How much longer does Sanford have as governor?

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Unless the General Assembly gets called back for a special session, it would be January before Sanford would have to worry about a possible impeachment, so unlike Spitzer, he probably has several months to let this cool down somewhat.  Plus there's the effect a resignation/impeachment would have on the 2010 race.  Since both our Lt. Gov. and our Attorney General are running, the AG has no incentive to go after Sanford unless Mark and Maria met  via Craigslist.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Unless the General Assembly gets called back for a special session, it would be January before Sanford would have to worry about a possible impeachment, so unlike Spitzer, he probably has several months to let this cool down somewhat.  Plus there's the effect a resignation/impeachment would have on the 2010 race.  Since both our Lt. Gov. and our Attorney General are running, the AG has no incentive to go after Sanford unless Mark and Maria met  via Craigslist.

Thank you for the insight.

Still, I can envisage a trial by media toppling him.  Furthermore, if other top state leaders join with Bauer in lynching him, is it possible for him to be forced to resign even without due process by the General Assembly?

Unlike Blago, no one is going to worry that Sanford will do more criminal mischief if left in office than if forced from it.  So far both Bauer and Sen. Jake Knotts (R-Lexington) who is one of Sanford's more notable foes have refrained from calling for Sanford's resignation.  Possibly the media might attempt a lynching, but I don't see anyone on the Republican side of the aisle leading the way.  Indeed, from the viewpoint of the General Assembly, having a governor who no one cares if his vetos get overridden gives them more power than they would get by forcing him from office, so they might choose to refrain from impeaching him for that reason as well.

I can't see Sanford caring much about what the media thinks of him as he never has, so unless there is another shoe out there to drop, and he resigns to keep it hidden, I doubt Sanford will resign and give Bauer a leg up on 2010 by being the incumbent.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Given that neither Larry Craig, David Vitter, or John Ensign ever bothered to resign, I don't see why Sanford will feel compelled to. Unless he's impeached, he'll finish out his term and slink away into a cushy consulting job.

They are senators. A senator can pretend he is a chair, or something, long enough for the scandal to dissipate. A governor can't. What is he going to do over the next few weeks: hike the Appalachian Trail?

Governors in South Carolina have so little power, he wouldn't have much to do even without this affair having become public.  Plus, he has just as much clout with the General Assembly now as he did a week ago.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Moreover, in the governor's absence, the lieutenant governor is authorized to act, and I am quite confident that without the personage of the governor on hand, the state of South Carolina could muddle through just fine.

Actually there was some concern as to whether Bauer would have been able to act if needed.  Our laws concerning the transfer of power in such a case are so vague concerning what constitutes a temporary absence or an emergency that a Attorney General's opinion that was written well before Sanford was even governor opined that it might well need to be settled by a court.  I expect we will have one or more bills introduced next session to clarify when a transfer of power takes place.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

He'll last until January when the General Assembly next comes into session, but if he doesn't stop talking, he'll get impeached and divorced.  I can't see Sanford resigning at this point for political reasons.  It's not as if he has any political future to salvage, and I don't see any real harm he is doing to the GOP in the state that might prompt he to quit.  The only reason he would resign would be if Jenny tells him to.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Quite the reverse.  The fact that he's finally starting to shut up more likely indicates he's decided to ride this out no matter what.  Until the General Assembly comes back into session, there's no way to force him out if he's willing to ignore what the media says about him, and he's been pretty good about doing that the past few years.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

A day after Sanford declared in an emotional Associated Press interview that his mistress is his soul mate, spokesman Joel Sawyer says the governor does not want to discuss personal matters in the media anymore.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Looks like he could serve out the remainder of his term.

I predicted as much.  Sanford is too stubborn to resign, and the Assembly won't impeach him for just adultery, which while it is still a crime on the books, apparently hasn't been used in over a century.

Besides, since he said he was shutting up, he's stayed shut up.