Minnesota Senator Al Franken was accused of grabbing constituent’s buttocks during photo ops and of pretending to grope the breasts of a fellow comic in a photo. He is resigning and has been disgraced. Meanwhile, Alabama senatorial candidate nearly won the special election and is viewed by the right as a hero. The difference? The more repentent you are, the more you get punished for sexual assault or harassment.
Too Pig To Fail
Ted Rall
Ted Rall is a syndicated political cartoonist for Andrews McMeel Syndication and WhoWhatWhy.org and Counterpoint. He is a contributor to Centerclip and co-host of "The Final Countdown" talk show on Radio Sputnik. He is a graphic novelist and author of many books of art and prose, and an occasional war correspondent. He is, recently, the author of the graphic novel "2024: Revisited."
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Variety first reported the news that an investigation “found credible allegations that Smiley had engaged in sexual relationships with multiple subordinates” and that some feared “their employment status was linked to the status of a sexual relationship with Smiley.”
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/pbs-suspends-distribution-of-tavis-smiley-after-sexual-misconduct-allegations
Another possible interpretation: Some HOPED “their employment status was linked to the status of a sexual relationship with Smiley.” Men with high social status inspire such hope for elevated social status in prospective mates.
Fear and hope are the carrot and stick of monetized social relations, from the political to the personal, thus the prenuptial agreement presaging the dissolution of a blossoming relationship.
I can’t imagine many women seeking mates among homeless men who supplement their meager income by selling their blood. Not unless she were also a denizen of the same social strata.
A vulnerable Paul McCartney fell in love with and married a woman who had never heard of the Beatles.
Imagine an English speaking woman of Paul’s age who had NEVER HEARD OF THE BEATLES.
If Paul had not married her, and her hopes had been dashed, could she convince herself she was a victim of exploitation?
Once I was a young man
And all I thought I had to do was smile
You are still a young girl
And you bought everything in style
Listen
But once you think you’re in you’re out
’cause you don’t mean a single thing without
The handbags and the gladrags
That your Grandad had to sweat so you could buy
Songwriters: Michael d’Abo
Handbags And Gladrags lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Due to the wisdom that is US evangelicalism, conservatives may abuse drugs and solicit sex from underage girls and random men in airport bathroom stalls. Such only proves that men are created frail and fallen since time immemorial, but by confessing their sins (to the televangelists) and accepting JC their souls will be saved and they and their wallets accepted back into the club.
Liberals, however, are forever damned even after comparatively minor transgressions or mere innuendo. Radicals, and even principled liberals will appear radical in the current context, will be unceremoniously thrown under the bus even by what one would naively assume to be their side.
So – is this in contradiction with the current cartoon showing conservatives to be unrepentant?
Well, you see, the accuser in the cartoon would be a woman, sister of Lilith. Such accusers are to be met by a stern father figure who does not give an inch and doles out a good spanking. True confessions are a matter between men. Forgive me, father, for I have sinned. (Mother, go back into the kitchen please).
On the other hand, by rolling over, liberals only reinforce their assigned state as girly men. Of course, fighting back – like Bill Clinton did – will only send the conservative reaction into overdrive. Classic catch 22.
Conservatives are largely men (and women) of “good conscience”, a good conscience a resulting from a pathological inability to feel guilty.
It seems a large number of Liberals also have “good consciences” of this kind, only to a somewhat lesser degree in that they will feel shame, but only when their shame-worthy behavior becomes publicly known (and tarnishes their brand).
I find your Catch 22 analogy to be appropriate. The real crazies don’t know or admit to themselves the harm they do while the less crazy and more rehabilitatable take themselves out of the game as if fatally flawed.
In 2000 Al Gore distanced himself from the besmirched but still popular Bill Clinton and the “good conscience” conservative Lieberman was made his running mate, so as to demonstrate remorse.
But then I believe the Democrats fear inciting anger in their electorate over their own condition, that if it were to erupt with a Tea Party level of passion they would be unable to harness it to their own purposes. That’s why the 2010 losses of Obama can be seen as a result of his throwing a wet blanket over his electorate in order to smother (among other things) their growing anti-1% passion, so important to the New Democrats as their reason to exist.
IOKIYAR
Or famous – Mike Tyson comes to mind, and he’s still going strong as a celebrity. But wait – he’s an R, Bill Cosby is a D. Meh, it’s probably just coincidence …
«The difference? The more repent[a]nt you are, the more you get punished for sexual assault or harassment.» I suggest, Ted, that the distinction lies rather in the difference between the respective constituencies to which such figures must appeal, than in the difference between degrees of repentance. As you yourself point out, Mr Moore is viewed by his constituency, the right, as a hero, despite – or perhaps due (in part) to – his unrepentant stand, while Mr Franken’s views him as a villain, no matter how frequent and how sincerely his apologies….
Henri
Punishment for sexual predation should be a forced change of party affiliation, not resignation.
Both parties had their conservative and liberal wings in the 70s.
Franken should have renounced his party affiliation and realigned instead with the party that tolerates intolerance.
Franken was pro-Iraq war so it wouldn’t be so much of a reach for him.