Dennis Prager is defending adultery for presidents

[Enrique]

his position on adultery has always be inexplicably liberal. He has argued in the past with his listeners that the fact that a man has cheated on his wife says nothing about his character.

This is a man who says that "sanctitiy of marriage" is the #1 issue in America, more than terrorism and more than the economy. He cares that much about marriage, and yet cheating says nothing about a man's character? How does that make any sense? It doesn't, to his conservative callers. They call up and say wtf are you talking about Dennis? They say, we take our wedding oaths to God. But he seems immune to this argument. On the one subject of adultery Dennis Prager becomes a conservatives' parody of liberal moral relativism. "Life is messy", he says.

And now, on his radio show today, he's using a King David story to justify American presidents cheating on their wives. I never heard the story before, it sounds like a version of "Wag the Dog".

[NeedleCast]

1. Many on DU have argued the same

The infidelity is no big deal (as long as you're a Democrat).

[DCKit]

2. I think you've got that ass-backwards... IOKIYAR.

Dems go down in flames every damn time. Republicans, on the other hand, don't even think of resigning anymore.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

15. I don't think post #1 was discussing consequences but who has defended what

During the whole Lewinsky thing the rallying cry was that it was a matter between the Clintons.

[Enrique]

3. it makes sense to make such an argument on DU

he is expressing essentially a liberal attitude toward infidelity.

But it makes no sense for someone who talks about the Ten Commandments on a regular basis, who claims that he meditates daily on those Commandments and that he lives his life by them and so should all Americans.

[ZenaD]

5. It's a big deal to your spouse but if you're not running on Family Values bullshit

It's not my business. I was pissed at Clinton for Monica Lewinsky for 1) being stupid and 2) taking advantage of a huge power differential with Monica. Not about the adultery, since I'm not Hillary.

[Bunny]

13. I felt the same way with regard to the Big Dog.

Clinton's behavior with Lewinsky was astounding in its stupidity. But I don't feel that the president owes me any vow of fidelity, I won't be married to him/her. I am only concerned about how he/she runs the country. Whatever (or whomever) they're doing in the bedroom or the oval office is not my concern.

[NeedleCast]

25. The Idea That I Shouldn't Care Because It's Not My Business Is Silly

To me, committing adultery reveals a lack of character and lack of trustworthiness. So it is my business when someone I've voted for and am counting on to act in my best interest displays such characteristics.

[stevenleser]

17. Not "as long as you're a Democrat" but rather "as long as you arent a hypocrite"

If you go around excoriating other politicians for infidelity and then it turns out you cheated, it isnt the infidelity, it is the hypocrisy.

[Wait Wut]

18. I don't think that's entirely fair.

I don't give a damn what anyone does in their personal lives. It's between the husband and wife. What I do give a damn about is hypocrisy. If they're going to campaign with the "family values" flag, they'd better be damned sure that includes their marital vows. Just like I can trash a Republican for having a gay affair when they're "anti-gay". It doesn't mean that I don't support gay rights.

Democratic candidates very seldom, if ever (can't think of one), tell others who to sleep with and whether or not it's wrong.

[NeedleCast]

26. I Agree With You On The Issue of Hypocrisy

Disagree with you that what a person does in their personal life isn't my business when they are in a position to create laws or pass bills that have the ability to effect my life. To me, a person who commits adultery isn't trustworthy.

[MADem]

22. No they haven't, and how disingenuous of you to say so. What people have said is that

it isn't for the GOVERNMENT to investigate and spend a fortune on verifying/tracking down allegations of infidelity.

That's where the "big deal" came in--that forty four million bucks was spent chasing Clinton for a blow job. Money that could have fed hungry kids a good breakfast, or gathered interest in a social security lockbox, or something.

The views on Clinton's behavior from a personal POV ran the gamut here from "If she can forgive him, well, that's her business," to "Why couldn't that asshole keep his dick in his pants?" There was, by no means, a "lockstep" POV with regard to his behavior on a personal level. The principal complaint was that the government was spending money rooting around in the underwear of private citizens, for purely political purposes.

The point that you are disregarding is this: The GOP makes "marriage" and "fidelity" and "family values" and "One Man/One Woman" a rallying point. They INSIST that it matters, as a platform plank. They wag their finger at Bill Clinton, and act as if he was caught fucking Lady Liberty in the harbor as the Staten Island ferry cruised by. They declare that people who screw around are BAAAAAAAAAAD, and should be punished, excoriated, driven from public life. BUT then, when one of their number gets caught, they do a "Come To Jesus" tearful display, and beg forgiveness....or, like Newt, they skulk away for a bit, and after divorcing number two, marry their BJ staffer who is far too young for him....and then, slyly, return to public life, counting on short memories and/or a tasteful refusal to bring up old, musty dirty laundry.

It's the hypocrisy. Not the "big deal" aspect--the HYPOCRISY aspect.

That's where the thing rankles--the "Do as I say, not as I do" blatant behavior.

[NeedleCast]

27. They Certainly Have

While I completely agree with you about the hypocrisy issue, to say that people on this board haven't been willing to sweep adultery and other sexual misadventures of Democrats under the rug simply because they're Democrats...well, I dunno what to say other than look up the many threads during various Democrats getting busted doing shady things. Weiner was the most recent, and there were more than a handful of people on DU who suggested that we Weiner should be let off the hook and they are, generally, the most blood-thirsty people when it comes to Republican sex scandals.

Yes, I hate the hypocrisy aspect. That's why I don't pull my punches when Democrats do it.

So - at least for me - there's certainly the hypocrisy issue, but there's also the fact that cheating on your spouse makes you pretty much a piece of shit in my book.

[ZenaD]

4. I bet he thinks all women should be monogamous too

Which means who do men cheat with? Other men?

[Bluenorthwest]

6. Prager is the most hypocritical, sanctimonious, self serving sack

of sexism the right wing has to offer. He is the definition of intellectual dishonesty, his audience must be amoral stooges with the same situational ethics old Dennis has. The worst of the low, the lowest of the worst.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

19. Sanctimonious is the perfect word to describe him

How can this worthless sack so often describe how he hated the 60s, with the free sex and "self indulgence" of the hippies and the awakening of women to their sexual freedom and yet defend what Cain has done (is doing)?

[gratuitous]

7. My takeaway

From this paradoxical attitude, I surmise that Dennis Prager cheats on his wife, it just hasn't become common knowledge yet. He's granting himself pre-emptive absolution.

I tend to agree that the specifics of one's marriage don't reflect on a person's ability or inability to function in an elected position. However, the repressive right has made it a cornerstone of their political philosophy that one's private life is not just indicative of how a person will conduct himself or herself in office, but is dispositive of that conduct. As such, they have opened every aspect of a person's life to scrutiny, and made any deficiencies grounds for disqualification. Life is indeed messy, but if repressives want to set those rules, they can bloody well play by them even when it hurts their favored candidates.

[Bluenorthwest]

11. He says Marriage must be defended, it is Sacred!!!!!

Except when he wants to fuck someone else, or support a candidate who is a massive adulterer.

[Enrique]

14. it seems pretty obvious

in fact so obvious that it's pretty funny to listen to.

One of his anti-adultery callers, a woman, asked him, "don't you worry your wife might be listening to your show and hear how lightly you take faithfulness?" A question that he didn't have a very good answer to.

And regarding the examination of elected leaders personal lives, he hates it, he blames the media, and he says it's the reason he decided not to run for office. He says he has considered both Senate and Presidential runs.

[Kber]

21. Brilliant!

[Liberal_in_LA]

8. Prager also had a thing about porn - telling women callers not to be bothered about men & their porn

Other shows he'd talk about his stack of playboys. TMI.

[ZenaD]

10. He also says women are obligated to have sex with their husbands on demand

:puke:

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

9. Laying the groundwork for a Newt presidency?

[Jack Rabbit]

12. This is the same man who claims equality is not an American value

He's just a typical right wing hate radio persona, although perhaps not as vulgar as Rush Limbaugh.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

16. If Cain had denied it, his affair or lack thereof would have been none of our business.

If his response to the allegations had been "piss off, none of your business" then I'd wholeheartedly have defended him.

Since he's denied it, if - and we should stress the if, because just because we don't like him doesn't mean the accusation is true - it turns out to have been true, his lying about it is a legitimate part of the election, though.

[Angry Dragon]

20. If a man or woman cheats, will they cheat on you??

I feel that is a fair question.............

[Initech]

23. This is the same fucking party that impeached Clinton for an affair!!!

Holy shit does the hypocrisy reek with these fucking idiots! :argh:

[seabeyond]

24. he is a cheater, lol. has to validate his own behavior? man or woman that cheats

is a cheater. cheating says something about character

stipulating.... open marriages or when other partner knows and is ok or mate in a coma for 20 yrs.... are excluded.