"McDougal said that confronting illness, and embracing a cause she wanted to speak about, made her feel increasingly conflicted about the moral compromises of silence. 'As I was sick and feeling like I was dying and bedridden, all I could do was pray to live. But now I pray to live right, and make right with the wrongs that I have done,' she told me. McDougal also cited the actions of women who have come forward in recent months to describe abuses by high-profile men. 'I know it’s a different circumstance,' she said, 'but I just think I feel braver.' McDougal told me that she hoped speaking out might convince others to wait before signing agreements like hers. 'Every girl who speaks,' she said, 'is paving the way for another.'"
The last paragraph of "Donald Trump, a Playboy Model, and a System for Concealing Infidelity/One woman’s account of clandestine meetings, financial transactions, and legal pacts designed to hide an extramarital affair," by Ronan Farrow in The New Yorker.
Trump's spokesperson says he did not have sexual relations with that woman, Karen McDougal.
Are we supposed to care about all the extramarital affairs of politicians again? Is that what #MeToo is turning into? Why?! Because there was a "system for concealing" it? Should we ruin the professional life of everyone who's committed adultery or everyone who's committed adultery and been good at hiding it? Do we really want to limit the pool of potential elected officials to individuals who have never been unfaithful to a spouse? Or is this just some special huff we're supposed to get into because of Trump?
I haven't read every word of Farrow's article, so please let me know if there's some accusation of physical abuse. I see the word "abuses" in the paragraph I quoted: "McDougal also cited the actions of women who have come forward in recent months to describe abuses by high-profile men." But on skimming, I don't see anything here other than a married man cheating on his wife and covering it up. Trump has never sold himself to us as an icon of chastity, so why am I supposed to care other than that I'm supposed to hate Trump?
If there is one thing that draws me into liking Trump, it's the pressure to hate him.
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222 comments:
1 – 200 of 222 Newer› Newest»I suppose the theory is that if Trump is proven to be the playboy that we had all assumed he was for the past 30 years, we will vote for Democrats. I don’t think it is going to work. Trump will still be Trump, and Democrats will still be Democrats.
Bubba set the bar. We were supposed to be more sophisticated like the French.
Powerful men and all that.
"Are we supposed to care about all the extramarital affairs of politicians again? Is that what #MeToo is turning into? Why?!"
-- Yes. Because it can hurt Republicans.
Not too long ago, a lot of people were insisting Weiner was hacked! and we didn't need to know the sordid details of his life.
Man, for someone who despises Bill Clinton (and to a lesser extent, Hillary for covering for him), you are sure willing to give Trump the benefit of the doubt.
As for accusations of rape or sexual assault against Trump, you are ignoring his own words (or excusing it by saying "well he never said he grabbed women by the pussy, just that rich and famous people could get away with it"), the accounts of numerous women and the sworn testimony of Ivana in their divorce proceeding.
“In this country, you gotta make the money first. Then when you get the money, you get the power. Then when you get the power, then you get the women.”
– Tony Montana
"Why?!" Why why?
"Because there was a "system for concealing" it? Should we ruin the professional life of everyone who's committed adultery or everyone who's committed adultery and been good at hiding it? Do we really want to limit the pool of potential elected officials to individuals who have never been unfaithful to a spouse? Or is this just some special huff we're supposed to get into because of Trump?"
Getting closer. It's a useful prog tool that works with women. Of course, there's some collateral damage.
I wish we lived in an Althousian world, where Althousian questions would not have to be raised. But we don't.
If there is one thing that draws me into liking Trump, it's the pressure to hate him.
This.
When I see who is really hating on Trump, I just think he's doing something right.
The Trump haters are soiling themselves on facebook so I don't need to read The New Yorker.
I wonder if they will ever decide this is not helping?
If there is one thing that draws me into liking Trump, it's the pressure to hate him.
You aren't happy that black people have jobs?
This.
When I see who is really hating on Trump, I just think he's doing something right.
Me three!
And how they hate on him for all the things politicians usually do (he cheats on his wife! he lies), or hate on him for doing things the exact opposite way (he tweets! ).
You aren't happy that black people have jobs?
Apparently you missed the most recent jobs report.
This system already came out with Tiger Woods.
Isn't it obvious that Trump only marries women who get pregnant? I don't think that spells out faithfulness.
Althouse said ...
If there is one thing that draws me into liking Trump, it's the pressure to hate him.
This 'pressure' is entirely in your own mind.
It was only a few weeks ago that Farrow was being lauded for his bravery in taking on a Hollywood player. It is even braver to take on the POTUS. Farrow's article gives you some insight into how Trump views women. It may not be the whole story but it is certainly part of the story.
I hoped they saved the extracted tit-bags so some broken boys can have them implanted as fake biceps.
Trump's spokesperson says he did not have sexual relations with that woman, Karen McDougal.
Poor form, Ms. Althouse. Poor form!
There is a distinct difference between a statement made by a spokesman and a President, getting on television to look the public in the eye and LIE directly and vehemently in his own words.
One is much more offensive than the other.
Man, for someone who despises Bill Clinton (and to a lesser extent, Hillary for covering for him), you are sure willing to give Trump the benefit of the doubt.
There's the rather important distinction of behavior more than 10 years ago as a private citizen versus getting blow jobs from a subordinate in the Oval Office.
I think the real objective of these stories is the hope that Melania will leave Trump, and the fallout from that.
Field Marshall Freder: "As for accusations of rape or sexual assault against Trump, you are ignoring his own words...."
LOL
If what Trump had said was so bad you lefties would not feel the need to continuously lie about what he actually said.
As with all the fake hate crimes that the lefties have perpetrated in order to "help" along the conversation, the fake quoting of republicans (including the lie that Pence advocated for tax funds to be used for conversion therapy) are simply par for the course.
No one is listening to you lunatics any longer...except the other lunatics.
Not that I blame you for trying, now that the Hillary/dem/lefty/MSM/LLR coup attempt against a duly elected President is being exposed.
It's all you have left now that every single democrat voted to keep taxpayers from keeping more of their own money.
And how they hate on him for all the things politicians usually do (he cheats on his wife! he lies)
Even if you cynically believe this about most politicians (and with the exception of Clinton and Kennedy, their is little evidence that our presidents since World War II were philanderers), the level of cheating and lying by this president is extraordinary. He was apparently banging both McDougal and Stormy Daniels (and who knows how many more women) while Melania was pregnant and had a infant son.
Yet you and Ann don't care about that at all.
the bar was lowered with Clinton. So what?
Playgirl has false breasts removed, discovers fake 'morality'.
Yes, The New Yorker.
We have females marrying pirate ghosts, women marrying animals and polyamory.
One notes (okay, it's ME), that Ms. Althouse has editorial control of her selections from the piece in question.
And since she hates implants, she just had to mention that bit about feeling sick. Just to throw shade on implants.
It is sort of like The Wall. If the Wall on the border was built for free, I doubt the people whining about the Wall's cost would change their ire.
In the same way, if implants were totally safe and side effect free, and were put in cheaply and efficiently by the doctors, I doubt some (okay Althouse) would suddenly learn to love the Boob.
Field Marshall Freder: "Even if you cynically believe this about most politicians (and with the exception of Clinton and Kennedy, their is little evidence that our presidents since World War II were philanderers)...."
LOL
History began anew for Freder this morning.
Freder seems to "forget" (oh so conveniently, oh so conveniently) that the entire lib/left argued in the 90's that all Presidents had affairs. The lefties even ginned up stories on HW Bush to advance that narrative.
But today is a new day. And we have a new history. An "updated" history necessary for today's lefty talking points.
Swell.
Johnson was pretty smarmy. At least with Jackie O. Were there others?
There's the rather important distinction of behavior more than 10 years ago as a private citizen versus getting blow jobs from a subordinate in the Oval Office AFTER being the President who signed into law Sex Harassment legislation.
This point of irony is often missed.
There's the rather important distinction of behavior more than 10 years ago as a private citizen versus getting blow jobs from a subordinate in the Oval Office.
Not to mention the lying under oath during a sexual harassment lawsuit.
#MeToo-ism leads to bad journalism. In the current environment, the accused has to make a denial, if he is able to make a denial, and the victim is then given a sympathetic ear. The victim cannot be rebutted. It used to be an axiom in journalism that there are two sides to every story. Thanks to the #MeToo movement, you get only one side of the story, and the journos seem quite happy with that.
I believe in equality of the sexes. Women are no more or less human than men are, both sexes are equally wicked and manipulative.
Not to mention the lying under oath during a sexual harassment lawsuit.
Trump's chance is coming and I bet he also lies under oath.
Trump has been married 3 times. I think we all knew from the beginning he wasn't especially faithful. I think it was Chris Rock who said, years before anyone took his candidacy seriously, that he worried that if Trump was president "he'd leave us for a younger prettier country."
Lewis Wetzel: "#MeToo-ism leads to bad journalism."
There is no such thing as "journalism".
It's leftism, like turtles, all the way down.
I see your game, you’re pressuring people to like Trump.
"Yet you and Ann don't care about that at all."
Me, either.
I hate the idea of men playing around on their wives, who doesn't? I even more hate the idea of men giving their wife a black eye! Awful! I'm really conflicted on how these things should reflect on the job they're paid to do. Particularly when people come out of the woodwork, from years before, and make old accusations that can so powerfully influence the public against a president or any executive.
I think it stinks if Trump screwed around, or Porter hit his wife....I can't emphasize that enough, but I'm still not sure in my mind if I feel these accusations should ruin careers.
AND, a lot of these accusations are brought by people we know would vote for Bill Clinton for President tomorrow if they could, knowing what he did. That gives me pause...I don't know about you!
Field Marshall Freder: "Trump's chance is coming and I bet he also lies under oath."
The lefties who defended Clinton and said it was no big deal already have Trump convicted for imaginary crimes.
And they wonder why we laugh at them.
If there is one thing that draws me into liking Trump, it's the pressure to hate him.
You're supposed to hate him naturally because you're a woman.
But in fact that move works. Women don't do systems but feelings.
You're even rebelling because of a feeling.
Back when I used to look at PLAYBOY, I thought Karen McDougal was one of the most gorgeous PLAYMATES ever. I had never thought much about Trump one way or the other, but when I heard he was having an affair with her, it was the first time I ever felt anything like admiration for him. Admiration, that is, with a touch of envy that not even his wealth could inspire. (That kind of envy is more of a "liberal" thing anyway.) Nowadays if I feel admiration for him, it's mainly because he saved us from the reign of Queen Cacklepants, and because he continues to give such intense pain to the "liberal" Hive (aka "The Scummiest People on Earth").
"Even if you cynically believe this about most politicians (and with the exception of Clinton and Kennedy, their is little evidence that our presidents since World War II were philanderers"
You've left out that old horndog LBJ.
So out of 6 Democrat post-war presidents, 3 were philanderers who did plenty of philandering when they were in office.
That's batting .500!
This stuff sells. The anti-Trump crowd gets a lot of entertainment from these stories as well as some ineffectual talking points. The pro-Trump people don't really care since many of them are either under no illusions about who Trump really is or they simply choose not to believe any of it. Meanwhile, Hillary still isn't president. The world keeps turning.
If getting a blow job from an intern in the Oval office (while on a phone call to a foreign leader no less) is OK..why the fuck should I care about an affair that happened long before Trump ran for president?
Saints Agnes, Maria Goretti, Augustine are 'icons of chastity', and Saints Louis and Zelie Martin, Rita, and Adelaide are saints of 'marital fidelity'. Avoiding adultery and practicing chastity are not the same things; I'm surprised that the distinction is glossed over, although the image ('Donald Trump, Icon of Chastity') is amusing in an ironical sort of way. Yes, I continue to care about politicians who are not faithful to their partners in marriage and then expect that I should trust them to remain faithful to their political undertakings; on the other hand, in these latter days marriage has become 'marriage' and who knows what that may or may not mean to the parties, tsk.
The thing I find most attractive about Trump is his enemies...he's pissing off all of the right people.
Behind every great man are several great women
Blogger Freder Frederson said...
And how they hate on him for all the things politicians usually do (he cheats on his wife! he lies)
Even if you cynically believe this about most politicians (and with the exception of Clinton and Kennedy, their is little evidence that our presidents since World War II were philanderers), the level of cheating and lying by this president is extraordinary. He was apparently banging both McDougal and Stormy Daniels (and who knows how many more women) while Melania was pregnant and had a infant son.
--------------------------------------------------------
Oh! The Humanity!!! My faith in the American political system is forever crushed.
My vapors will confine me to a couch for a while.
"If there is one thing that draws me into liking Trump, it's the pressure to hate him."
As an old squadron-mate once said to me over 40 yrs ago: "Ya know, I never felt like walking on the grass until they put up a sign that said: 'Don't walk on the grass!' "
And the main player in this story is named Pecker. No kidding.
Bill Clinton was shoving cigars up interns in the White House.
The lefties can now take their turn in the "shove it" barrel.
It wasn't involuntary exploitation. It wasn't superior exploitation. He has made no effort to normalize the behavior. So, it's not a social issue. It's between him and his wife to reconcile.
A lot more Free Trade agreements opened up a lot more markets for men to freely buy what they need? Plus, recreation/adventure tourism, and lax immigration laws that let you bring home trophies?
Meh. One could make the point of cheap Asian imports, but look at the Honda and Toyota: pretty sold goods!
If American women don't want to get married until their mid thirties, the men who DO want to get married earlier will find someone who will. As they say: all the good ones get taken early.
"Should we ruin the professional life of everyone who's committed adultery or everyone who's committed adultery and been good at hiding it?"
I don't think this will have much impact on Trump's professional life. They are just trying to destroy his marriage.
They told me that my morals had no place in politics.
So I put my morals aside and voted on issues. Trump was the only one who said that we needed to deal with illegal immigration in a convincing way. That's why I voted for him.
I don't like Trump. He is a very flawed man. But until another credible contender comes along that wants to secure the borders, what should I do?
The Leftist Collectivists morphed into the Communist Moral Code Enforcers so quickly that I barely even noticed.
Shall we sow a Scarlet A onto every suit Trump wears, as president, for the next seven years?
Trump should not be pissing off a Slovenian. Just sayin'
Underneath every great man are several great women
FIFY
Suggested Althouse Poll Question:
1) Stormy Daniels
2) Karen McDougal
3) Melania Knauss (nee Trump)
4) 1 & 2
5) 1 & 3
6) 2 & 3
7) Yes. Please and thank you.
Z said...
"I hate the idea of men playing around on their wives, who doesn't? I even more hate the idea of men giving their wife a black eye! Awful! I'm really conflicted on how these things should reflect on the job they're paid to do."
Yes, I have the same concern. If a guy punches his wife, she can call the cops. If she does, and they haul him off, tough shit, Jack, you shouldn't be beating on women. But am I supposed to stop buying gasoline at his station?
In the meantime, one highly moral Democrat candidate for office is in the soup:
La CROSSE, WI (WSAU) -- One of Representative Ron Kind’s opponents for the upcoming has been arrested on an outstanding warrant in New York City.
The La Crosse Sherriff’s department says Juliet Germanotta was arrested Monday after they were tipped off by the NYPD that she was wanted for grand theft.
According to reports from New York newspapers, the charges stem from a September 2017 incident in which she purchased a $4,800 ring from a jewelry store. She then returned to the store and tricked them into refunding her purchase with a less valuable ring.
The 36-year-old who announced her candidacy as a Democrat will be extradited back to the Empire State to face the charges."
What a fool! The dope didn't realize that Democrat politicians wait until AFTER they're elected to commit crimes. Their chances of getting away with grand theft improve immensely once they are in office.
"It is even braver to take on the POTUS."
Not at all. Farrow couldn't get his first exposé published for a long time: too dangerous for progs, Hollywood and Clinton machines still operating. Attacking Trump is, of course, the very point of the witch hunt, gratefully redirected by the MSM. Easy.
#MeToo is really #GetHim.
You'd think fascist Trump would put a stop to it, but for some reason, no.
I feel bad for Melania. I know she married him and she faces all the consequences of that, but still. Maybe in the old days the press kept affairs secret because they worried about other people, wives and children, who would be hurt by what is basically gossip.
John Kennedy was unavailable for comment
They are just trying to destroy his marriage.
Yes. Since Obama spied, Clinton colluded with foreign parties, DNC denied the nomination to the Jew, the so-called "deep state" violated civil rights, and JournoLists from the fourth estate participated in a cover-up and public lynchings, they are desperate to project their sins, and force a coup by other means.
I thought we weren't supposed to judge what two (or more) consenting adults chose to do in their bedrooms? Maybe that rule is only true during Democrat administrations.
I don't like Trump. He is a very flawed man. But until another credible contender comes along that wants to secure the borders, what should I do?
Amen! But I am not a single issue guy re immigration. My biggest desire in a Candidate is 'he has as little to do with the Democrat's current platform as possible'
Trump wins this as well as he is less of a Democrat than the Democrats themselves.
It isn't that Trump is wonderful. It is that the Democrats have made themselves so hateful to thoughtful people who don't automatically buy their priors.
“If there is one thing that draws me into liking Trump, it's the pressure to hate him.”
Yeah... Scott Adams is talking about this right now...
https://www.pscp.tv/w/bVWw1TFvTlFsbUdPVnlLd1J8MUJkR1lSQkFQWnpKWHeQhVz_gRxG3BQ7x2esLBBTCKdo-cyDOx_WVvLAZO3Q
FIDO said...
"If American women don't want to get married until their mid thirties, the men who DO want to get married earlier will find someone who will."
Evolution did not much care what women wanted, back when they couldn't get it. Now that women are "empowered", evolution is starting to pay attention to what they want. And if it isn't "children", evolution removes that piece from the table. The game then continues.
Kate:
Your projection of your values into the head of another is noted.
Do you remember when Francois Mitterrand died and his hearse was followed by a limo carrying his wife and their children, followed by another limo carrying his mistress and their bastards?
It's amazing what some people prefer. 7 billion people on the planet and some significant number of them exist on the ends of the normal distribution.
Toothpaste, tube: the chaste, chased off.
-6W
with the exception of Clinton and Kennedy, their is little evidence that our presidents since World War II were philanderers)...
Lyndon Johnson was faithful to Lady Bird? That would be news.
What's different now is that for the first time since WWII it's a Republican who is publicly accused of adultery. More than 10 years ago. As opposed to all those Democrats who had affairs while in office (let's not forget Roosevelt too), and we were told "It's just sex."
What really matters is that devout Christians have had good grounds to fear that Democrats want:
* to punish churches that refuse to marry homosexuals
* to bankrupt small businesses that refuse to cater to homosexual marriages.
Because those fears really matter, many devout Christians will continue to vote for Trump even though he has committed adultery.
#MeToo was too selective (i.e. Pro-Choice) and well-timed (i.e. opportunistic). #SheKnew #SheEnabled #SheProressed was the exploitation of women to defeat competing interests. It was never about the women. It was never about the children. Also, under the diversity doctrine, individuals are political congruent, interchangeable (according to class), and, in fact, disposable (i.e. negotiable value).
FIDO said...
"I don't like Trump. He is a very flawed man. But until another credible contender comes along that wants to secure the borders, what should I do?"
I'm actually getting to like Trump, and admire him. I wish I had his energy, and his self-possession. But yeah, it really doesn't matter when the alternative is someone who wants to destroy my children's future.
The word "affair" includes as part of its definition that the relationship is consensual.
Non-story #2 on the day. Which should not be understood as a criticism of our host.
-sw
Juanita Broaddrick.
Damn, didn't even break a sweat.
grounds to fear that Democrats want
Witch hunts. Witch trials. Public lynchings.
Social justice war-mongering, including CAIR.
Denial of individual dignity (e.g. diversity).
Denial of human value (e.g. selective-child, recycled-child).
Class wars (e.g. political congruence).
Coercing membership in the state-established Pro-Choice Church.
Given all the psudo-morality on display here, I've reached an important decision.
I will no longer care about extramarital affairs by politicians, so long as it's consensual and does not cause harm in other ways.
This way, Bill Clinton is still a rapist who also entered into an affair with an underling. Bad.
John Kennedy shagged Marlene Dietrich in a White House elevator. Good.
FDR and Ike had their affairs. Good. Although Ike did bang his secretary, so perhaps that should be bad. On the other hand, she didn't complain.
Weiner exposed himself to underage girls. Creepy.
Otherwise, it's not my damn business.
Besides, aren't these the same people who made fun of Pence for NOT doing what they're accusing Trump of doing?
Was it consensual?
If so, nobody cares.
Yeah, I know the #metoo crowd is trying to rope in Trump. But they should focus on actual predators like Harvey Weinstein.
She now expects "Dying Declaration" treatment for whatever she says.
At my age , one event seems to repeat itself. Many women over 50 blame men for what happens to them. Even getting older and dying... the SOB did not protect me from it.
Sounds like Daddy Issues.
I agree with you 100%, Ann. And I don't really think these kinds of 'bombshell' stories about President Trump's affairs, true or otherwise, are of much interest or concern to most people. Consenting adults doing what consenting adults do is very much different from sexual abuse or assault.
The left will not, however, let up because they hate this man so much.
Needs the Trump is like Martin Luther KIng tag.
"Man, for someone who despises Bill Clinton (and to a lesser extent, Hillary for covering for him), you are sure willing to give Trump the benefit of the doubt."
Bill Clinton was the first presidential candidate I supported who won, and I'd had preferred candidates beginning in 1960 (and voting beginning in 1972). I was 41 years old when my first candidate won, and I voted for him again in 1996. It was well-known at the time that he committed adultery a lot. It was a huge issue in the 1992 election.
Later, there were accusations of sexual harassment and even rape. As this post makes clear, I insist on a strong distinction between sexual abuse -- sexual harassment and even rape — and the problems (or perceived problems) of cheating within an intimate relationship.
Why are you failing to see the distinction? I was pretty heavy-handed in this post? Are you being obtuse because it's Trump? This is getting soooo tiresome.
One could make the point of cheap Asian imports, but look at the Honda and Toyota
Japan has labor, environmental, and regulatory parity with America, which mitigates establishment of monopolies and practices through arbitrage. In this situation, "free" trade is equitable trade and engenders a functional market, which promotes development and optimizes cost of living, for both parties.
Most rich powerful men have affairs. This isn't news to anyone.
Looking at her pictures, from her heyday most likely, its consistent with Trumps taste in women - that is, he likes them spectacular. His head is turned by head-turners.
Granted, a billionaire can usually get what he wants, and moreover head-turners will make it their business to turn heads like his.
A man in his position has to live with enormous temptations. I certainly can't say that I would have been better than him under such circumstances. I have been tempted, but in no way as often or as intensely.
Ann Althouse said...
Later, there were accusations of sexual harassment and even rape. As this post makes clear, I insist on a strong distinction between sexual abuse -- sexual harassment and even rape — and the problems (or perceived problems) of cheating within an intimate relationship.
Why are you failing to see the distinction? I was pretty heavy-handed in this post? Are you being obtuse because it's Trump? This is getting soooo tiresome.
WHEN HAS TRUMP BEEN ACCUSED OF RAPE OR ATTEMPTED RAPE? ALLEGATIONS INCLUDE A CHILD, HIS WIFE AND A BUSINESS ASSOCIATE
Because those fears really matter, many devout Christians will continue to vote for Trump even though he has committed adultery.
2/16/18, 10:51 AM
Exactly. One day, the left mocks Mike Pence's religious beliefs, the next day, they demand that Christians renounce Trump. When leftists aren't ridiculing Christians they're telling Christians exactly what "true" Christians should do and believe.
The constant hip hop from sneering atheist sophisticates to finger-wagging, purse-lipped moralists is unconvincing, to say the least.
Just looking at the all caps nonsense without clicking the link... didn't Trump's ex-wife withdraw the allegation?
Isn't it kind of dishonest to include that in the list?
"At another California golf event, Trump told McDougal that Tiger Woods had asked who she was. Trump, she recalled, warned her “to stay away from that one, LOL.”
(Note: Trump is an cheating asshole. But... if the first list of evidence he's raped someone includes an accusation that was withdrawn... let me just say I'm not too inclined to bother reading the rest.)
I care about adultery as a question of ethics and what it means to have a good marriage, but I don't go poking into what is part of a private relationship. You don't know what goes on in a marriage and you never know the whole story. To pick a target and then get dirt on him and to apply standards to him that you don't apply generally but just to him because you want to destroy him is unethical. If you want to talk about ethics.
It's not that adultery is fine as far as I'm concerned. It's ridiculous to read my post that way.
I have no idea what Trump and Melania are really like with each other. For all I know, she's playing a role that she understands and chooses to play and he's kept up his side of a bargain by working carefully to keep his affairs hidden. But obviously some enterprising reporters have dug things up. I don't know. But I'm not going to be distracted and led around by the Trump haters who use whatever they can get to enlist me in their hate. And I think I'm consistent in declining to react to adultery stories.
Look, I wish I could claim that the vast amount of human achievement wasn’t mostly about banging hot chicks - but it is.
We can call it all sorts of things: Romantic pursuits. Passionate artists. Whatever. The need to procreate with the finest of our species drives much of human achievement. The same people who adore Leonard Cohen bash Trump. Cohen banged a lot of chicks both inside and outside of marriage. And women absolutely love men who achieve.
Isn’t it obvious that Trump both loves his family AND has been tremendously prosperous to aid his pursuit of desirable women?
Trump’s achievements aren’t my cup of tea. I find his style stuck in the guilted 80s. But, Frank Lloyd Wright is my style and, well, Mr. Wright also banged some chicks along the way. But what achievements were fueled in that pursuit.
And, before you huff, I’m being intentionally borish to illustrate the point.
There is a story here, but it's about AMI (National Enquirer) buying the rights to stories for the purpose of suppressing them or using them as "leverage."
"Several people close to McDougal argued that such untold stories could be used as leverage against the President. “I’m sixty-two years old,” Crawford said. “I know how the world goes round.” Without commenting on Trump specifically, McDougal conceded that she had a growing awareness of the broader implications of the President’s situation. “Someone in a high position that controls our country, if they can influence him,” she said, “it’s a big deal.” In a statement, A.M.I. denied that it had any leverage over Trump: “The suggestion that AMI holds any influence over the President of the United States, while flattering, is laughable.”
In other words, AMI may be blackmailing the President and others. That's the story, not Trump's misconduct.
Tom: " But, Frank Lloyd Wright is my style and, well, Mr. Wright also banged some chicks along the way."
Wright abandoned his wife and mother of his 6 children to run away to Europe with a client. He did alot worse than that but he was beloved of the left so lets not discuss it.
Hey ARM, how much were those women paid to testify?
Breast implants: haters puff out chests.
-6W
ARM: "WHEN HAS TRUMP BEEN ACCUSED OF RAPE OR ATTEMPTED RAPE? ALLEGATIONS INCLUDE A CHILD, HIS WIFE AND A BUSINESS ASSOCIATE"
LOL
Yeah, run with that one.
1) It took zero "Bravery" for Farrow to attack Trump. Quite the opposite. Attacking Weinstein was brave because all his media buddies were covering for the man-pig.
2) I don't care that Trump had an affair 12 years ago.
3) Why do people ALWAYS act like these things happened yesterday?
4) Trump has been married 3 times and always has had a "active" sex life. This isn't shocking or surprising.
Maybe Trump's effort to hide his affairs is done not out of a desire to protect himself (it hardly harms his reputation to have had affairs with Playboy playmates as opposed to a plain or unattractive woman) but to protect his wife.
Perhaps Melania doesn't care, so long as he is discrete and avoids embarrassing her. While the media thinks it is doing a huge public service while embarrassing Trump,perhaps all it's really doing is humiliating Melania.
1. There is some bravery in Farrow going after AMI. Would you expose your private life to the National Enquirer?
2. I don't care about Trump's affairs, either.
3. Because reasons.
4. I'm shocked, shocked that gambling... etc. Agreed. Nothingburger.
rcocean: "3) Why do people ALWAYS act like these things happened yesterday"
Because, as with the recycled fake collusion lie stories, the media have nothing else to go with.
Their attempted coup is being exposed (Hellooooo Judge Sullivan, newly assigned to the Flyn case and addressing the clearly improper Flynn charge by Mueller's team of hacks and who has ordered said team of Mueller hacks to cough up the stuff they had hidden from Flynn's counsel which forced an improper guilty plea by Flynn) so it's time to pivot VERY quickly to More#MeToo to deflect.
Plus, they can now try to frame Trump for the Florida shooting similar to the lefties playbook used against Palin.
BTW, anybody remember when a dem actually shot up republicans? Bueller? Bueller?
Drago, that illustrates my point even further. I was intentionallally trying to be crass (from the point of view is the achiever) to make the point.
Sean Conery said it well. “Loser always whine about how hard they tried. Winners win and then go home and fuck the prom queen.” There’s an awful lot of truth to that statement.
If you see a “feminist” male, you better believe that he’s trying to bang some chicks. He’s got his act down pat.
Morals and ethics might keep many men on the straight and narrow, but they still think it.
Trump had extra-marital affairs.
Hillary wipes her ass with the Constitution.
Tough choice for a voter.
I think Bill Clinton's serial humiliation of Hillary doomed her chances at ever being President. She should have left him. After 2000 or so he became a liability. She didn't realize that. She needed to leave the first stage behind to make orbit.
Think about it. She could have attacked Trump on sexual harassment and had credibility. "I left Bill because he was a serial predator, and I realized that enabling him was wrong. Now I am standing up against another predator..." blase blah blah. Would have worked.
Instead, well, she couldn't move on.
ARM: "It was only a few weeks ago that Farrow was being lauded for his bravery in taking on a Hollywood player. It is even braver to take on the POTUS. Farrow's article gives you some insight into how Trump views women."
Is it really possible that ARM can't see that one thing is not like the other.
Assuming this story and the Stormy Daniels story are true, how should we "view" these women? How about as dishonorable, greedy bimbos who sleep with married men, accept money for agreeing to remain silent about it then blow off the agreement when other lucrative possibilities show up.
The most shameful thing about all this anti-Trump crap is not Trump, but the quality of the sleazebags Democrats enlist as their informants and the subjects of their adulation: porn stars, promiscuous playmates, disloyal White House staff, corrupt federal law enforcement personnel, seditious intelligence officers, etc.
perhaps all it's really doing is humiliating Melania.
Perhaps that is the point. Any way to attack Trump including his family. Remember their comments on Baron?
"Are you being obtuse because it's Trump? "
Me being obtuse? That's rich. You are ignoring numerous claims of sexual assault and ivana testifying under oath that trump assaulted and raped her.
FIDO said...
Hey ARM, how much were those women paid to testify?
You mean you think they dragged $100 bills through a trailer park?
"If there is one thing that draws me into liking Trump, it's the pressure to hate him." Exactly!
The articles that Althouse links to are like articles in Playboy. No one reads them.
"You are ignoring numerous claims of sexual assault and ivana testifying under oath that trump assaulted and raped her."
-- Didn't Ivana retract that claim?
Don't you think it is dishonest to not mention that? You have plenty of ammunition without lying by omission.
Trump has never sold himself to us as an icon of chastity
It seemed pretty clear that Trump was on his third marriage, and I doubt many of those who voted for him were ignorant of this fact. I suppose a few might not have considered how that happened, but I'm sure most were savvy enough to figure it wasn't because financial stress or loss of a child caused the marriage to dissolve.
As for Clinton, besides the allegations of abuse (which is why he was investigated, he lied in court in regards to a case of sexual harassment), we were also informed that we were to believe every thing was perfect in the Clinton's marriage. It's one thing to be imperfect; its another to demand others accept that your shit doesn't stink. That these concepts are not understood by their supporters is a problem for the Clintons and their supporters. It ain't my problem anymore.
Matthew Sablan said...
Didn't Ivana retract that claim?
So did Stormy. What possible incentive could these women have to do this, I wonder?
You mean you think they dragged $100 bills through a trailer park?
Well, didn't their lawyers collect a few million for that very task? James Carville seems to have been revealing Democrat tactics
So did Stormy. What possible incentive could these women have to do this, I wonder?
Blumenthal's check didn't clear.
By the way...anyone else seen a picture of Web Hubbell's legitimate daughter next to a photo of Chelsea Clinton lately?
The Left simply doesn't get it- such accusations don't matter any longer and the reason they don't matter is that the Right no longer plays by the old rules. I mean, if one doesn't understand that after November 8th, 2016, I suppose one will never understand it.
All this preoccupation with Trump's private life is intended as a distraction from the public life corruption of Democrats: Fusion, Hillary, DNC, FISA warrants, FBI, Rice, etc., etc.
Anyone doubt that ARM would take the money to be silent?
Anyone doubt that Robert Cook wouldn't?
It's not politics or what side you are on.
It's interesting how you can tell the character of a person from blog comments. It worked for Althouse and Meade, too.
The guy is on his third wife, and none of the earlier wives are dead, so I don't know that anyone is going to be particularly shocked by any information that indicates he's not the greatest husband.
Donald Trump has slept with many extremely beautiful women.
This is supposed to make me dislike him for some reason? Infidelity? Oh no. He's like approximately eight kajillion other politicians in this country's history.
Trump's a disgusting pig, plain and simple, vis-Ã -vis both men and women. Real four-legged pigs are worthy of our respect, and kind treatment, Trump isn't. Trump is an anomaly, in the most pernicious sense, as far as presidents go. He's a ambulatory malignant tumor to put it in medical terms. He should be kicked to the curb. He will be sooner or later.
Trump's crossing the line with women is captured here: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/15/us/politics/donald-trump-women.html
Trivia: Who first said, "There's a growing cancer close to the Presidency."
"On March 21, 1973, President Richard Nixon met with White House Counsel John W. Dean, III. Recording devices in the Oval Office of the White House captured this conversation.
In this conversation segment, Dean warns President Nixon that the Watergate cover-up is a growing "cancer... close to the Presidency." He mentions blackmail and possible perjury. Dean describes the origins of what became the break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate complex. Dean indicates his own role in recruiting G. Gordon Liddy, describes Liddy's background, and contrasts Jack Caulfield's early efforts to craft a campaign intelligence operation against more audacious schemes proposed by Liddy."
Trump is a cancer on the Presidency, to channel John Dean.
Trying to argue that Trump exists in a fundamentally different part of the moral universe to Bill Clinton is a tough job.
Glad I don't work that shift.
ARM: "You mean you think they dragged $100 bills through a trailer park?"
More like Soros and DNC donors were dragging hundreds of thousands of dollars thru.Lisa Blooms rolodex.
I don't know that anyone is going to be particularly shocked by any information that indicates he's not the greatest husband.
Interesting that there are no ex-wives complaining about him.
Baron Hilton once said, "Money isn't everything but it helps to keep the children close."
I think it applies to ex-wives, too.
"Pressure to hate": tired tires, overinflated.
-6W
"It's one thing to be imperfect; its another to demand others accept that your shit doesn't stink"
This is rich considering that trumps response to all these accusations is absolute denial and even threats of lawsuits against the accusers. He had also spent a lot of money to keep this out of the press
"Trying to argue that Trump exists in a fundamentally different part of the moral universe to Bill Clinton is a tough job. "
None of us are in a different moral universe. We are all in the same pool together, in the same water. And we are all pretty icky.
Who first said, "There's a growing cancer close to the Presidency."
John Dean who ran the Watergate break-in to learn if Larry O'Brien had any info on his wife, Maureen's "escort" career in DC.
ARM: "Trying to argue that Trump exists in a fundamentally different part of the moral universe to Bill Clinton is a tough job."
LOL
With every attack by the lefties they undermine their own narratives.
It was literally 15 months ago the libs/left/LLR were fighting tooth and nail to put Billy Boy back in the White House along with his chief enabler financed by Soros and the Hollywood Weinstein Mob.
In ARMs defense, history began anew 15 minutes ago.
Trying to argue that Trump exists in a fundamentally different part of the moral universe to Bill Clinton is a tough job.
It might be difficult for a Lefty like you to differentiate between consensual infidelity vs sexual harassment, cops picking up women and rape, but the rest of us aren't so encumbered by ideological baggage, so it's really not that difficult.
Just pretend Trump is a Democrat and that should allow you nuanced distinctions once again.
ARM you win today's prize for the most willful blindness. Gee, if the Democrats in Congress back in 98 had voted to impeach and remove Clinton it is doubtful Trump would be president today. But the Democrats by having set the standards so low that even Trump can jump over them with ease stay ever consistent with their hypocrisy. Don't worry Freder, there is still plenty of time to indict Bill and Hill for their numerous felonies.
"Trump's chance is coming and I bet he also lies under oath."
You must not be reading your Resistance newsletter very carefully, Freder. That's not how the fantasy is laid out.
Trump will first be impeached and convicted. As a private citizen, he will be charged with treason. He will be found guilty, summarily executed, drawn and quartered. His head will be displayed on a pike outside FBI headquarters.
Jim Comey will run for POTUS in 2020 with Hillary by his side.
In a landslide upset, they will lose to the Laura Ingram/Michelle Malkin ticket.
Democrats will accuse them of collusion with China.
Rinse and repeat.
Francisco you left out the part where President Pence chooses Hillary as his VP, and then resigns.
Speaking of the FBI: FBI Statement on the Shooting in Parkland, Florida
We have determined that these protocols were not followed for the information received by the PAL on January 5. The information was not provided to the Miami Field Office, and no further investigation was conducted at that time.
There are also reports of domestic violence to the local Sheriff. While these may not be legal cause to incarcerate or involuntarily commit an individual, it would be cause to deny legal ownership of a gun, a scalpel, a vacuum, and other dual-use instruments.
JFK was a paragon of style in the sphere of publicity, and a manic womanizer in private. None of that came out, because of the preferences of the American press lords of the day.
Less well known was Johnson.
He once said that he’d “had more women by accident than Kennedy ever had on purpose.” Nothing was released at the time, and not much since.
Even Ike had one well-known mistress, hush-hush until many decades later. How many more remains to be discovered, and I suspect there were several.
Bill Clinton was unusual only in the accusations of violence. Hitting on the employees though, Lewinsky-style, seems to have been typical of the others - Kennedy, Johnson, and even Ike. There is a droit de seigneur thing in those cases. Clinton just fell afoul of random shifting tides of modern mores.
What the rest of that lot, including Ronald Reagan, had in their closets is more speculative. But nothing would surprise me.
@Buwaya... Trump had to audition many Trophy Wife candidates before he at last found Melania who could pass the final test, which was an IQ Test . Just consider the others preliminary screen tests.
The entire D-machine shot their wad making excuses for Bill Clinton. Sucks to be you.
Then Harvey Big Donor D Weinsten happened. Trump's extra marital affairs might be real, might be lies - but so what? S'all kinda whatevs.
We can all agree that we'd like St. Perfect as president, but then again that would be creepy too, no?
btw- I placed a phone call to The Buddha the other day and I asked The Buddha, because he is tight with Jesus, if he knew anything about the conversations between Jesus and Mike Pence. Oh - Buddha was so glad I asked. Turns out, Jesus is telling Mike Pence to go FULL THEOCRACY!
The other thing about Clinton was that he tended to go after ugly, or just plain, women, while the rest seem to have preferred good looking ones. And, of course, Trump seems to have had a weakness for the best looking women. Not even average looking, but more likely stunning. The type that a lot of men in this country would have considered violating their marriage vows to have sex with. Which just gets him more male votes.
Drago waay back @ 10:21.
"History began anew for Freder this morning."
For Freder, history indeed personal history AND geography, appear extremely malleable.
No one should feel obligated to reveal details of themselves on the internet. I trust people who want to be taken seriously not to lie when volunteering information about themselves. But I really resent those who abuse both the anonymity of the internet and my trust by lying. When revealed, I'll never take them seriously again.
This is rich considering that trumps response to all these accusations is absolute denial and even threats of lawsuits against the accusers
And presumably he’s lying, but the Democrats’ willingness to criminalize religion and subvert immigration and other laws makes this enormously flawed person the best bad option out there.
My late step-monster had all her fillings removed and replaced because she thought they were making leaking mercury and making her deathly ill.
Of course, she was borderline and Munchausen, so it may all have been a lie for attention.
Clinton came from a Trailer park. He went for what he grew up with.
Trump grew up in NYC with a lot of money. He also went for what he grew up with.
Centerfolds before implants? Playboy Model T.
-6W
Clinton's involuntary and superior exploits were pardoned by the female chauvinists (and like-minded), and as President they came to light at the height of the female chauvinist power curve, when #MeToo was #NotNow and #SheProgressed.
That said, in combination with the Pro-Choice Church, including [color] diversity, political congruence, conflation of logical domains, social justice wars, CAIR, immigration reform, redistributive voting, stoking sex conflicts, and selective-child/Planned Parenthood, people have necessarily and predictably become more discerning.
"Francisco you left out the part where President Pence chooses Hillary as his VP, and then resigns."
Yes. Then with Hillary as POTUS, we do something about gun violence. The FBI will go door-to-door and confiscate all handguns and rifles owned by private citizens, with the exception of DNC donors.
Climate change skeptics will be jailed and a 75% carbon usage tax will be signed into law.
The Clinton (Crime Family) Foundation gets a $2 billion check from George Soros and a $3 billion check from Tom Steyer.
The Media note that there is calm in the nation after the frenzy surrounding the Trump administration.
A unicorn is found at a farm near Keosauqua, Iowa. Scientists name it Hillary because it symbolizes the magical hope that she brings to the country.
"Donald Trump has slept with many extremely beautiful women.
This is supposed to make me dislike him for some reason? Infidelity? Oh no. He's like approximately eight kajillion other politicians in this country's history."
Infidelity is acceptable because it is commonplace? Try again. Jealousy is the #1 reason for murder. Infidelity is another reason for murder, or justifiable homicide. Do you find murder acceptable in the case of the green-eyed monster. The Case of the Green-Eyed Monster sounds like a Perry Mason episode.
“We can all agree that we'd like St. Perfect as president, but then again that would be creepy too, no?”
No, I don’t think that we can. I think that I would prefer an alpha, who knows that he is the alpha, so doesn’t have to posture as much. And can get our enemies to shit their pants that he might decide to swat them aside. With the obvious exception of Obama, our Presidents tend to be alpha dogs, but no one since LBJ, until Trump, has been able to effortlessly be the world alpha dog.
What was a bit scary about Obama was that he was so obviously a beta playing alpha dog. And that meant that not only would he back down when he shouldn’t, but might be expected to overreact on occasion. The French, in particular, seem to understand that putting someone in charge who doesn’t act the alpha, collecting their due, on occasion, when it comes to women, is dangerous. And, yet, the left here seems to think that we should put someone who can be cowed by Rocket Man, or the Iranian mullahs, just because they can go cra-cra, in charge of our nuclear arsenal. At least Crooked Hillary wasn’t that wimpy.
Turns out, Jesus is telling Mike Pence to go FULL THEOCRACY!
Even better, his dad is apparently telling Oprah not to run......
I still think the Trump hate hysteria resembles previous mass hysterias like the "Recovered Memories" and the "Day Care hysteria.'
Both involved similar left wing women, for one thing.
Feminism is a weird phenomenon.
Oh, I don't know...I always thought Paula Jones was kinda cute...especially after she got her nose fixed...:-D
What Freeman said.
What was a bit scary about Obama was that he was so obviously a beta playing alpha dog.
Other theory is that he was a Muslim "Manchurian Candidate."
What would he have done differently if he were not ?
This is rich considering that trumps response to all these accusations is absolute denial and even threats of lawsuits against the accusers. He had also spent a lot of money to keep this out of the press
And of course, no Democrat ever does this.
Obama was a terrible president in many ways, but he was faithful to his wife.
Oh good!
Trump's a disgusting pig, plain and simple, vis-Ã -vis both men and women. Real four-legged pigs are worthy of our respect, and kind treatment, Trump isn't. Trump is an anomaly, in the most pernicious sense, as far as presidents go. He's a ambulatory malignant tumor to put it in medical terms. He should be kicked to the curb.
I can't wait until 2032 or so when the Left starts talking about how evil the current Republican candidate is, and asking why he couldn't be more like that nice man Trump.
"Obama was a terrible president in many ways, but he was faithful to his wife"
Precisely what the media said about JFK for decades....until it was okay to say he wasn't.
We have no way to know if Obama was faithful or not, since no one is looking into it.
Trump on the other hand must really be a Boy Scout if this is all that has turned up after the FBI, the CIA, the NSA, the KGB, British intelligence, the entire Dem Party oppo research apparatus and the national and international news media have all crawled up his ass with a microscope over and over again for at least 3 years.
More stuff came out about Hillary despite these same organizations working hard to cover for her.
Trump was a social liberal in a liberal land. He has repented, abstained from normalization/promotion, and aborted... I mean Planned... I mean sinned no more. By any qualification that is progress, and, in fact, it is positive.
Trump has also cleaned up the mess left by Obama's premature evacuation. Well, baby steps.
A unicorn is found at a farm near Keosauqua, Iowa.
A Unicorn accompanied by the Stork from progressive liberal mythology.
"Obama was a terrible president in many ways, but he was faithful to his wife."
Instead of dickin' bimbos, he screwed the rest of us.
"Obama was a terrible president in many ways, but he was faithful to his wife"
Probably, if you limit yourself to women. But plenty of allegations that he had boyfriends. But the same sort of thing, only in reverse, has long been alleged for Crooked Hillary.
McDougal was abusing Mrs. Trump by her affair with her husband. Of course, only men get the scarlet letter in this new moral panic. Women and children under seven are blameless because they have no agency.
BTW, is Ronan Farrow anything other than a celebrity gossip and a fluff-headed fairy? At least three of his two or three parents had some talent. He's not even famous for being famous, just famous for being related to the famous.
Are we supposed to care about all the extramarital affairs of politicians again?
Again, that really was not the issue with that boy, Mr. Clinton. The issue with him was his obstruction of justice to deprive Paula Jones of her civil rights after he had previously sexually abused her. It was the Clintons who made it necessary to get into all the graphic details in order to refute their trademark denials, deflections, spin and demonization of others.
The story of the affair is only interesting in that it accords with Trump's MO for affairs. The interesting part of the story is how the company that owns the National Inquirer arranged to pay her for not speaking about the affair. Why would it do that for Trump? And then it pretty much reneged on its end of the bargain, which was to include ongoing work. But apparently everyone here already thinks Trump's a low life and that it's great.
If Althouse loves Trump because everyone hates him she must go wild for the Clintons, reading the comments every day on her site.
If there is one thing that draws me into liking Trump, it's the pressure to hate him.
And that explains how he was elected. Had the Clintons played it straight, without their usual descent into Clintonism, there was a good chance that Hillary (shudder the thought) would now be president.
Obama was a terrible president in many ways, but he was faithful to his wife.
Who doubts that she could have kicked his ass ?
If Althouse loves Trump because everyone hates him she must go wild for the Clintons, reading the comments every day on her site.
No, it's just that his enemies are so deliciously immoral and liars.
Clinton enemies were people like us.
Michael K said...
Clinton enemies were people like us - deliciously immoral and liars.
Silly baffled Ann wonders
Are we supposed to care about all the extramarital affairs of politicians again? .... Should we ruin the professional life of everyone who's committed adultery or everyone who's committed adultery and been good at hiding it? Do we really want to limit the pool of potential elected officials to individuals who have never been unfaithful to a spouse?
Ann doesn't appear to realize that there's a difference between professionals like her dentist or her garage mechanic having an affair that he tries to hide, and the same being true of her congressman or her president. So, we know that Trump has paid for sex during his current marriage, and has gone to significant effort and expense to keep that covered up. Here's why it's worse for a politician to do those things than for Ann's dentist: it exposes the politician to being blackmailed, which in turn can force the politician to do the bidding of his blackmailer, not the people he's been elected to serve. The electorate doesn't have an interest in the personal life of Ann's dentist, but it does in a politician, because we want to know what his motivations are. That Ann, supposedly a university law professor, doesn't understand that distinction raises concerns about the professional preparation of her students.
Ann and her fellow Trumpalists agree that Trump is well-known as a coarse adulterer and sex harasser, a cheat and a con man and a bankrupt who can't get a loan in the US and depends on the Russians for financing. So what, they say? Why on earth should we prevent him from debasing his office, exercising as he does a moral code that's about the level of a salamander? Really, why the hubbub about the dossier details, with Trump hiring prostitutes to pee on a bed the Obama slept in? What's embarrassing about that? It's perfectly in character for Trump, from paying for whores to hating Obama. So why, as Ann said, should we "limit the pool of potential elected officials" by excluding a fellow like Trump?
Here's a law professor, unaware about blackmail, but standing strong to defend adulterers in office.
I don't like Trump's demeanor much at all. But I like even less statements like "The man is not presidential." Who gets to decide that? I say the "we, the people" get to decide what is presidential, and we decided Trump. I still don't like the man's demeanor (I don't know the man at all, could be the best man in the world).
But, I love what he is doing for this country: exposing political correctness, the fake news press, draining the swamp (he needs help!) and most of all trying to implement sane policies.
That having been said, marriage is perhaps the most important institution we have going, and I don't appreciate Trump's cavalier attitude towards it. It cheapens the institution, which I view as the grand compromise between the sexes. It's worth preserving, and not cheapening.
"Obama was a terrible president in many ways, but he was faithful to his wife. "
The Obama rumors are of the "bathhouse Barry" sort.
And who knows what eventually turns up.
The thing about Obama is that, as yet, few are looking and nobody is talking.
You can't tell at this point if he was Jimmy Carter or JFK.
But omerta eventually breaks down.
But it took decades in the case of JFK.
Nice going Michael K.
ARM seems to be at a loss for words (or lies as honest people call them).
"What's embarrassing about that? "
Indeed, what is?
"Embarassment" is, these days, a manufactured product of a propaganda system.
It is embarrassing only if the NYT and the WaPo and MSNBC and CNN says it is, and if not, not.
Indeed, if they don't make much of it it does not exist.
Or if it did exist, and they made much of it then, it ceases to exist when they no longer bother with it. And if Red was Blue last year, it is Yellow this year.
Its all halfway to being Orwell's world.
"I don't know the man at all, could be the best man in the world"
His alleged mistresses are all quite positive about him.
That counts for something!
wwww said...
"BTW, is Ronan Farrow anything other than a celebrity gossip and a fluff-headed fairy?"
Short Answer: Yes.
That was last week. This week the Great Pumpkin is a target so Farrow is a fairy.
Farrow may be a fairy (who knows), but he is actually a journalist, unlike many who are paid to be journalists.
As for Ronan Farrow; he has credibility in that he broke the story on Harvey Weinstein. Then again, it was a story that anyone could have broken, because as we were told "it was an open secret". Supposedly though, Farrow was the only one insisting the story become public, and it was his story that broke Weinstein's dam.
A lot of people were pissed that Farrow wrote the Weinstein story.
So a few questions:
Is this story on Trump just straight up Farrow continuing to slay big names that he sees as preying on women?
Was Farrow pressured to do a story on Trump to even the score?
Was Farrow's Weinstein piece about dumping the trash before going after the real target all along in Trump?
In short, is Farrow his own man or just a tool?
Farrow broke the story of Harvey W trting to have sex with beautiful women, something Ronan can't fathom. He also reintroduced the story of his sister and himself being brainwashed by their lunatic mother.
His alleged mistresses are all quite positive about him.
Stormy said he was average.
Leland: "A lot of people were pissed that Farrow wrote the Weinstein story."
Yep.
Lots and lots of angry leftists and LLR's.
Like ARM and Pickering.
They didn't like that story at all.
"In short, is Farrow his own man or just a tool?"
He could easily be both.
"Stormy said he was average.'
Sexually.
Stormy said he took her seriously and treated her respectfully as a professional - in the field of publicity and showbiz. Quite a testimonial under the circumstances.
"Then again, it was a story that anyone could have broken, because as we were told "it was an open secret". '
The personal life of JFK was also "an open secret" that anyone could have broken.
But no one did.
One of the qualities of a superlative journalist is to go where the angels fear to tread. The ability to gather information, or to write arresting prose, is negated if one is unwilling to take a personal risk.
Sometimes the risk is physical. There are plenty of dead journalists. Sometimes the risk is professional.
One day someone will break open the Barak Obama story, and that will indeed be risky. Or, more likely, it will happen a long time from now when it is no longer risky.
Trump is in no way risky. Anybody can and has said everything about him, and has not suffered in any way.
Silly dishonest John Pickering pretends against all evidence that his harrumphing about Trump isn’t purely partisan.
Of course, we might at some point talk about this culture among women -- and yes it has become widespread enough over a long enough period to call it a culture -- of getting sexually involved with men who are not especially physically attractive or who have a fairly obnoxious personally or are not very smart or nice or fun to be around. But they do have MONEY and they have POWER.
And I'm not just talking about celebrities. This happens with regular people. It happens in high schools and colleges and throughout all ages.
I concur with any previous posters who mentioned they made love to Karen McDougal thousands of times over the years.
Do we really want to limit the pool of potential elected officials to individuals who have never been unfaithful to a spouse?
Given most of the responses here, the consensus seems to be not only no, but that the whole idea is laughable. But just as recently as two generations ago, many people and certainly most people calling themselves conservative would have said yes. I have to give Hillary and Obama and the Dems credit. They caused soi-disant conservatives not just to completely renounce their principles, but to actually delight in mocking them. I guess we're all liberals now, fighting only about tax, fiscal policy and feminism.
What Bob Boyd wrote:
"Trump had extra-marital affairs.
"Hillary wipes her ass with the Constitution.
"Tough choice for a voter."
Amen. That image Mr. Boyd gives us in his second sentence will be hard to erase from my mind. But it reminds me of something I've said from time to time: that the sadomasochistic "liberal" State-shtuppers who post here regularly probably have a photoshopped picture of a whip-wielding Michelle Obama or Hillary Clinton dressed in a leather "She Wolf of the IRS" laminated and hanging in their showers. Now they can add that image of Hillary using the Constitution as her own Charmin to their collection of stroke material.
Peter said...
I guess we're all liberals now
I'm a moderate. I preferred Obama.
Another thing that baffles Ann and some of her readers is, why do so many people hate Trump? Ann is so confused that she's concluded that the fact that people hate Trump is a reason for her to like him.
It's an expression of the alienation experienced by her white, male-dominated tribe. It hasn't occurred to Ann that, if she happened to be an American who is black, she might develop strongly negative opinions about a President who, in office and previously as a private citizen, has repeatedly indulged in racist views and acts. If Ann happened to be an brown-skinned immigrant, she might detest Trump for his xenophobia and his deportation schemes. If Ann were a person who cared about the environment, or about diplomacy, or about public education, or about the opioid crisis, she might take strong exception even to the point of personal animus that the president has gutted or perverted the roles of the EPA, the State Department, the Education Department and the FDA. If Ann were a woman --- well, I guess she's covered that. Adultery and sex harassment are perfectly fine with Ann, we wouldn't want to exclude him from the pool of potential elected officials. To be sure, it's quite possible she didn't notice any of those Women's Marches, being largely uncovered by Breitbart, Powerline and the Daily Mail. Some women -- not Ann -- hate Trump because he appears to have a habit of treating them like shit.
For Ann, those are reason to just love Trump all the more!
Shame-based politics must be a Madison thing. Shame on you, Ann !
"Of course, we might at some point talk about this culture among women -- and yes it has become widespread enough over a long enough period to call it a culture -- of getting sexually involved with men who are not especially physically attractive or who have a fairly obnoxious personally or are not very smart or nice or fun to be around. But they do have MONEY and they have POWER."
This is not new, and its not a culture. Its as old as humanity, and probably older.
Heck, its chimpanzee behavior.
The Left, for thirty years: "You can't impose your outdated morality on other people."
The Right, last year: "Ok. Heres Trump."
The Left: "You hypocrites! "
The Right: "That's why we don't listen to anything you say, anymore."
No, Peter, we are not all liberals now. Given the decadent condition of our poor society, however, in order to accomplish much of anything positive we who would not embrace the public adulterer or fornicator socially must bite our tongues and tolerate such people doing the Republic's politics.
The Pickering complaint is, as expected, entirely tribal.
The argument is all about tribal symbolisms.
There are, on the other side, numerous other tribes and tribal symbols.
The problem is not with Trump, but with your American tribes.
You all hate each others guts.
Align with some, and you acquire the hate of the others.
And so with Trump, formerly a court jester of certain tribes, not respected but certainly not hated. But he made common cause with some tribes, and not others.
Overnight he acquired a host of hateful symbols. Overnight what was benign or glossed over became a reason to hate.
"I guess we're all liberals now"
You are all fascists now.
No, really, you are. Since Roosevelt.
Its been nothing but "third way" ideology since big government showed up.
And thats what fascism is - the "third way".
John Pickering: "... Its an expression of the alienation felt by her white male-dominated tribe ... blah, blah ... (fill in the usual mindless Democrat horseshit.)"
"... It’s the big fact of American life now, isn’t it? That we are patronized by our inferiors” Peggy Noonan, WSJ, 2016.
Alternatively, no one else here is so ignorant that they can't differentiate between Democrat talking points and reality, except maybe ARM, trumpit and Freder.
"They caused soi-disant conservatives not just to completely renounce their principles, but to actually delight in mocking them."
It is the question of the degradation of "principles".
After decades of hammering, they are not just extinct, but absurd.
Its about time that this was mutually acknowledged.
It is all insect politics now.
They caused soi-disant conservatives not just to completely renounce their principles, but to actually delight in mocking them.
As is true of everything John Pickering bleats, this is entirely untrue. We delight in mocking his transparent hypocrisy, and the non-stop idiotic hyperventilating in which the John Pickerings engage, but we remain broadly true to our principles, and we’re willing to elect a president who flouts some of these issues because the alternative was infinitely worse.
So unlike the John Pickerings who lie to themselves and others about their preferred candidates’ character, we fully admit Trump’s vast flaws. But he is improving the lives of many more Americans than would have happened had his opponent been elected, and we recognize that the shrieking accusations of racism! and xenophobia! are intentional misrepresentations of Trump’s actual positions, so we just tune them out. (Except for the infinitely patient folks like myself, who are willing to explain things to the John Pickerings of the world, undUnted by the realization that he lacks any interest in thinking critically about the silly platitudes that he’s unthinkingly absorbed.)
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