McGreevy versus Clinton: The Double-Standard Rears Its Head

[Brian_Expat]

So I see all this hand-wringing about McGreevy's immorality coming from many who defended Clinton through the Lewinsky debacle tooth and nail.

I happen to think that the promotion of the alleged partner to Homeland Security status is the serious problem. His sexual peccadilloes don't bother me either way, much like Clinton's. It's HIS business and his business alone.

I also think the idea that he should have felt blackmailed just because he's gay is sad in the 21st century, but it's an illustration of the sorts of struggles that gay men in his generation go through. And the Democratic Party has done very little -- in fact, almost nothing -- to help gays in that regard.

One of the reasons McGreevy gave the guy that position was to get him a Green card.

If McGreevy had been an out and proud gay man, he STILL couldn't have gotten the guy a visa by marrying him, thanks to the Clinton-signed DOMA. So the route he pursued was his only choice.

All the Democrats who support efforts to "keep the gays in line," ban or ignore civil equality, or who oppose gays are as responsible for the results of this debacle as McGreevy himself. And I have a suspicion that strategists in the DNC will use this as an excuse to further "distance" themselves from gays and move forward towards a possible election loss.

[West Coast Democrat]

1. Not every story about an illicit affair has anything in common with...

President Clinton.

[Brian_Expat]

4. This one sure does.

An illicit affair without wife's knowledge, it's identical to Clinton's in many ways.

Of course, those who condemned Clinton were "prudes," while it's OK for McGreevey to be condemned because it was a man and therefore "worse." Homophobia is alive yet. :(

[West Coast Democrat]

9. It's a real stretch...

there's too much else going on here that wasn't going on in the Bill & Monica situation.

[Brian_Expat]

12. No, it's entirely appropriate observation

If I make a statement about what a terrible, cheating individual is and what he's put his wife and kids through, it will slide by without comment (except from a few gay folks and gay-friendly folks).

If I posted such a statement about Clinton, I'd be branded a freeper and banished as a "disruptor" if I persisted.

That's hard to deny. And it IS a double standard.

[theboss]

16. The affairs are the same; the corruption is different

I don't care that McGreevey had an affair. I care that he hired his unqualified lover for a job in freaking Homeland Security at $100K a year. And I care that they were introduced apparently by his top campaign donor who is under federal investigation.

If Clinton had made Monica Chairwoman of the Federal Reserve, the scandals would be the same.

[Brian_Expat]

19. Yeah, but you're a minority from what I can see

Most of the "tut tut tuts" are over his gay affair, not the corruption.

[theboss]

22. Maybe in the mainstream media

But that's to be expected because of the salaciousness of it all. But at DU, I think most people are shocked at the behavior outside the affair.

[Blue-Jay]

2. Agree & Disagree.

Agree: "I happen to think that the promotion of the alleged partner to Homeland Security status is the serious problem. His sexual peccadilloes don't bother me either way, much like Clinton's. It's HIS business and his business alone."

I disagree, however, that there's a double standard in this case. Your above quote is exactly why I'm not singing this guy's praises. I also think it was slimy of him to use his sexuality to take the focus off the real issue that he appointed a (perhaps) lover to a high position for which he was supremely not qualified. THAT'S the issue as far as I'm concerned.

[wurzel]

3. I don't think anyone is arguing about McGreevy being gay.

The problem is the lawsuit that this guy is about to bring, charging sexual harrasment. As far as I know Lewinsky didn't do that. Jones did and look what happened. If it was just a matter of his being gay no one would care.

[Brian_Expat]

5. I don't agree

Most of the hand-wringing I've heard from many in the liberal camp has been over how horrible it was for him to cheat on his wife with an icky man.

When I made similar observations about Clinton (sans the "icky man" part), the same people accuse me of being a Freeper.

[DrWeird]

8. Yup

One was even complaining how he cheated on his kids, whatever that means.

Do we even know for certain that his wife was unaware he was gay?

[JustJersey]

6. Very different circumstances

McGreevy put his lover in a high paying government job that he was clearly unqualified for. And, apparently, there is additional damaging material that has yet to come out.

If a straight politician did the same thing, he'd be driven from office as well I think.

[West Coast Democrat]

7. Yes indeed!

I agree!

[Brian_Expat]

10. I don't disagree that appointing his lover is wrong

But most of the criticism I am seeing is focused on the gender of his lover, NOT the appointment.

[JustJersey]

14. Here in NJ

What I've heard here in NJ is that people are pissed at him for the Golan Cipel thing -- even on the local, somewhat conservative, talk station people said the governor being gay was no big deal.

[theboss]

17. The gender does make it more shocking

But the real issue is the corruption, not the affair.

[NavajoRug]

23. The criticism is focusing on the gender of his lover . . .

. . . because McGreevey himself focused on the gender of his lover.

And hey, let's face it . . . this kind of thing doesn't happen very often these days, does it?

[Brian_Expat]

24. But liberals are supposed to be. . . well. . . liberal

And all this faux-outrage over the gender of his lover and willingness to defend Clinton for the exact same activities with women is just plain disingenuous. Not to mention depressing.

[NavajoRug]

26. If the American public were as aware of Clinton's . . .

. . . background in Arkansas as most New Jersey residents are aware of McGreevey's background, then Al Gore would probably be president today.

One thing you have to remember is that McGreevey has long had a reputation for being a lying greaseball of a politician in this state. And this is a state where corruption isn't even illegal -- so you can imagine how bad he must have been.

[DrWeird]

11. But thats not what everybody is (or was) complaining about.

people were going on and on about how he was evil and corrupt for cheating on his family.

[Brian_Expat]

13. Exactly my point

VERY FEW made this observation about Clinton.

It would appear that the idea that "boys will be boys" was OK (unless that boy is gay).

[theboss]

20. Not me

I could care less about his personal life. I mean, I think having an affair is pretty shitty and I have very little admiration for Bill Clinton as a human being at this point. But if it does not affect their work, I don't care what they do at home.

However, McGreevey gave his lover a $100K state salary in an extremely important department and apparently broke the law to keep him there.

That makes him a criminal, not just an adulterer.

[ibegurpard]

15. Sorry, no sympathy here.

Absolutely none. Many of us went through tremendous amounts of hardship and pain coming out to our families and friends because we couldn't stand to live with a lie. This sleazeball was perfectly fine screwing around on his wife and kids, all the while pretending to be a "fine, upstanding family man" who OPPOSED gay marriage and then appointed his boy-toy to a cush position. Now the scandal starts to surface he wants to play the gay card? No way. He can hang.

[Brian_Expat]

18. You've gotta admit that the "outrage" over his "cheating" is selective

It's so much more comfortable to criticize someone else when they're in an alien sexuality, right?

I sorta agree with your points about being closeted, etc., but the man comes from a generation where being out was often not an option, so I can understand what happened there.

I agree on the gay marriage thing, too, he was a coward for fighting it.

[progressivebydesign]

21. It wasn't exactly the gay thing.. it was the corruption in this case. N/T

[mitchum]

25. Frankly, I don't care that McGreevy sucks cock...

that's his business.

He is a scumbag for placing his unqualified rent boy in the position.
I don't give a shit about "morals", but ethics are another matter

[Brian_Expat]

27. Then you agree with me. n/t