Why the delay?

Jim McGreevey, the Governor of New Jersey, dropped a well-guarded political bombshell last week and announced that he would be resigning his post because of an extra-marital affair he carried on with another man. His declaration, "I am a gay American" has become rather famous by now, and the shock of such an unanticipated resignation is starting to fade.

But there are still some serious questions to be asked. The fact that McGreevey is a gay American is all fine and good, but it doesn't seem to have a thing to do with his ability to govern the state of New Jersey. Last I checked, you didn't have to be straight to make an effective leader - in fact, I don't think most voters really give a hoot as to whether or not their leaders are even sexually active.

So the question is begged: why is McGreevey really resigning? We know that his gay lover might sue for sexual harassment, but if McGreevey is really innocent, why would a frivolous lawsuit be grounds for him to let down the many voters of New Jersey who elected him?

Of course, there is more to all of this. To begin, reports are now beginning to show that McGreevey took pretty good care of his gay lover. Somehow, this Israeli poet became the head of homeland security in the Garden State, and that is not a job many citizens would likely approve of being handed out as a favor to some unqualified lover of the governor.

But the more interesting question is why McGreevey must wait until November 15 to resign. There is absolutely no reason that he needs to wait this long. This is perhaps the most blatant and wantonly political move of the governor: he is waiting things out until after the election, so voters won't have the opportunity to put a Republican in office.

If McGreevey would simply shut up and leave (really, he can go -- I don't care if he is gay, straight, bi or whatever, if he is going to be a quitter, he should get his butt out of town now before he can do any more damage), Republicans could mount a fair fight for the State House, which would be decided the American way - through a democratic election (as discussed in a CNN article).

But McGreevey knows that his party can't afford to let the people's voice be heard because there is a chance the people won't see eye to eye with the party of an obviously fishy politician who is either a genuine quitter or so corrupt that he has to mask his real problems behind his homosexual facade. Moreover, a real race for the New Jersey State House could bolster President Bush's chances in the NJ, meaning the Dems would have to pour money into the state - money they would like to be spending elsewhere.

Don't kid yourself, McGreevey is resigning for some reason that we don't fully well know yet. But no matter what it is, there is no defendable logic in denying the people a voice. Elections should be held, and votes should be counted. That is the American way.