What if Hillary were a man? Would she have a chance?
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Introduction
I have listened as many of my friends and others, blast Hillary Clinton as being too “divisive” or “polarizing.” Many of these same folks have made rather crude comments as to the reason for her staying with Bill, in light of his infidelity. Yet, I hear the “news gurus” talking about how far we have come as a society, in that a woman actually is actually a viable candidate for the presidency. Equality has arrived, they say.
I wonder. She is being criticized because she didn't divorce her cheating husband; would she have any chance if she had the same record as any one of the republican front runners:
1. Fred Dalton Thompson
Fred Thompson is being hailed by some as the next Reagan, the darling of the right. What if Hillary had his background?
At age 42 Hillary becomes a "movie star," and immediately divorces her husband of 26 years.
Yeah, that is what Fred did. Knocked up his girlfriend in high school, and got married at 17. Then immediately dumped her 26 years later after making his first movie.
Hillary uses her movie fame to win a seat in the Senate, and while a senator has a very public 2 year affair with Keith Urban.
In the mid 90s while a Senator, ol Fred had a two year affair with, and proposed to, country singer Lorrie Morgan; 17 years his junior. She said no.
What if a year later, Hillary then 52 started dating a 30 year old stud, and later married him.
You think she would have a chance if she were married to a 36 year old, very handsome man?
2. Rudolph William Louis "Rudy" Giuliani
What if Hillary had his background?
What if at age 24, she had married her 21 year old second cousin?
Ewwwwwww. But that is what Rudy did.
His fist wife.
His fist wife.
What if at 38, while still married to her second cousin she had begun an affair with a 32 year old TV anchorman?
Yeah, after 14 years of marriage, Rudy started living with anchorwoman Donna Hanover. A year later, he pretended to be surprised to learn that his wife, who he had known since childhood, was his second cousin, and not his third cousin, and had his marriage annulled, because he was such a good Catholic.
What if, while the Mayor of New York, Hillary started an affair with her communications director, and then moved a new boyfriend into Gracie Mansion before telling her husband she wanted a divorce.
Yeah, Rudy was a player, and everyone knew it. His last two affairs while mayor of New York were very public, and he told the press he was divorcing Donna to marry Judith, before he told Donna. Could any woman get away with that?
What if Chelsea wouldn't speak to her?
Can you imagine the press if Chelsea made very public the fact that she hated her mom, and her new stepfather? Rudy's kids have, and he gets away with saying, "It's a personal family problem, I won't talk about it."
Hell, that didn't even work for Bill. Oh, that's right, he isn't a republican.
Hell, that didn't even work for Bill. Oh, that's right, he isn't a republican.
3. John Sidney McCain III
What if Hillary had his background? He is a hero, right?
What if, after returning home as a war hero, she was divorced by her husband of 15 years because of her infidelity with a very rich man 18 years her junior?
Oh John, say it isn't so. It is. In 1979, at age 43, war hero John started cheating on the woman who stayed with him and raised his kids while he was in a prison camp, with a 25 year old beautiful multi-millionaire beer distributor with a drug problem.
What if she had used her "himbo's" family money to finance her political career?
Yeah, when a woman does that with any man, she is a gold digger, If she did it with a much younger man she'd be.......hmmmm.............good looking, rich, young man marries old, middle class woman. . . . .never happen.
So, before y'all start bashing Hillary, ask youself how far she'd get if she had the record of and of the top three republicans.
Is Newt any better? Divorced his wife with cancer to marry his secretary. And don't even get me started about republican candidate and spousal alcohol and drug abuse, and "addiction to pain killers." These folks, including George, Laura, and the twins, make Hillary, Bill and Chelsea look like the Cleavers.
Great Ponderings olhippie!! I wonder how the voting public would feel if Hillary received oral sex from Monica instead of her husband??? hmmmm......
Many years ago when the daughter was not quite 3, I asked the relatives to please not give her a Barbie for Christmas yet. One of the aunts did anyway (his side of the family) along with a little car. I thought she was too young for the Barbie and gathered it up in the commotion & hid it in my closet until she was a bit older. She got to keep the pink plastic car. We knew she would forget about the Barbie with all of the other cool stuff she rec'd.
That summer we were in Toys R Us, looking for a gift for a friend and accidentally wandered into the "PINK" Barbie aisle. We were about halfway down the aisle and I hear this little girl voice saying, "sigh, I had a Barbie once." Broke my heart. When we got home, I got the doll out of the closet and gave it to her.
sigh, I had a comment once.
That summer we were in Toys R Us, looking for a gift for a friend and accidentally wandered into the "PINK" Barbie aisle. We were about halfway down the aisle and I hear this little girl voice saying, "sigh, I had a Barbie once." Broke my heart. When we got home, I got the doll out of the closet and gave it to her.
sigh, I had a comment once.
very interesting point hippie. I like the way you framed this and I think its true. Even though I agree public perception would be different if it were Hillary, I'm not convinced that the double standard is entirely based on sex. For reasons other than sex, Hillary is in fact polarizing. I don't think that is a subjective statement, but rather something that can be ascertained by public opinion.
This list was not about Hillary. I know a lot of people "hate," "loathe," and "despise" her. (Did I leave a verb out, Pam?) I don't know why people feel that way when they have obviously never met her, and when you ask them, they know nothing about her, and they start ranting about her name, and her husband. I get it, I know the right wingers hate, loathe, and despise her. That is what they do. We don't rant about the fact that "W" is a gay S&M freak,(do a search, 2.6 million hits, way more evidence than about Vince Foster), we don't talk about how GHW Bush was banging his personal assistant for twenty years, and lying about it (do a search, 111,000 hits), we don't talk about Laura being a chain smoking pill freak (do a search, 437,000 hits). Because we judge our leaders on their ability to lead, not their personal life.
This list was about the double standard that ALL women face. Noah, list two rasons Hillary is polarizing that have anything to do with how she does her job. As long as people are so willing to believe the "conventional wisdon" without question, they will keep winning.
This list was about the double standard that ALL women face. Noah, list two rasons Hillary is polarizing that have anything to do with how she does her job. As long as people are so willing to believe the "conventional wisdon" without question, they will keep winning.
I mostly feel sorry for her.
I think she is an unhappy person who is so focused on winning (thinking that will make her happy) that it affects her behavior. Her husband publicly humiliated her and is much more popular than she is, she has to know how a lot of Americans feel about her and I don't believe she is immune to caring about that and she can't be very thrilled that someone like Obama got in the race to challenge her. Re: our current Iraq situation, she is probably our best Democratic choice.
I think she is an unhappy person who is so focused on winning (thinking that will make her happy) that it affects her behavior. Her husband publicly humiliated her and is much more popular than she is, she has to know how a lot of Americans feel about her and I don't believe she is immune to caring about that and she can't be very thrilled that someone like Obama got in the race to challenge her. Re: our current Iraq situation, she is probably our best Democratic choice.
In fact I don't believe that almost any of the reasons that Hillary is polarizing are about how she would do her job. I didn't say it was fair, logical or objective. I think out of any of the candidates on either side, Hillary is going to draw the most extreme reactions out of a group of random people. That's polarizing. If you were to examine this reaction against issue positions, past record or merit you wouldn't find anything substantial to explain it. However the world of mass media (influence) is more kind to image than actual substantial analysis. YOu can't get elected President purely on image. However it's easier to get get a couple of soundbytes and images in people's heads than any critical thought. When W was elected the first time his image was no-nonsense Texan that could get things done in Washington and work across party lines. He was going to push education in this country to higher level. We all know how that turned out. He's not even polarizing any more because the only pole with real strength in W's case is the negative one.
Putting on my campaign manager hat, just off the top of my head: Hillary's image is a little too much icy bitch, there's lingering bad blood/mojo surrounding Bill, a whiff of east coast elitism, and there's a lot of build up residue from too many late night talk show/coffee shop jokes. She's already been in the international spotlight in a way that no other candidate has. Being a woman probably does have some role on the negative side but being a woman is also going to get her some unqualified support on the other.
So I'm not saying its fair or reasonable. I'm not saying she isn't go to be elected. I'm not saying she isn't going to be a great president. I am saying that, right now, she is polarizing. My point was that, in relation to your list, there would be a double standard precisely because she is polarizing in a way that these other characters aren't. And I don't think its entirely attributable to being a woman which you suggested in your intro.
Putting on my campaign manager hat, just off the top of my head: Hillary's image is a little too much icy bitch, there's lingering bad blood/mojo surrounding Bill, a whiff of east coast elitism, and there's a lot of build up residue from too many late night talk show/coffee shop jokes. She's already been in the international spotlight in a way that no other candidate has. Being a woman probably does have some role on the negative side but being a woman is also going to get her some unqualified support on the other.
So I'm not saying its fair or reasonable. I'm not saying she isn't go to be elected. I'm not saying she isn't going to be a great president. I am saying that, right now, she is polarizing. My point was that, in relation to your list, there would be a double standard precisely because she is polarizing in a way that these other characters aren't. And I don't think its entirely attributable to being a woman which you suggested in your intro.
but like I said, I think your list did point out a glaring double standard. Thanks for shining the light.
Summary:
If a woman found herself in a similar situation to the men above, would there be a double standard? Probably.
Is Hillary polarizing? Yes.
Is Hillary polarizing because of the double standard mentioned above? I say no.
If a woman found herself in a similar situation to the men above, would there be a double standard? Probably.
Is Hillary polarizing? Yes.
Is Hillary polarizing because of the double standard mentioned above? I say no.
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