There’s not much talk anymore about the “Religious Right,” a galvanizing group of abortion-hating “family values” voters that got Reagan elected twice – against the better insterests of the US. It may seem as though they just faded into obscurity, but this isn’t the case. Instead, their demise is far more ironic and exciting: they fucked themselves out of office.
One needs merely to have been cognizant the last 10 years to know that Republicans are involved in more sex scandals than Democrats:
Newt Gingrich admited to having affairs during the 90’s. I guess he was so busy during the impeachment of Clinton that he didn’t have time to go home and see his wife. Perhaps just as bad, he left his first wife in the early 80’s and was conveniently remarried within six months of the divorce.
George W. Bush is accused of having had multiple affairs, including a claim that he encouraged one of the women to have an abortion.
Joe Scarborough, while a Representative from Florida, misplaces a dead intern in his office. Rumors circulate that he had been having an affair with her. He resigns to “spend more time with his family,” by which I assume he means MSNBC.
Arnold Schwarzenegger has countless allegations against him. It is not even worth mentioning all the women he sexually assaulted. Also: on video smoking marijuana in the film “Pumping Iron” and posed nude.
David Vittner frequented the infamous DC Madam. Married, four children.
Mark Sanford disappeared for a few days. Turns out he was visiting his Argentinian mistress, who he calls his “soul mate.” No word on how he feels about his American wife and four sons. [This has got to piss off buy-American Republicans; he outsourced his affair!]
John Ensign had an affair with his campaign staffer. Member of the Promise Keepers and outspoken critic of Clinton, he was apparently a possible 2012 presidential candidate... until he stuck it in the wrong place.
Frankly, it shouldn’t matter who a politician has sex with. However, Republicans claim to defend Christian morality in a sinful world. They demonize Democrats like Bill Clinton and John Edwards for doing things they do themselves on a fairly common basis.
Yes, cheating on your spouse is morally wrong [cheating implies a non-open relationship]. Does cheating on your spouse mean you are unfit to govern? I think not… unless of course you’re legislating from the standpoint of defending marriage.
The only lasting legacy of these sexually repressed Christians will be the delay on equal rights for homosexuals. Conservatives argue until they are blue in the face that marriage is “sacred.” Yet time and time again we find that men who voted against gay rights are cruising for men while married.
What can be learned from this? For one thing, those who oppose an activity with extreme vigor may be projecting their internal guilt. I wish American voters would learn to vote for politicians based on their history of supporting causes they personally support, not base it on what church the politician attends, or whether they are also grossed out by two men kissing.
I guess it's a fine line between being human just like everybody else and being a perfect example of absolute power corrupting absolutely.
ReplyDeleteThere was a similar scenario in the UK, late nineties. The Tories had their 'back to basics' campaign and suddenly all the sleaze oozed out of their hidey-holes like there was no tomorrow.
I guess sometimes you need to be careful what you higlight and what you paint as unacceptable - unless you really are whiter than white.
And do we really want sinless people representing us? I don't.
Republicans are as close to Tories as one can imagine in America.
ReplyDeleteI wish we had a Labour Party, but we have to settle for Democrats.
You're kidding, right? The party of John Edwards is calling foul on Republicans for its sex scandals?
ReplyDeleteOk, let me see, off the top of my head:
Gary Becker, Mayor of Racine, slept with little girls.
Sam Adams, Mayor of Portland slept with little boys.
Tim Mahoney, Florida Congressman, slept with his aide.
Gary Condit (Con-did-it), California Congressman, slept with his aide, Chandra Levy, and possibly killed her (though it was never proven, because right after they found her body, 9/11 happened and all hell broke loose).
Tony Villagrossa, Mayor of LA, cheated on his wife.
Jim McGreevy, married NJ governor, had an affair with a male appointee.
Eliot Spitzer, governor of NY, cheated on his wife with hookers.
His replacement, the totally incompetent David Paterson who is taxing NY into hell, also cheated on his wife. That's ok, his wife also admitted to cheating on him.
Kwame Kilpatrick and Paul Morrison cheated on their wives.
Then there is the wonderful John Edwards, Democratic VP and Pres. candidate, who cheated on his wife, the cancer patient. Yes, the cancer patient. He's a gem.
Let's not forget Bill Clinton.
And Barney Frank's little episode with a male escort in the 80's.
And Gary Hart (Donna Rice and Monkey Business). Etc.
So what I'm thinking is that people in glass houses really shouldn't throw stones. Politicians on both sides of the aisle are involved in sex scandals. It's just disgusting, Republican or Democrat.
I am not a Democrat. Thank you for taking 5 seconds to read my "About Me."
ReplyDeleteAnd again, the entire point of the post was that Democrats aren't the ones claiming to be on a crusade to defend marriage. It doesn't matter who someone sleeps with, at all. Thank you for bothering to read that as well.