news briefs
Gavin Newsom, Playboy
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom is in trouble. He has admitted that, while in the middle of a divorce, he had an affair with a staffer. As if that wasn't enough of a jerk move, the staffer in question was the wife of his campaign manager. All of this is hot on the heels of a mini scandal last fall in which Newsom was dating a 20-year-old Paris Hilton look alike who he probably bought alcohol for. Now, in what seems like a new tradition for celebrities caught with the cookies, Newsom is claiming to have a drinking problem. Apparently, alcoholism causes everything from infidelity to homosexuality to making racist comments. Who knew.
Personally, I don't care that much that Newsom is clearly a jerk who can't keep his dick in his pants. Just as I didn't care that Bill Clinton was playing around with Monica, I worry that we've gone too far as a society in scruitinizing the private lives of public figures. I don't vote for people to be moral symbols.
However, I think it is a lot easier for me to shrug off these sorts of things as a man. I would think twice about voting for someone who made racist or sexist comments off the cuff, as Governor Schwarzenegger has on numerous occasions. Such things are, in a way, a window into their view of the world. Why should I be any less bothered by Newsom's behavior? It seems possible that Newsom's view of women is something less than solidaristic. I'm not implying that infidelity is an exclusively male or sexist event, it's just that in Newsom's case there seems to be a pattern of viewing women as conquests and arm candy.
What is clear, however, is that Newsom should have known better. There were (are) a lot of hopes riding on him. Personally, I've been impressed with his creativity when it comes to social policy, as well as his loyalty to the party at the state level. While legislative leaders lined up to stab Phil Angelides in the back, Newsom held the line. This might have been a function of his own palace strategies vis a vis rival (and admitted adulterer) Antonio Villaraigosa, but that's to be expected. The point is that he has been a good mayor and was a rising star in the California Democratic Party. To the extent that this weakens him as a leader, it was wildly irresponsible.
You don't see female leaders doing such stupid things, and that's the point here. When women get to positions of power, it is generally through a hell of a lot of hard work, and they seem to take seriously how much is riding on them in terms of resources and hopes. Men seem to take power for granted, willing to squander it on stupid things like laying their camaign manager's wife. Women can be just as stupid, blinkered and self centered as men, but they do seem less likely to be quite so arrogant.
Health Care Blindspot
John Edwards released his health care reform plan today. It claims to be a universal plan, and, like the Governor's will require health insurance just as most states require car insurance. What's screwy about both Edwards' and Arnolds' schemes, however, is that they are built around a complex system of subsidies to insurance companies, outlays from citizens and employer mandates. It remains a gigantic mystery to me that we keep debating these arcane and piecemeal proposals in an age in which the US auto industry is paying more for health care than steel, in which a majority of the population favors universal coverage, and in which everyone seems to be begging for a "bold" policy iniative on the part of the Democrats. All of this, but real universal health care is still off the table.
The only mainstream voice I hear speaking the sensible truth about health care is Al Gore. At press time, however, Gore isn't running for office.
Speaking of Arnold's plan, I found it amusing that so much was made of the Governor's Austrian background as a reason for his commitment to universal health care. "I guess it's a cultural thing", the Governor said. He was just "used" to having health care coverage in Austria.
This is hilarious coming from the guy who said that leaving gray, "socialistic" Austria to come to the freedom of Richard Nixon's America was inspiring.
It's not a cultural thing, Arnold. Your friends in the Republican Party have been fighting universal health care since the 1930's. Like you, they've attacked it and everything they don't like as anti-freedom and pro-socialist.
It's all just so Alanis Morissett-style "ironic".
Etiketter: news briefs
posted by daraka kenric at 12:18 p.m.
3 Comments:
I don't think this hurts Newsom much. As to his "viewing women as conquests and arm candy," let's think about what a conquest it would be to date the arm candy mayor of SF...
Is there a difference between the perception of Villaraigosa, Newsom, and Nuñez and that of say, some ugly white old dude in an elected post? I can say personally that despite all the political beef I have with the three aforementioned Cali allstars, I find them all attractive. I have to admit that when Newsom got caught with that young girl (I thought she was 19), I held out hope.
You kind of expect old conservative white men to be dirty and to sexually harrass you, but when hot young progressive men do it, it's somehow different. Does it seem less hypocritical since they come from a decidedly socially liberal background?
It sucks when someone you look up to politically turns out to be a skeeze. They should all rest assured though--it never stopped anyone from getting to the top.
I think for women, you are right. Also, I doubt that for most women in high positions of political power, men are throwing themselves at their feet. There is still a large intimidation factor with political women that keeps the male arm candy away. Also, as we've discussed before, most women who have achieved a high elected office did so after starting a family and going through that whole mommy baptism by fire thing.
It would be interesting to see the coverage if a young and single successful political woman were to be caught with her campaign manager's husband...
tirsdag, februar 06, 2007 6:00:00 p.m.
I'm all for dirty liberal fun, but in terms of sexual harrassment, I think it would seem more hypocritical to get that from a progressive--he should realize it's unacceptable, whereas it wouldn't even cross the mind of a GOPer. It's just perceived as less repulsive since we can justify that if he's young and hot and socially liberal it's a helluva lot more appealing.
Isn't it wrong that the only story I can bring to mind of a powerful woman getting caught with someone she worked with (who just so happened to be someone else's husband) is Julia Roberts and the photographer? The Lewinskys and Washingtoniennes abound, always noticed for sexual prowess and links to powerful men. You'd think there has to be a lot more successful women scooping up arm candy--maybe we're just not hearing about it because it violates gender norms and doesn't fit neatly into media packaging. Or maybe there really aren't many, due not only to the intimidation factor, like Hill said, but also to the shortage of women holding political power? And do you notice how all the women in national politics are totally sexless--whether they've adopted the mommy identity like Clinton and Pelosi, or they're single like Condi? Men are allowed to exude both authority and sexuality without any trouble, but when do you see a woman who is portrayed as embodying both characteristics simultaneously? We still can't have it both ways, huh?
onsdag, februar 07, 2007 10:27:00 a.m.
Hi Daraka
i've just publish a post about your political blog on mine!
http://eric.freidhe.over-blog.com/article-5605042.html
I'm localised on the north Red Working-Class Suburbs of Paris and i'm too a serious Adjusters fan! Please come back!
Red salutes!
EF
eric_freidhe@yahoo.fr
søndag, februar 11, 2007 5:30:00 a.m.
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