FAMILY VALUES AND THE GOP
Apparently evangelical Christians are just starting to notice what has been obvious to liberals for at least 20 years--that the politicians who most fervently espouse "family values" are the least likely to practice them. Specifically, virtually the entire leadership of the Hard Right have been divorced at least once, and often two or three times. While Democrats seem to stay married forever, which one salient exception--Joe Lieberman--who really "proves the rule", since he is also the least liberal of the batch.
Rudy Giuliani has the rare distinction of having cheated on both his wife and his mistress with yet a third woman. Newt Gingrich was not only twice divorced but a deadbeat dad. Ronald Reagan cheated on his first wife with Nancy, who was pregnant when he married her.
A case could be made that staying married doesn't necessarily make Democrats -- like John F. Kennedy, Bill Clinton, and for that matter, Grover ("Ma, ma, where's my pa? Gone to the White House, ha ha ha!") Cleveland--more moral than their divorced adversaries. Indeed, during the worst of the Clinton scandals, many conservatives actually blamed Hillary for not divorcing Bill. They apparently took this to mean that she condoned or even endorsed his wrongdoing, rather than merely standing by her man. But then, they were the same bunch who evidently blamed Gore for the pecadilloes of his boss, despite Gore's picture-perfect family life. Any stick will do to beat a dog you don't like.
But I would really like to see evangelicals, and conservatives generally, take a serious look at their own family values. Divorce rates are apparently higher in the Bible Belt, and among born-again Christians in particular, than in the general population. Doesn't anybody--and in particular born-again Christians--worry about this? Is there something about the conservative Christian culture that makes marriages more fragile? Or does the Christian Right actually believe divorce is preferable to --- it's hard to finish this sentence. Gay marriage? Abortion? Premarital sex?
Admittedly, I also don't know any liberals who have bothered to explore our tendency to long-term marriages. Does it equate to fidelity and monogamy, or just to imperfect people tolerating each other's imperfections? I have theories about why divorce lawyers (like me) tend to stay married forever--we know the real costs of divorce, up close. I have no theories about why marriage counselors seem to divorce and remarry at unusually high rates. And I have absolutely no idea why liberals stay married. Especially why (or for that matter how) liberal politicians stay married--politics must be a minefield for marriages! Lawyers and computer consultants don't face many serious threats to their relationships, but politicians can be drawn into all of the Seven Deadly Sins before breakfast, most days.
Is this a proper subject for sociological research? Has any such research already been done? Can anybody out there point me to it?
Happy Spring.
Rudy Giuliani has the rare distinction of having cheated on both his wife and his mistress with yet a third woman. Newt Gingrich was not only twice divorced but a deadbeat dad. Ronald Reagan cheated on his first wife with Nancy, who was pregnant when he married her.
A case could be made that staying married doesn't necessarily make Democrats -- like John F. Kennedy, Bill Clinton, and for that matter, Grover ("Ma, ma, where's my pa? Gone to the White House, ha ha ha!") Cleveland--more moral than their divorced adversaries. Indeed, during the worst of the Clinton scandals, many conservatives actually blamed Hillary for not divorcing Bill. They apparently took this to mean that she condoned or even endorsed his wrongdoing, rather than merely standing by her man. But then, they were the same bunch who evidently blamed Gore for the pecadilloes of his boss, despite Gore's picture-perfect family life. Any stick will do to beat a dog you don't like.
But I would really like to see evangelicals, and conservatives generally, take a serious look at their own family values. Divorce rates are apparently higher in the Bible Belt, and among born-again Christians in particular, than in the general population. Doesn't anybody--and in particular born-again Christians--worry about this? Is there something about the conservative Christian culture that makes marriages more fragile? Or does the Christian Right actually believe divorce is preferable to --- it's hard to finish this sentence. Gay marriage? Abortion? Premarital sex?
Admittedly, I also don't know any liberals who have bothered to explore our tendency to long-term marriages. Does it equate to fidelity and monogamy, or just to imperfect people tolerating each other's imperfections? I have theories about why divorce lawyers (like me) tend to stay married forever--we know the real costs of divorce, up close. I have no theories about why marriage counselors seem to divorce and remarry at unusually high rates. And I have absolutely no idea why liberals stay married. Especially why (or for that matter how) liberal politicians stay married--politics must be a minefield for marriages! Lawyers and computer consultants don't face many serious threats to their relationships, but politicians can be drawn into all of the Seven Deadly Sins before breakfast, most days.
Is this a proper subject for sociological research? Has any such research already been done? Can anybody out there point me to it?
Happy Spring.
posted by WiredSisters at 1:15 PM
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