Shortly after announcing that he was running for the leadership of the Liberal Democrats, Mark Oaten was interviewed on Jeremy Vine’s lunchtime show. The question, I recall, being “What does Mark Oaten stand for?” I don’t recall Jeremy Vine getting an answer to that. What I do recall is Oaten giving some very direct responses to questions. On civil liberties, he defended his opposition to Identity Cards despite a majority of Britons being in favour. When challenged, he stated that he was asked a straight question and the response in his opinion was that the majority of Britons were wrong. I agree, but am wandering off the point rather. He was asked – straight out and denied straight out whether he had any skeletons in his particular cupboard.
Well, it seems that he lied. And once more a frisson hurtles through the British blogosphere. Indeed, Guido Fawkes is claiming his scalp. This is not something to be proud of, but Guido is managing manfully to do so.There are two distinct camps emerging. Those who feel Oaten should be left to lick his wounds and ponder his indiscretions and those who are enjoying the moment. I fall into the former. Oaten is a human being – a flawed human being. And who isn’t? And why make a sorry mess worse – particularly for those involved through no fault of their own, such as Oaten’s family?
A politician was less than truthful. Quelle surprise. The Devil’s Kitchen asks in the aftermath which is worse; Oaten’s indiscretion, lack of judgement and lies – or the slime that presents itself as journalism in the form of the News[sic] of the World. For me, by far, the worse is the righteous indignation and claims to the high moral ground of the festering turds floating in the sewers of British journalism.
Mark Oaten has nailed his own political coffin. He should have known better, but none of this justifies the execrable Murdoch press – in particular, the Sun and the News[sic] of the World. They are beneath contempt; their behaviour the most base turpitude. What appals me more is that people pay money to buy this toilet paper, thereby fuelling this despicable behaviour. So what does this say about the great British public?
No, don’t tell me, I really don’t think I want to know.
In all the speculation and hubub surrounding Oaten how many have thought of or mentioned his 2 children. This is the cost of submitting oneself to public life with the current media climate and is it any wonder that many think the price is too high.
One could say it was the fact that Oaten chose not to disclose the fact that he was with a rent boy that was damaging but with the media being as homophobic as they are one cannot feel that such a disclosure would have ended his career.
”’Longrider replies: Several bloggers have commented thus on Oaten’s two daughters. Along with their mother, they are innocent victims in all of this.”’