all going to have less great days. If we haven’t had one yet we’re going to get one,” he said. “What I would say in fairness to him as a human being is that one ought to be judged on the totality of his record.”
Sanford went through his own struggle, declining to run for another term as governor of South Carolina after he was caught sneaking out of the state to meet his mistress, Maria Belen Chapur, in Argentina while his aides told reporters he was hiking the Appalachian trail. Sanford, who faced calls from within his party to resign, served out the rest of his term. While his marriage didn’t survive the episode, Sanford recently announced he and Chapur are engaged.
Nonetheless, Sanford said he didn’t think his experiences battling his own party and scandal qualified him to offer too much help to Akin.
“I wouldn’t presume to offer him advice,” he said.
Sanford, flanked by several former colleagues from his time in the House, said the Republican convention was “almost like a family reunion” after spending the last few years largely away from politics.
Sanford didn’t rule out running for office against someday.
“You don’t invest 20 years of your life in politics if you don’t care about these principles and ideas,” he said.
