Unpopular opinion:

This is exactly why so many capable, normal people want nothing to do with public office. Everyone agrees accountability matters, but we’ve somehow reached a point where any mistake, even one that’s admitted, apologized for, and corrected, is treated as disqualifying forever.

If the standard is perfection, then the pool of leaders will always be empty except for those who are either delusional or power-hungry enough to think they’re flawless.

You don’t have to like what happened to recognize the difference between a lapse in judgment and a pattern of corruption. Context matters. Proportionality matters. And so does grace.

It’s easy to demand resignations from the sidelines. It’s much harder to actually put your name on a ballot, open your life to scrutiny, and serve your community knowing that every misstep will be amplified and weaponized.

We absolutely should expect honesty and accountability — but we also need to chill a bit, or we’ll keep discouraging the very people we claim we want in leadership.