National Transformation

Governor Mark Sanford's disclosure of infidelity in his marriage was a disappointment to many religious conservatives, as is any similar incident when a political leader who generally holds to policies closer to a Biblical Worldview, effectively ruins his potential for national leadership. An article today entitled Will Scandals Inspire Stray of Evangelicals from GOP? asks if this would discourage loyalty of conservative Christians to the Republican Party.
I don't think most Evangelicals vote Republican because of a belief that it's leaders are less subject to such sins. Democrats only rarely feel the need to confess their sins, even though they are surely guilty of such things as much or more (John Edwards reluctantly confessed and was forced to do so because of his national status as a recent vice-Presidential candidate.) Name the last state political leader or congressman among Democrats who has humbly confessed wrong in this way. No, Democrats tend to yawn at such things and even frequently begin to champion such vices as rights.
That Republican conservatives confess and often resign over their moral failures is all due to the dominant presence of religious conservatives in the party. Twenty five years ago, Sanford's marriage failure would not have been an issue. That there really are moral standards in the party today and that it costs one's trust and respect when they violate those standards, is what makes me more proud to be associated with Republicans. If religious conservatives were not here, then a Sanford confession would not occur, and other political leaders would be even more likely to do such things, and this behavior would then causes fewer religious conservatives to be a part of the party.
It is the same in a church. A minister who confesses his failure does not normally destroy a congregation. It ends up strengthening the beliefs and morals and lifestyle that it stands for in the first place. This is the very reason that the Bible, unlike every other holy book in world religions, never hides the moral failures of its heroes. Beliefs are deepened and a perfect and holy God who chooses to call and use imperfect sinners for His purposes, is revealed in even more glory and awe.