How Gary Hart's Downfall Forever Changed American Politics (NYTM)

[RogueBeaver]

Matt Bai found the Herald's source. Also a fantastic read.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Interesting article.

[Mechaman]

Wow very fascinating.

Man the times have certainly changed.  Arguably that is what did poor Hart in.

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Simply fascinating.  Best read I had in a long time.  Which is really saying something.

Also this:

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[dead0man]

The little exchange between his wife and him at the end is telling...

Hart was and is a lying douche and would have been a sh**tty President if he had won...which was nowhere near the certainty the NY Times article suggested at the beginning or the pity party he had for himself at the end.

[Mechaman]

The little exchange between his wife and him at the end is telling...

Hart was and is a lying douche and would have been a sh**tty President if he had won...which was nowhere near the certainty the NY Times article suggested at the beginning or the pity party he had for himself at the end.

Not a personal fan of Hart by any means (just ask Dallasfan), but surely you can admit that it was the media's obsession with who politicians were schlupting that allowed a Dudley Doo-Right moron like Dubya to get elected in the first place?  I don't entirely agree that Hart was THE ONLY MAN (far from it, I think THE GREAT MAN theory is one of the most bullsh*t memes I ever heard of) who could've stopped that from happening, but the media's relentless pursuit of overturning every sexual liaison every politician ever had post Watergate in the high tide of the Moral Majority 80's certainly didn't harm the chances that a Dubya could get elected.  As shocking as this sounds to some red avatars, not all holy rollers and social cons are hypocrites.  Hell, the most controversial thing about the Romneys, next to how insanely rich they are, is how squeaky clean their lives are.  I mean, creepy clean.

I also don't like the subtle Nixon apologist language in the article either, but that is a discussion for another day.

Again, I don't necessarily approve of the article's attempts to rewrite Hart as some visionary who would've made an instagreat America, but there are some very fundamental truths spoken here regardless.

[Beet]

Nixon apologist language? I see more subtle apologist language for Democratic dudebro candidates who want to be misogynistic in their personal lives. The fact that there is no longer tacit acceptance of our powerful leaders putting their wives through the humiliation of a harem is progress, not a tragedy. And the author could have done Gary Hart a favor by offering a counterpoint to his hugely inflated sense of self-importance. By his standards, it was Elian Gonzalez's fault that people in Iraq are dead because if not for him, Gore might have netted another thousand Cuban votes. Literally a thousand different things could have done differently.

[Mechaman]

Nixon apologist language? I see more subtle apologist language for Democratic dudebro candidates who want to be misogynistic in their personal lives. The fact that there is no longer tacit acceptance of our powerful leaders putting their wives through the humiliation of a harem is progress, not a tragedy. And the author could have done Gary Hart a favor by offering a counterpoint to his hugely inflated sense of self-importance. By his standards, it was Elian Gonzalez's fault that people in Iraq are dead because if not for him, Gore might have netted another thousand Cuban votes. Literally a thousand different things could have done differently.

Dudebros?

Coming from the guy who worships a woman who is known around the world for character assasinating the woman her husband slept with?  I must say, this is richer than Lindor's chocolate.

As for my analysis, I really don't think it's anybody's business who people bang.  Regardless if it's a man, woman, transgender, or a clown doing it.  Maybe that makes me a disgusting pig, but I'm at least not the one coming in here to make a self-righteous post to satisfy my rather small ego.

[Oakvale]

Nixon apologist language? I see more subtle apologist language for Democratic dudebro candidates who want to be misogynistic in their personal lives. The fact that there is no longer tacit acceptance of our powerful leaders putting their wives through the humiliation of a harem is progress, not a tragedy.

What a dumb post. It's "progress' that someone's personal life is now our business? It's disgusting that Gary Hart had his career scuttled because the media decided it was now important who he was sleeping with. Because the press felt it was suddenly a matter of national concern who people were having sex with the Democratic Party ended up nominating an Atlas poster in 1988 and led to another miserable four years of misrule under one of the most amoral (!) Presidents of the 20th century. Maybe that's "progress" in the world of myopic prudes. Good for you.

Also, "dudebros". Lol.

[dead0man]

He was a lying douche apart from being a womanizing clown, the lack of integrity was just the icing on the douchebag cake.  He still would have sucked as President, much more so than the more famous adulterer that won in 92.

[DC Al Fine]

Nixon apologist language? I see more subtle apologist language for Democratic dudebro candidates who want to be misogynistic in their personal lives. The fact that there is no longer tacit acceptance of our powerful leaders putting their wives through the humiliation of a harem is progress, not a tragedy.

What a dumb post. It's "progress' that someone's personal life is now our business? It's disgusting that Gary Hart had his career scuttled because the media decided it was now important who he was sleeping with.

Yes, God forbid those dumb hick voters want some integrity from their politicians.

[Beet]

It's not anyone's business who a politician bangs. I don't care if the guy bangs a new woman every day, for every day of the year. The U.S. would be a better place if we were more accepting of sex, not less.

But is it too much to ask for these privileged, powerful men to respect their wives? In this 7,800 word piece, which goes into excruciating detail of the minutiae of the stakeout, the name of Lee Hart, Gary Hart's wife is not even mentioned for the first 7,400 words. And even then, we do not find out how she felt about the whole thing, except that, it's been "difficult."

[dead0man]

Yeah, that exchange at the end is, as I said in my first post, telling.  She's trying to be nice to her husband, but also kind of honest and he kept being a dick (because he's a dick).  And she kept coming back with the words she thought he wanted her to say, but they were never good enough.  I can only imagine the conversations they have when there isn't a reporter in the living room.

[Mr. Morden]

You guys remind me of two friends of mine that I hate that I just got back from dinner with, both of whom think they're God's gift to the entire world and all that utter crap. Chill.

You have friends who you hate?

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

It's amazing how much better a President he'd be then the 2 Bushes and a Clinton we had for the next 20 years.

He warned about 9/11, and those were ignored.


"One more thing: I met with Rice not long after the president was in Crawford and being briefed by CIA officials on the possible use of aircraft against American targets. This was all happening in the weeks before 9/11." - Gary Hart

Why aren't George W Bush and Condi Rice in prison for grand treason? Oh yeah, the media cares more about an affair than treason.

[politicus]

Nixon apologist language? I see more subtle apologist language for Democratic dudebro candidates who want to be misogynistic in their personal lives. The fact that there is no longer tacit acceptance of our powerful leaders putting their wives through the humiliation of a harem is progress, not a tragedy.

What a dumb post. It's "progress' that someone's personal life is now our business? It's disgusting that Gary Hart had his career scuttled because the media decided it was now important who he was sleeping with.

Yes, God forbid those dumb hick voters want some integrity from their politicians.

Yeah. I think many voters instinctively feel that a politician who is cheating on his partner will also deceive people in other aspects of life. Its not completely baseless in my experience, at least not when it comes to serial adulterers.

[Nhoj]

Yes gary harts downfall led to a media state where America never elected a serial cheating man to the whitehouse again.

[GaussLaw]

Nixon apologist language? I see more subtle apologist language for Democratic dudebro candidates who want to be misogynistic in their personal lives. The fact that there is no longer tacit acceptance of our powerful leaders putting their wives through the humiliation of a harem is progress, not a tragedy.

What a dumb post. It's "progress' that someone's personal life is now our business? It's disgusting that Gary Hart had his career scuttled because the media decided it was now important who he was sleeping with.

Yes, God forbid those dumb hick voters want some integrity from their politicians.

Yeah. I think many voters instinctively feel that a politician who is cheating on his partner will also deceive people in other aspects of life. Its not completely baseless in my experience, at least not when it comes to serial adulterers.

Yeah.  Political leaders should clearly be held to no moral standards after all.

[angus]

Mondale would have lost the nomination to pre-DLCer Gary Hart except for the Donna Rice scandal - what is it with these Democratic centrists?

The problem with McGovern, Mondale and Dukakis was that they failed to bring out more than the Democratic left, because they were successfully and accurately labeled by the GOP as too left for the American people in foreign affairs (McGovern), domestically (Mondale), or both (Dukakis).

I see Kerry-whoever fighting the same philosophic and electoral battle as any of them.

As far as Carter's political philosophy, his appeal in 1976 was similar to Clinton's in 1992: after devastating losses with liberals, the Dems successfully went with the governor of a Southern state, a church-going Southern Baptist seen as "progressive" on civil rights, but with moderate fiscal views.

In retrospect the Donna Rice scandal was ridiculous.

Yes it was, Wakie.

Also,

His interests included pussy and sailing.  That's pretty much it.  He had no beliefs to get in his way.  ... 

Love the name of his boat:  Monkey Business.

I guess none of that makes him a freedom fighter (or a horrible person), but I generally like him.

I never did figure out why he changed his name from Gary Hartpence to Gary Hart.

[politicus]

His interests included pussy and sailing.  That's pretty much it.  He had no beliefs to get in his way.  ... 

Love the name of his boat:  Monkey Business.

I guess none of that makes him a freedom fighter (or a horrible person), but I generally like him.

I never did figure out why he changed his name from Gary Hartpence to Gary Hart.

Monkey Business wasn't his yacht, it was owned by the Turnberry Isle Resort and Club.
Hart simply sounds better than Hartpence - that's usually reason enough to change it. Especially if you consider running for office at some point in your life.

[angus]

Ah, like Schicklgruber.  It doesn't really roll off the tongue, does it?