Exactly.
This is what prevents a lot of truly decent, yet imperfect, people from running for office.
Herman Cain, Robert Bork, MIT Romney all had minor transgressions held up as character flaws that torpedoed careers. Things that should never been allowed to be brought into the news, as they were inconsiquential and so far in the past that the individuals learned and became better men. However the icidents were show boated by the biased media and they were made to be irideemable and shameful.