Mark Sanford and Sarah Palin

Mark Sanford showed on many occasions that he didn't much like Sarah Palin. One reason (not one Sanford would cite) is that Gov. Palin is an incredibly disciplined, focused individual. By contrast, Sanford is what John Edwards called himself: an egotist and narcissist. Father of four and governor of a state with millions of people, Sanford lives in a world inhabited by one person: himself. He hurts other people, ranging from his wife and children to his mistress, because they are some not "real" in his mind and heart.

We all need friends who will tell us the truth, and I fear Sanford had only people (aside from his impressive spouse, Jenny) who told him what he wanted to hear. It's almost amazing to hear how childish Sanford is. His view of life, marriage, romance is right out of 1950s movies -- or modern soap operas. For all I know, Sanford may "love" Jenny, but it's a shallow form of love that doesn't include the most important element: respect for his wife.

I knew a professor at the University of Georgia, Calvin Brown, a Rhodes scholar, who had a student say to him: "I just want to be myself." Brown told him, "Really? You should aim higher than that."

The man (Sanford) has four children for goodness sake. And he's no more than a child himself.