Well, well, well....
It seems that Newt Gingrich's second wife, Marianne, is reporting to the world that Newt came to her about 12 years ago asking for an open marriage. He told her that he wanted to stay married to her and continue his affair with the woman who later became wifey number three.
Let me stop here and say that I'm putting my political opinion of Newt aside for this discussion, and I hope you can, too.
I am very interested, however, in how it will be handled by all of the folks who screamed that Bill Clinton's affair with Monica had no impact on his ability to lead or his moral judgement (but we did learn that he really pays attention to the definition of words, didn't we?).
Of course, we knew that Newt's definition of "family values" was a bit interesting already. He married one of his high school teachers. Then he cheated on her with Marianne and eventually married Marianne. Okay, we also know that Marianne is not very bright because their relationship started with him cheating with her and then she expected that he would remain faithful to her for the rest of his life. He had already demonstrated that he was a cheater. She had already given tacit approval and understanding of the fact that Newt was not a one woman man.
Ohhhhh......I'll bet she thought she could change him. Hahahahahahahahahaha.
But don't you have just a little, teeny tiny bit of support for the fact that he told her the truth and asked for what he really wanted? Then she had the option of staying or leaving. She chose the latter. I can tell you from personal experience that it takes a certain amount of courage to look your spouse of many years in the eye and ask for an open marriage. It's scary. It's difficult to do.
Ok, it's a bit troubling that he was having this affair at the same time that he was trying to get Clinton impeached, but does it really shock you that a politician would have a double standard?
Sadly, such a thing has become the norm.
I think this news will actually make some people like him more because he even had the courage to discuss open marriage with his formerly-other-woman wife. Others will point at the hypocrisy and like him less. Some will not have any change in opinion - they either like him or don't and this news doesn't matter.
What say you, Prowlers? Does this news make you like him more (even a little, regardless of whether you like him overall or plan to vote for him), like him less, or does it not change your opinion of him at all?
Vote below, and feel free to leave a comment in our main comments section. I really want to hear your thoughts.
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Don't worry. The new Cara pic is coming very shortly. ;-)
10 comments:
My opinion of him has not really changed... When I was in college or grad school, back in the 90s there was a bumper sticker that read "Neuter Newt" and I rather like that sentiment. Don't get me wrong, it's not that he's a cheater that makes him loathsome, it's that he preaches "family values" while doing so.
With all the GLBT(etc) stuff going on nowadays, who knows what "family values" really means anymore? Maybe open marriage is a new family value? Dunno.
I also asked my spouse for an open marriage, and was called names alluding to my promiscuity. Came to find out later that my spouse had been having an "open" marriage all along...and just wasn't telling me about it. Hmm.
My opinion of Newt hasn't changed. I didn't really like him before and don't really line him now.
I think his asking for an open marriage is less about an open mind and more about a TITANIC sense of entitlement and an amazing level of hubris!
That Newt is a hypocrite comes as no surprise. I read somewhere that Newt left wife number 1 for Marianne after wife number one was diagnosed with cancer. Newt then left Marianne for Calista shortly after Marianne was diagnosed with MS. The advice for Calista in the article was to eat well and get regular check ups. I am with Ryan above massive sense of entitlement and outsized ego about his place in history sums up Newt for me.
I've never liked Newt, what he represents, or how he operates. But I find him fascinating. His mother was bipolar, and from what I've read, he's definitely on that spectrum. It's not the infidelity, it's not the apparent hypocrisy, really the number one issue is the guy's stability. I don't fault Marianne for thinking that he'd be faithful to her. I do not subscribe to the adage "once a cheater, always a cheater". Her mistake was not recognizing that he has deeper psychological issues. Love makes fools of us all.
That said, the open marriage tactic isn't that horrifying. It would not be the first time I've heard of someone trying it. Sometimes they're even successful in their proposal.
The other interesting thing about New is the duality between himself and Clinton along with the paralells in their lives. In some respects, those guys are cut from the same cloth. It's fascinating to think how they ended so different in other respects.
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/6d330c028c/newt-gingrich-man-of-many-wives
Delete this if you want to Kat but I couldn't help but share this - now that's funny!
Take Care,
R
P.S. Did you know you had a Newt ad on your blog a few minutes ago?
Born Again- Newt and Clinton cut from the same cloth? Never!!! What an insult to Clinton.
Ryan- I watched that link you posted and LOVED it! So funny! I wonder how many people would hate me if I posted it on my Facebook wall...
I agree with JJ. 85 ethics vioations and a resignation from Congress mean nothing compared to a sex life.
Besides, Newt's gay, just like Billary.
Cara,
Here is another Newt vid with Ali G. I literally almost hyperventilated from laughing while I watched. I love Sacha Baron!
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/84afa4efd4/ali-g-with-newt-gingrich-from-aligshow_fan
Post it to Facebook, who cares - we all need to get a life!
And more on Newt; what type of incompetent can't get tenure at West Georgia College (and he calls himself a historian). Newt just was too lazy to publish anything, it would have been harder than campaigning for congress! :)
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