I find it most admirable that she did not go public at the first news of this. She was told weeks before any of us heard of this story. She was swift and simple in her decision. Get out of my house was her decision. I respect that.

As a parent, daily actions and life choices teach our children the most. What would that have taught their children had she stayed and got past this?

Fidelity is a decision and a commitment--not an accident that happens because no temptation or other options came along. It's a lie that all men cheat--actually, it's a poor attempt at excusing failure to fulfill commitments or covenants. When someone says or believes, "all men cheat on their wives," they have just given themselves permission to cheat. And it is a dangerous lie that destroys families. Don't believe it and be strong.

I know beautiful, good women who have given their husband everything he wants and work hard to build a strong marriage, only to have his addiction to porn create an insatiable hunger that no women--no matter how beautiful or willing--can satiate. Again, be strong and fight this vice.

Cheating is cheating, no matter who sees or doesn't see.

I admire her for NOT standing with him at the podium. I dispise him for what he did, but, as male, I know there was something at home he wasn't getting - not always the physical act itself. No one knows another couples real relationship, and even then, we may downplay problems, lack of affection, support, ect. No, I haven't cheated. Not all men do.

You said
"There is no excuse for cheating on a spouse".
---------------------------

You are kidding? When people get married there are certain expectations, physical relations being among them.

If one spouse refuses to keep their end of this bargin, the other is under no obigation to put themself on ice for an extended period or for life. Sometimes a divorce may not be in order because of kids.

A acquantance of mine told me she got mad at her husband and refused to be with him after that, so he started having an affair. She was so hurt. I was so surprised at her reaction.

I told her she has no right to expect him to not have an affair if she refuses to be a wife to him. She had never even considered it this way before, now I think she understands.

I shared this information to provide an insight to the other side of the story. It his very hard to fall for someone who is already taken. I learned from my mistake and I never EVER got mixed up with that again. I still feel bad about it...

Does that make me a horrible person? Maybe.

But I'll say one thing. I GUARANTEE you that if the man is going to cheat, he'll do it more than once. And to the "other women" out there: If he's cheating on someone to get to you, he'll cheat on you to get to someone else.

OTHER WOMEN: YOU ARE AT FAULT. They may cheat on their wives regardless, but don't stoop down to their level and encourage it.

The sad part is, that the majority of men who have pursued me have been married. I've probably had 5 married men hit on me to every 1 single man. I've seen the other side and I know that MOST MEN DO CHEAT.

Today, I am happily married. My husband is wonderful and I trust him. I'm older and wiser now. What I did was very wrong. Don't be the other woman.

There is no excuse for cheating on a spouse. And the other person is at fault as well, depending on the circumstances.

I'm going to share something I'm not proud of.

I have been the "other woman." Twice.

The first time was when I was 18. I was shy and sure that no one wanted to date me. Along came a very good looking older man. I had no idea he was married. We started "dating" but then the truth came out eventually. Sadly, I didn't break it off right away like I should have. I had convinced myself that the things he said to me were true. Things about how he was trapped in his marriage and really needed me around. Lies. All of them. I got out before any real damage was done. I'm sure he found another side girlfriend easily.

The second time nothing ever really happened. I fell for a guy who was very much in love with me. He was married and had a son. It was not long after the first guy. I felt too bad to continue and said goodbye before I became the "other woman" more than just emotionally.

I cannot believe the majority of the comments I have read on here! It is unbelievable that so many people are ok with cheating let alone blame the spouse for it! I'm so sick of hearing the stupid excuses people can come up with! "She was fat, he was mean" and on and on. If you are unhappy with your marriage, you can leave. I've told my husband not to bother coming home if he ever does anything like that. If you are that selfish that you can only think about your own selfishness, rather than your partner or your family, don't commit to marriage or any other relationship! Go jump off a cliff and leave the rest of us to live an honest life with the ones we love.

My wife and son are waiting to get back to the US when immigration tells them to do that (it's been more than a year still waiting for that to happen), meanwhile I'm here alone praying for that miracle to happen and reading this kind of news that make me feel sick and sad. I can't even think about cheating on my wife, I love her so much and I miss her so much too that I wish I could be next to her right now but I guess not all of us take marriage seriously and ask God to help us when we are about to or doing something wrong. At list, to believe in God have helped me always to stayed away from troubles of this kind.

The only men who haven't cheated on their wives are ugly and have not had the opportunity.

To Swinger: "This is why swingers are so happy. Do your thing, have fun, no one gets hurt, and go home with the one you love." Then eventually discover you have a veneral disease and see how happy you are! And remember all the "fun" you had. You might become aware of how many people are now hurt because of your swinging lifestyle, especially the "one you love."

I heard of a man that cheated on his wife. He claimed "god told him" to cheat, so it doesn't count as cheating. His wife pretended it never happened. The guy died leaving his wife a widow. His best friend publically demeaned the wife for not believing that God said her husband's cheating was okay with her and for protesting adultery.

Hopefully, the wife is in tune sufficient to know whether or not the cheating husband is capable of rehabilitation. This would be a major factor in her decision. Some men are basically scumbags and should be jettisoned and not be able to drag the rest of the family down. . .

She has proven to be more courageous than people like Hillary who made a public show of support in order to preserve her own political future. I'd vote for Jenney Sanford as president before I'd ever vote for Hillary Clinton.

It's her life, her husband's infidelity, so let her do as she deems best for herself and her children, and leave it at that.

Until we are in this situation, none of us knows how we would act. Being a man, if my wife cheated on me, I would do what was best for me and my daughter, end of story. Let the media read into it how they may.

I'm very disappointed that yet another politician has exposed his family and himself to public ridicule. I think Jenny Sanford struck the right posture. She didn't need to be "beside her man", especially to hear him become so "sorry" for his mistress! The guy still loves her, that's obvious. Given what I believe to be the sincerity of his conviction that he had done wrong, he still has a long, long way to go. But I don't feel Jenny Sanford has any obligation to put herself or their children in a situation with which she's uncomfortable. Unless Sanford breaks that emotional link to his mistress, that marriage is toast. And, by the way, he was unfaithful the minute he began a friendship that excluded his wife.

Did "all" these men who "always" cheat and lie have a homosexual relationship? I don't think so. Looking at 1/2 of the problem and blaming all men is ridiculous. Buy a clue here. . . they cheated with WOMEN! These other women knew the men were married, knew they had a family and they still tried to steal something that was not theirs. Stop playing the victim and labeling “all men” as liars and cheats and try spending a little time in touch with reality.

That sounds scientific.

She did stand by him when she found out the first time and told him to never see the other woman again. She did put him first. He did make the choice to see the other woman again therefore calling all bets off. She is a strong woman who is trying to save a family. I agree 2nd time! OUT OF HERE. May you who have never felt the pain pray you never do. And those who have felt pain like this pray for her and her children.

When a husband does something of this magnitude and loses the wife's trust, the marriage is over. You can't stay married to a person you don't trust.

Is it still considered "cheating" if you never get caught?

I have never cheated on my wife and I am not lying.

Using cute slogans that are untrue to make you feel better about your infedility is weak.

Men and women tend to cheat because they have self esteem issues. The other person makes them feel "young" again or vibrant or sexy-you name it.
I believe it usually has little to do with the attractiveness of the spouse. It has to do with the selfish desires or weaknesses of the cheater.
Many super models have been cheated on by their spouses.

This is why swingers are so happy. Do your thing, have fun, no one gets hurt, and go home with the one you love.

I think she did what she thought was right for her and her family.

That's all any of us can do, what we think is right.

I think she has a responsibility to her children to teach them what is right. It's not okay for anyone to cheat on their spouse.

By asking her husband to leave, I think she is teaching a good lesson to her children. She is not a doormat willing to put up with whatever he does. She has provided them with an example of how to treat women, with respect.

She is willing to forgive regardless and then work on their marriage if he wants to.

Women cheat just as often as men on their spouses. This is not the providence of only men. No one notices these women because they are not high profile women.

As for Christy Brinkley, she did cheat on Billy Joel. Unfortunately Billy can not pick them, as his current wife cheated on him as well.

As for the Govnor, maybe if Jenny made her spouse her first priority as she should, he never would have been tempted. The children are never the first priority. Your spouse should always be first.

Wow there are a few people on here I definitely wouldn't date.

All men are cheaters? A lot are, but no all. My husband isn't and many of my closest guy friends aren't.

He wasn't getting any from his wife so that gives him excuse to cheat? If there's a problem in bed, go see someone or split up. There's no excuse for cheating on a spouse, regardless of the problem.

Guys only cheat on ugly girls? What a rude thing to say. I've been cheated on and it doesn't feel great. The first thing girls wonder is what is wrong with them and whether they're ugly or not. People making those kinds of comments make our problems worse. They basically tell us that the men are not at fault, but there must be something wrong with us that gave him a good reason. Luckily I don't buy that anymore because many people think I'm beautiful and I'm a pretty decent person. The fault was not mine. But the damage was done.

Men are made to want variety? They think they are, but they're not. They're just selfish. Not all though.

All generalizations are bad. No excuse for cheating.

First of all, it's a statistical fact that most men in long term relationships cheat on their wives or partners. Second, many pretty women have been cheated on, ie...Halle Berry, Kathy Lee Gifford, Christie Brinkley, and me. Third, many men who cheat are "getting it" at home.
A spouse who cheats is "dropping a bomb" in his or her family. I can't even describe the chaos, heartbreak, and suffering that is a result. I chose to stay with my husband after his affair mostly because I wasn't willing to put my kids through the devastation of a divorce. I also couldn't stomach the thought the "other woman" eing my kids' stepmom. These are complicated issues and there is no single correct response, but to say that women who stay with straying husbands are stupid is ridiculous. In many cases, keeping marriages together is ultimately the best alternative.

There is no excuse for cheating. If you want to be with another person, get out of the wedlock and do it. Cheating because the other spouse is fat, skinny, don't want intimacy, bitchy, bossy, poor, rich, too much attention, few attention, etc, etc is just a lame excuse.

With that being said, I applaud her for her choice of keeping it real and private. She doesn't deserve to stand with him and receive the tomatoes just because she is married to him. Let him take the whole enchilada of embarrasment and guilt and then if he wants, really fight for his family back. Standing next to the other spouse means to not only make things to easy but also is not giving marriage the respect it deserves.

The fact is, we can give her all the advice we want based on our own values, observations, and experiences, but it's her right and responsibility to consider all of the factors involved and make her own decision. I'm sure she'll consider what's best for herself, her children, and yes, even her husband, and move forward. It sounds like she's been through this before. So far, I've been really impressed with what I've seen of her.

This is not about the man or the woman, it is about the kids. If a couple has no kids,the woman can decide whether or not to stand with him. There are children here, I think she has made the choice to stand by them. She also shows them that there are consequences for their father's actions. They will respect and love their mom for choosing them. She did the right thing by trying to work it out privately.

It's not their fault we are the ones who vote them in. Think about it and start to vote

Hillary derided the song, "stand by your man" but when the time came she did it too.

This woman's response seems more real, the guy is a flake, he was in favor of Pres Clinton being impeached, yet he did the same thing.

I don't judge him for what happened, we don't know if his wife was being a wife or what was the state of the marriage.

Very likely however, he just ran off for no reason. Guys are made to want variety, that's how we are programmed.

Ideally I would not be married, but would have a choice of whom ever I want, when ever I want.

Politicians are such hypocrites and live by a double standard than the rest of us - economically, socially, and morally (do as I say, not as I do).

Speaking as a military veteran, extra-marital affairs were grounds for losing one's security clearances (Secret, Top Secret, etc,) and court martial. M/F

Politicians hold securities without the same level of scrutiny.

This reporter puts the same male hate out every week, usually disguised as some sort of provocative question, couching it in the thinnest veneer of intellectual relevance. I am appalled how the Deseret News allows the insipid and bigotted language into its newspaper every week.

Sanborn has already dragged his wife down. Why should she stand next to him for his teary confession and be humiliated further? Classy political wives stay at home when their husbands confess their narcissistic idiocy.

. . . of the studies that show that high school students involved in drugs grossly overestimate the number of students who are involved in drugs. If you think that 90% of husbands cheat, it says a lot more about you than about the reality of the level of cheating.

I think many of the statements here are very sad and I feel bad for people, both men and women that have such a low opinion of men in general. Both men and women make mistakes and there are creeps in both genders. I know many, many honorable men and women. As for it possibly being her fault ... Nothing she could have done excuses her spouse for cheating. We all have to take responsibility for our own actions regardless of the actions of others. Being accountable is part of having integrity.

Those who espouse this belief have to be ugly women who were cheated on. I mean, that just has to be true.

All men are cheaters. Men don't cheat on pretty women. And once you marry a pretty woman, she stays pretty to you for life.

My wife is beautiful. I'd never cheat. I can't upgrade. She rocks.

Chris D.

Wow, what low opinions of both men (they'll all cheaters) and women (she needs to give him a reason to stay) abound. How sad. This woman's self esteem took a beating, she doesn't need to put herself in a public spot to take another one. Good for her for not standing there, looking nauseated while he "apologizes."

that he is cheating. He shouldn't have done it, but let's be honest. Men usually don't go running around like that unless they aren't getting something at home. It not always all of the mans fault.

So don't judge him or her cause none of you know what is really going on.

You have been saying that gay marriage would destroy "regular" marriage. I guess you heterosexuals are destroying it pretty well on your own..especially Republican family values heterosexuals!!!!

I think that she was right not to be there. The sight of the past victims standing there by their cheating husbands only made a bad situation worse.

She has done the right thing for her, which I applaud. I think many times the spouse and family members are pressured to do things like stand next to a cheating husband while he admits it to the world on TV. She can choose to work it out with her husband or leave, but she has the right to make that decision privately. And it's none of our business what she chooses. I wish her love and peace in dealing with this and in moving forward with her life, however she chooses.

Good for her! He needs to stand ON NIS OWN and accept responsibility and the consequences of his actions. I'm glad she didn't stand up there with him. Let him take the public scrutiny, the worm.

"these men are losers, and w/o exception (in my opinion) should be removed from office. How can you be true to your job, if you can't be true to your wife & child"

With that in mind, why should ANY man hold any position? Most men cheat, therefore most men shouldn't be in office. You men can argue but you know it's true. And no, that's not counting porn (which should be considered cheating).

oh yea she should be there standing next to him, maybe with a chain around her neck?

Maybe if she was more physical he wouldn't have wandered.

Why should she be required to stand up there with him. She has two choices if standing, look distraught which is humilating or look happy which subjects her to others saying why does she look happy. give her credit for not helping him to salvage his career by pretending to stand by her man who is only sad because he got caught.

Why would any woman stand by her husband after he cheated on her? WHY? If he is going to have such little regard and respect for his wife, why should she be expected to smile and wave and pretend like it never happened?

Women who let the infidelity slide give thousands of potential cheating men yet another reason to be selfish and think only of their sexual needs over the feelings of their wives. Maybe when men start to realize that their wives respect themselves and WILL NOT take that kind of treatment they will reconsider having an affair. Just maybe. A girl can hope.

I don't know what's the best thing to do in such circumstances. Only a comment...these men are losers, and w/o exception (in my opinion) should be removed from office. How can you be true to your job, if you can't be true to your wife & children.

No excuses.

One should always do what one can to support a spouse and preserve a marriage. HOWEVER, this is a private family’s affair; while one should metaphorically “stand beside” a spouse as long as it is possible in private, I am NOT talking about a politicized appearance of the already-emotionally-damaged victim beside the perpetrator in front of the press in order to make everything look okay and smooth for the media. For the wife who already has to deal with the world knowing of her husband's infidelity, that amounts to cruel and unusual punishment, and it really doesn't help anybody involved because everyone knows it's only for show, for political reasons. Now that he has broken the marriage vows, it’s her private decision on whether or not the marriage can be salvaged, and how to do that.

I'm proud of this poor woman for showing that she doesn't support what her husband did, and for demonstrating that her reaction should be kept private. This is their family mess; he needed to make a statement b/c he's a politician and broke public trust as well as private, but she has no such responsibility to go public with her private healing.

1ST TIME? STAND
2ND TIME! OUT OF HERE

I am proud of her for making her children her first priority.

Like I have always said, "10% of married men will admit to cheating on their spouse, the other 90% are liars (or polygamists)."