Bill Clinton is a scumbag.
In the 1990s, multiple women (remember Paula Jones? Juanita Broaddrick?) credibly accused Clinton of sexual harassment (or worse). Clinton plainly abused his power in his relationship with Monica Lewinsky, and he committed perjury by lying under oath about the Lewinsky relationship.
But Clinton was a Democratic scumbag.
Democrats were willing to overlook Clinton’s personal failures because Clinton was supporting policies they liked. Personal indiscretions, Democrats said, can be separated from public life.
On the other hand, Republicans were outraged. Always the party of strict morality, Republicans condemned Clinton: Immoral men did not belong in public life. The Southern Baptist Convention passed a resolution in 1998 declaring that moral character matters in politics and that citizens should elect officials who demonstrate consistent honesty and moral purity.
Got that straight?
Donald Trump is a scumbag. He’s a convicted felon. He’s been found liable for sexual assault. A judge has found Trump’s testimony under oath to be “not credible.” (Dare I call it perjury, or would that invite a lawsuit?) Trump’s cheated on his multiple wives and driven businesses into bankruptcy.
But Trump is a Republican scumbag.
Republicans were willing to overlook Trump’s personal failures because Trump was supporting policies they liked. Democrats are an existential threat; Republicans simply must support Trump. Personal indiscretions can be separated from public life.
The Southern Baptist Convention was oddly silent.
(It’s beyond me why anyone would listen when those hypocrites lecture about the word of God. But I digress.)
Democrats were outraged by Trump’s personal misconduct. Democrats — the party of recently loosened moral values — loudly condemned Trump. Immoral men did not belong in public life.
Got that straight?
Texas senatorial candidate Ken Paxton is a scumbag. He was indicted for securities fraud and resolved the case by pretrial agreement. Later, senior officials in Paxton’s own Texas Attorney General office reported him to the FBI for allegedly interfering in lawsuits, hiring a woman with whom he was having an extramarital affair, and the like. The Texas House impeached Paxton, although the Republican-controlled Texas Senate acquitted him.
That’s because Paxton is a Republican scumbag.
He’s now the Republican candidate for the United States Senate in Texas, and Republicans are insisting that private morality doesn’t matter.
You know the drill.
Lastly, Maine senatorial candidate Graham Platner is a scumbag. He sports a Nazi tattoo on his chest. He’s deleted his past controversial online posts, and he’s accused of sexting and abusive behavior.
Democrats are insisting that private character doesn’t matter. Republicans, after all, are an existential threat. If Democrats don’t win the Maine senatorial race, they’re extraordinarily unlikely to win the Senate as a whole. Trump can’t be left unchecked. People must vote for Platner.
What’s a person to believe?
In my case, like Diogenes, I’m searching for an honest man.
Identify a politician who’s held a consistent opinion for the past 30 years on the subject whether private conduct is relevant to someone’s fitness for public office. I want to vote for that politician — Democrat, Republican, or Independent.
And you?
If yours were the deciding vote in the Texas or Maine senatorial race, and that race would tip the balance of power in the Senate, would you hold your nose and vote for a scumbag?
Or, when push comes to shove, are even you a hypocrite?
Mark Herrmann spent 17 years as a partner at a leading international law firm and later oversaw litigation, compliance and employment matters at a large international company. He is the author of The Curmudgeon’s Guide to Practicing Law and Drug and Device Product Liability Litigation Strategy (affiliate links). You can reach him by email at inhouse@abovethelaw.com.
The post Why You’re A Hypocrite appeared first on Above the Law.