An article posted by Jennifer Rova of Hayden on the Writing North Idaho blog is more pertinent today than it was when posted Wednesday. It's about plagiarism. Democrat Jana Jones, the Democratic candidate for Idaho Superintendent of Schools, has accused Republican opponent Sherri Ybarra of plagiarizing her campaign Web site. Jennifer Rova offers this definition of plagiarism: "Plagiarism is passing off as your own someone else’s work, ideas, thoughts, opinions, theories, statistics, facts, drawings, or paraphrasing the same." Joe Biden withdrew from the 1988 presidential race, Rova points out, after he was accused of plagiarism. Democratic U.S. Sen. John Walsh of Montana stepped aside earlier this year in wake of another plagiarism scandal. You can read Jennifer Rova's thoughts on plagiarism here.

Question: The public seems capable of overlooking sex scandals and other shenanigans by repentant politicians. But not plagiarism. Why do you think that is?