arthur-alpert-pic21If memory serves, Goethe sees romance as a form of insanity in his classic “The Sorrows of Young Werther.” Surely though, we can sympathize with the lover who loses his or her head over that idealized other and lives in a state of ecstatic joy, however briefly.

But that’s not what greeted Gov. Mark Sanford of South Carolina when he admitted he loved a woman, not his wife, in Argentina.

The moralists were first to condemn. That’s what they do — judge others. True, it defies the biblical injunction to “judge not,” but what better way to avoid self-examination?

Condemnation was the main, bipartisan theme across corporate news mediums, too, with only a faint counterpoint of sympathy. Conservative Kathleen Parker, speaking on ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos,” was kind.

Politically, and whatever their feelings, Republicans were united in wanting the story to go away.

Understandably, liberals were elated. On MSNBC, Keith Olbermann was cruel. Wrongly so; cruelty should remain characteristic of the authoritarian right.

The left giggled, of course, because rightists had to “pause” their “moral” war against justice while the whole world watched another social conservative leader squirm.

This star-spangled spectacle of hypocrisy was hard not to enjoy.

Incidental question — just how many friends of “family values” have now been exposed as fraudulently pious? Sanford and Ensign, Gingrich (multiple offender), Vitter, Craig, Limbaugh, Livingston, Palin, Hyde, Giuliani, the trio of Abramoff, Reed and DeLay, Cunningham and — enough — there’s no need to be comprehensive.

Of course, I could compile an equally long list of Democratic sinners, but few rate as hypocritical; they rarely prate about personal virtue.

The GOP must run from Sanford because his misadventures distract from the party’s message – that eight years of Bushian malfeasance was the fault of the Democrats (some of whom were collaborators) and besides, more tax cuts for the wealthy will cure everything, including cancer. Incredible.

Sanford’s irresponsibility as South Carolina’s chief executive also makes it harder for local Republicans to run as clean alternatives to dirty Democrats. Thus, the GOP choice for governor of New Mexico, to be announced, will face some skepticism when he or she pledges to clean up (real) Democratic corruption in Santa Fe.

But that’s all the Republican candidate can say. In the wake of Wall Street’s crash, the traditional promise to run the state “like a “business” should elicit guffaws. The GOP is down to “Hate your neighbor!” and “Voodoo economics forever!”

Ignoring the good sense of their libertarian wing, Republicans insist on politicizing what is nobody’s business — an individual’s private, intimate life.

Ignoring traditional conservative doctrine — they don’t know Edmund Burke — the Republican hammock swings between the trees of corporate welfare and worship of the (imaginary) free market.

Market capitalism is revolutionary, not conservative. Its “creative destruction” — have they at least read Joseph Schumpeter? — devours not only old businesses but traditional values, too.

Nor do they recognize that their radical individualism (every-man-for-himself) contradicts what their religion holds — we live in community, responsible for and to each other.

In that context, let us cheer poor Gov. Sanford’s discovery that his frailty is “human.” As for knowing that the Lord wants him to remain governor, well, Sanford would seem at least one blue corn tortilla short of a combo plate. So let’s give him time to reorder.

After all, it, in this era of huge, tragic, fatal failures in Washington, there are worse things than losing your head.

Romantically, that is.