From LiveJournal Writer’s Block:

Do you think the public has a legitimate right to know about a politician’s personal/romantic life? When, if ever, do you think a politician’s personal history is relevant to his/her ability to perform in office?

As a general rule, I don’t think a politician’s personal history is relevant to his/her ability to perform. There are a lot of examples where a politician’s positions are rock solid and his/her voting record backs them up; but where the politician himself/herself is someone with whom I’d never want to associate with in my own personal life.

Bill Clinton and John Edwards immediately come to mind as examples.

This being said, there are a handful of situations that the public probably should know about. A past prison sentence, for example, would seem relevant. So would personal associations that could turn into major conflicts of interest.

In general, if it’s something an employer would know about, I figure it’s something the public needs to know about. That’s because, in my opinion, a politician’s employer is the voting public. But if it’s irrelevant — and that vast amount of personal information is — then there’s no need.