Since the beginning of her campaign, Hillary Clinton has had the ghost of Bill Clinton’s past constantly looming around her.
In light of a 2005 tape revealed on Oct. 7 that showed Donald Trump joking about groping women, Trump has taken to pointing a finger at Bill Clinton’s less-than-spotless past in an attempt to incriminate Hillary Clinton.
During Oct. 9’s debate, Trump responded to the topic of the lewd tapes by accusing Hillary Clinton of harassing Bill Clinton’s victims, saying, “Hillary Clinton attacked those same women and attacked them viciously.”
Trump was referring to allegations that Hillary Clinton verbally attacked Monica Lewinsky, Gennifer Flowers and Juanita Broaddrick, who were all alleged victims of Bill Clinton’s infidelity.
These allegations are, if not entirely false, extremely exaggerated. Yes, it is true that Clinton referred to Monica Lewinsky as a “narcissistic loony toon.” Hillary Clinton was a scorned wife. She made some remarks in private about the women who were involved with her husband. But, I guess locker-room talk only applies to men, right?
Bill Clinton’s indiscretions were undoubtedly immoral. But he was impeached for them two decades ago, and has lived with the consequences, including having his license to practice law revoked. Trump fails to recognize that Bill Clinton’s and his own shameful transgressions have nothing to do with Hillary Clinton. Maybe if it were the 1990s and he was debating against Bill Clinton himself, these rebuttals would be valid.
But he’s not. He’s debating against a highly qualified woman whose husband happens to be a man with loose morals. Trump is drawing nonsensical lines together, hoping his audience is too frenzied to be logical. He’s hoping he can draw enough misguided hatred for Hillary Clinton that his supporters will overlook the entitled, narcissistic comments he’s made. His comments on the tape have a larger meaning when they’re pulled out of context. “When you’re a star, they’ll let you do it. You can do anything you want,” he said. Indeed, his audience lets him do whatever he wants.
It’s hard to compare this situation to any other, because the Clintons’ situation is historic and unique. Never before have both partners in a couple run for the office of United States president, and never before has a presidential candidate been a woman. That means there’s no precedent for how to handle a prospective First Man’s infidelities.
There is, however, much precedent for what’s expected of the wife of an unfaithful politician. Jackie Onassis Kennedy stayed by John F. Kennedy’s side. Only after multiple sex scandals did Huma Abedin, the wife of notorious serial sexter and former New York Rep. Anthony Weiner, leave her husband.
So, why is it different that Clinton chose to stay with her husband? Why is it a weakness of hers? It’s not. It’s merely a tough, extremely personal choice.
And the fact that Trump hasn’t been faithful over the course of his three marriages is well-documented. In fact, the tapes that arose were recorded just three months into his marriage to his current wife, Melania. So, the fact that he’s calling Bill Clinton out on his past lapses in judgment is hypocritical. If Clinton is in the wrong, so is Trump. He can’t have it both ways.
Maybe it’s just a general lack of respect for the sanctity of marriage that Trump is displaying through these remarks. In the primary season, he took to insulting Heidi Cruz, Ted Cruz’s wife, in a tweet that compared a flattering picture of his own wife next to an unfortunate, unflattering picture of Cruz’s. However, when Ted Cruz used a nude photo of Melania Trump in a campaign ad, Donald Trump went ballistic and threatened to “spill the beans” on Heidi Cruz. This was seen by some as a threat by the Trump campaign to attack Heidi Cruz for her history of depression.
It seems like Trump expects women to be statuesque, picturesque models who remain still and perfect for men. He expects women to be Stepford Wives, available around-the-clock for groping. He wants women to be silent, inanimate trophies until their men mess up, and then it’s the woman’s fault for not acting.
And when they don’t act to his liking, he attacks them and throws a tantrum, just like a spoiled toddler who has had his toys taken away.
Contact CU Independent Opinion Writer Kim Habicht at kim.habicht@colorado.edu.
