Political
Sex Scandals Then vs. Now
The Front Runner
The biggest irony of the “Me too/time’s
up” climate of zero tolerance for alleged sexual misdeeds is the seeming
impunity of the serial offender in the White House. Donald Trump’s ardent followers, including
evangelical Christians, seem to excuse with alacrity his bragging about
sexually assaulting women (“you can do anything”) and illegally paying off porn
stars. Mind you, in the 1990s Bill Clinton
survived an impeachment process over his sexual sins.
Canadian
filmmaker Jason Reitman takes us back to the 1980s with a cautionary tale about
the rise and precipitous fall of Colorado Democratic Senator Gary Hart who in
1988 was the prohibitive favorite for his party’s presidential nomination. Hugh
Jackman gives a convincing portrayal of the well-spoken progressive telegenic
Hart who, although then separated from his wife Lee (played by Vera Farmiga),
seemed to have everything going for him.
Hart’s campaign, led by the hard-nosed operative Bill Dixon (J.K.
Simmons), was going great guns until a news story—obtained through rather shady
surreptitious means—set off a media frenzy.
Hart tried in vain to project forward his policy ideals while protecting
his private life. It didn’t work. Just
the suggestion of a possible consensual extramarital affair was enough to
torpedo his campaign and destroy his political career. The Democratic candidate ended up being the
ill-fated Michael Dukakis. The election was won by the late George H.W. Bush so
recently eulogized. It’s worth
reflecting how differently the 1990s might have turned out.
By
the way, Gary Hart was born in Ottawa—Ottawa, Kansas that is. More to the point, Hart and his wife are
still married after all these years. In 2018
they celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. B+
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