Blogs and Stories
Why Republicans Are Better at Affairs
Candidates in both parties cheat on their wives. But, Gail Sheehy notes, it's usually Democrats, like John Edwards, who get caught.
I’ve often wondered why Democrats who run for president are more often burned at the stake of supermarket tabloids for having affairs than Republican candidates. Maybe because Republicans tend to sleep with their own kind, while Democrats sleep beneath themselves. And those women can be counted on to sell their stories.
Not to make a federal case out of this flip observation, but think about Bill Clinton and John Edwards’ paramours. Like Monica Lewinsky and Gennifer Flowers before her, Rielle Hunter was not a discreet choice. Interns, lounge singers, and independent contractors like Rielle, the videographer paid by Edwards to travel with the campaign, are not easily silenced once they’re dumped. As usually happens, Edwards’ wife, Elizabeth, is now gunning for the mistress, while continuing to cohabit with her malpracticing husband. But this time, the other woman may hold up the disgraced politician with a ransom baby.
Click Image to View Gallery
Republicans tend to be more cautious in choosing their liaisons and more generous in keeping them in a well-paid position. In 1992, when Hillary Clinton called attention to “Bush’s Jennifer,” a discreet middle-aged staffer for President George H.W. Bush, he moved the woman up to her own private office in his Senate suite. She continued to travel with him. She never talked.
It is a cliché by now that powerful politicians slip into indiscretions because of their heightened narcissism. This was John Edwards’ transparent mea culpa—“You believe you’re invincible, and there will be no consequences”—but only after he was exposed by the National Enquirer as an adulterer and photographed with a possible love child.
All the politicians who run for president are narcissists—how else can a mere mortal believe him or herself the most worthy to lead the free world? And in my experience of writing about campaigns, that power trip does exaggerate their narcissism. They come to believe they can walk on the wild side and not get caught. And for some, who are deliberately indiscreet, there is an extra thrill in the possibility of being caught, usually with a younger woman—what a display of virility!
Recall how Gary Hart defeated himself in 1988. Hart grew up in an especially rigid fundamentalist church that inflicted punishment for any natural pleasure. But in political life his delinquent side was sprung loose. He dared reporters to chase him when he was rumored to be frolicking with a paid party girl, Donna Rice.
After he was caught, Hart excoriated the media at the annual publisher’s convention at the New York Hilton for running “a false story that hurt my family and reflected badly on my character.” Then he drove off with a New York Times executive who was planning to travel through Europe with Hart that summer—and asked him, according to what this executive told me for Vanity Fair, “Where are we going to find girls?”
Stars Celebrate the Super Bowl
The Daily Beast is dedicated to news and commentary, culture, and entertainment. We carefully curate the web’s most essential stories and bring you original must-reads from our talented contributors.
How Rich People Smoke Pot
Paul Schrodt is a writer living in New York City. He has contributed to New York magazine, Radar, and Esquire.com.
Powell's Gay Soldier Dilemma
Gail Sheehy is an American writer and lecturer, most notable for her books on life and the life cycle. She is also a contributor to Vanity Fair, and can be found at gailsheehy.com
Saving the Sandwich Generation
Gail Sheehy is an American writer and lecturer, most notable for her books on life and the life cycle. She is also a contributor to Vanity Fair, and can be found at gailsheehy.com
The War in the Living Room
Gail Sheehy is an American writer and lecturer, most notable for her books on life and the life cycle. She is also a contributor to Vanity Fair, and can be found at gailsheehy.com
xbainx
Then of course there's Newt Gingrich, Joe Scarborough, and various others to shoot this theory full of holes. Not to mention several Gay Republicans being outed in recent years, this being a scandal in their "values and morals" party.
The Republicans have affairs, but they try to impeach Clinton for it. They claim to be strong on defense, but lose two wars. That's right, if you start a war and in 5 years it isn't over, you lose.
gak001
Not that I'm necessarily disagreeing with you, but what about WWII? Or are you only counting US involvement?
TavernWench
Republicans tend to "sleep with their own kind"? Good God, and what kind, exactly, would that be?
It probably doesn't get much more elitist than this. Maybe another way of looking at it is "Republicans get away with affairs because their supporters allow them to."
That's about as salacious as this piece, isn't it?
ElLamer
I agree that it has most to do with the republican supporters than the actual politicians themselves. GOP supporters seem to be more one issue and us against them types who would rather hide weaknesses than address them.
steff47
Republicans get away with it becaues they are better at sneaking around and at underhanded low down dirty tricks. scum all ways rises to it's level and besides who would say they descended that low
xlntcat
How quickly we forget? Larry Criag soliciting sex in a public restroom, then there is David Vitter and the prostitutes and Foley soliciting teenage pages. Yes, I think you may have something, the GOP does tend to "sleep with their own kind." This may explain their fixation with other people's sex lives and reproductive rights. After all, they do support 'family' values, you betcha!
gak001
Yes, but if they disagree with the politicians, they can always just label them RINOs and pretend that they're not REAL Republicans because REAL Republicans would never do such a thing. Durn'd libruls...sneakin' in teh party...
aquamarine
This was valuable to me, since I never thought of the marital indiscresions of polititians it in this light before. When I was married my husband messed around plenty, but he was not in the political limelight and no one went to the tabloids about it.
piktor
Not to belabor the point, but why did Mrs. Edwards pick a fight with Ms. Hunter.
The only idiot here is the idiot that falls for the line "You are so hot!", spouted on a Manhattan sidewalk.
To philandering idots of the world: you have it coming!
To enabling spouses of the world: you had it coming.
Banjo1
xbainx is the perfect example of the gynephobic America-hating lefty who post here often. Which two wars did we lose? Whatever the bitchy talk you're hearing from butt boys in the bath house, Iraq is doing pretty good and Afghanistan now has our full attention. As to the subject of the column, virility is what presidents have in common, another reason there have been no gay people doing anything but arranging flowers or fixing hair in the White House domestic quarters.
piktor
That is mighty homophobic of you, Banjo 1.
How conveeeeenient....as the Church Lady would say.
Ritarita
Banjo-
Your Mom says
Get offline and go out
And get some fresh air.
gak001
Ritarita-
I concur with
The statement that you made.
So poetic, your posts.
A bright spot in my day.
xbainx
I know man right? I rushed to get first post and now I'm gay or something. At first I just thought "Oh Banjo is gay, he's angry an working through it."
Now all this talk of virility... are you impotent or did you get your dick bit off? This obsession man. Next you'll be daring me to send you pictures of penises cause I'm so totally gay.
Banjo1
Political correction has ruled that absence of homophilia is objective homophobia. Haven't you heard?
piktor
Banjo1, absence of brotherly love is misanthropy?
sonofloud
The republicans cheat but the media isn't interested.
How many stories have you read about Newt Gingrich leaving his wife on her death bed to continue his affair with his mistress ??
cbeenthere
Actually, plenty. But what I haven't heard about Newtie is whether or not after his recent conversion to Catholicism he married his current wife in a Catholic ceremony, or are they living as brother and sister. That's what inquiring minds want to know.
piktor
cbeenthere,
Shhh..., Newt's on his Nixonian rehabilitation journey to Make New Friends and Persuade Strangers. The Catholic thingy is so Christianish of him.
It makes my eyes water with believing tremulous emotion!!!
slong53
Democrats get caught. Just not in airport men's rooms.
Banjo1
There was a gay prostitution ring run out of Barney Frank's kitchen. Does that count?
vincevan
Sheesh! Do Morons like Sheehy EVER read their own Crap?
Isn't this Idiot doing exactly what Liberals have been railing against for eons? Taking millions of people and generalizing about the whole group?
Stupidity on her level is really hard to get past. Jeeze Gail, Go back to school, hit yourself with a big stick - Something!
The first time didn't take. Whatever, Get out of the public eye - you're killing true Liberals with your profound stupidity!
ccrider27
Say what? Only Democrats get caught? Hello! What about Gingrich, Giuliani, Kerik, Cortelyou, Foggo, Haggard, Thurmand, just to name a very few and oh yeah, the entire Catholic religion. Could it be that the corporate media tends to focus on the less corporate friendly Democratic party? The only people that try to control other people's sex lives are those that have lost control of their own. You might want to take a look at Meghan McCain's article of today.
lindasmaggie
Republicans definetly go after their own kind-Men!! Why are republican scandals usually old men going after young boys? They are the moral majority after all.
Banjo1
You're saying you are not gay, xbainx? What accounts then for that buggery fantasy with me as the object you wrote the other day? But, OK, you're not gay. Now deny you're a left-winger and we're cool.
Janine2
Republican male pols have minimal to no sex appeal so their mistresses must be likewise, passionless, and that's why they don't tell.. Democratic men are passionate, and that is sexy and so are their girlfriends. Sound ridiculous? It isn't- look at them.. attitudes are telling and sex appeal is all about attitude. Plus men, in general, are careless and get caught most of the time, leaving telltale signs everywhere- multi taskers they aren't.. Women, are detail oriented, cover their tracks a lot better and rarely get caught. This is what I believe and I have seen this among our friends time after time after time.
KemCho
Poor Democrats! BS***! Sheehy thinks Republicans get away with it. Democrats have media in their hands. It is Republicans who are found guilty, based on allegations only.
xlntcat
And the police officer Senator Craig solicited and the emails the pages turned over from Foley. Vitter confessed outright after he got caught outright. Yep, guily of allegations only.
gak001
And who owns the media? Oh, that's right, CORPORATIONS. The only "liberal" media is in Europe or MSNBC.
Thank you.
As a first time user, your comment has been submitted for review. It can take anywhere from a few hours to a day or two for your comment to be reviewed, depending on the time of week and the volume of comments we receive.