Take a clue from Sarah, Mark

I was kinda surprised by Sarah Palin's announcement that she will resign at the end of this month, but I can see why she did. Despite all the conjecture by the pundits, I think she decided to resign for the best, and most conservative, of reasons: her family. She didn't want to continue to subject them to the scrutiny and pressure they've been under since the campaign last year. If the spotlight was only on her and not on her family, she probably would have stayed. As it is, once the next big scandal breaks, or the next big development in a current scandal occurs, the spotlight will be off of her and her family, probably for good. She also sees this a being good for the state of Alaska, and I can see that as well.

On the other hand, Mark Sanford should resign. The way he acted showed no regard for his family or the people of his state.
He went to see his mistress on FATHER'S DAY weekend when he should have been with his family. This shows not only disregard for his wife, but for his kids as well.
But he shouldn't resign because of how he treated his family. He will have to deal with them personally on this issue.

He should resign for how he treated the people of South Carloina. He took an oath to uphold the Constitutions of the United States and the State of South Carolina, and to faithfully discharge the duties of his office. By acting the way he did, he violated that oath. What if something had happened in SC that required his attention? They had no way of contacting him, of finding out where he was. If an important decision needed to be made, do they wait for him to get word of the situation and contact them? Or does the lieutenant governor step in and assume power, and possibly expose himself to charges later? If the delaying the decision costs lives, who do they hold responsible?

Mark Sanford's actions show he was not thinking of his family or his state. They also show that he did not exercise control of his personal desires. And he thinks he can still govern the state?

I know he will probably never read this, but if I were given a chance to talk to him, I'd say "Think again, Governor, and take a clue from Sarah."

Now, don't take this as that I'm totally against him. I would like to see him reconcile with his family and become the father he should be. But for his political future, unless he shows that he will not allow personal issues to interfere with his official duties and responsibilities, he does not deserve to hold office.
As to wether or not he deserves a second chance in politics, that is for the people of South Carolina to decide. An apology to them would go a long way towards ensuring his future involvement in politics. A resignation would be better, because that would show he is serious about not taking on the duties of a political office until he has resolved his personal issues.