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Audacity of Truth
Whiner-in-Chief:
"[W]hether the grumbling is about Republicans on Fox or bloggers in pajamas, there's a word for what the president and his aides are doing. That word is "whining." And nothing [...] does more damage to Obama's credibility or authority than the sense that a popular president is becoming the whiner-in-chief."
- John Nichols, Nation Magazine - 10/12/09
How low can they go: The NYT describes Fred Thompson’s wife as a “trophy” wife
The attacks on Fred Thompson continue in this weekend’s lamestream media outlets. Yesterday it was the LAT, and today it’s the NYT:
AS the election of 2008 approaches with its cast of contenders who bring unprecedented diversity to the quest for the White House, the voting public has been called on to ponder several questions: Is America ready for a woman to be president? What about a black man? A Mormon?
Now, with the possible candidacy of Fred D. Thompson, the grandfatherly actor and former Republican senator from Tennessee, whose second wife is almost a quarter-century his junior, comes a less palatable inquiry that is spurring debate in Internet chat rooms, on cable television and on talk radio: Is America ready for a president with a trophy wife?
The question may seem sexist, even crass, but serious people — as well as Mr. Thompson’s supporters — have been wrestling with the public reaction to Jeri Kehn Thompson, whose youthfulness, permanent tan and bleached blond hair present a contrast to the 64-year-old man who hopes to win the hearts of the conservative core of the Republican party. Will the so-called values voters accept this union?
Mr. Thompson, who needs the support of early primary voters, is expected to formally announce his candidacy any day now. Meanwhile, much of the brouhaha around Mrs. Thompson, 40, is being stirred by photos of her in form-fitting gowns circulating on the Internet.
“You have a situation where a candidate happens to have an attractive wife, therefore it’s open season for smutty thoughts and lowbrow humor, and no concern for the fact that this is a wife and mother, a professional woman?” said Mark Corallo, a former Justice Department official who is a consultant and the chief media adviser to the Thompson campaign. “One picture on the Internet and all of a sudden she’s reduced to being a bimbo?”
On a morning cable news show last month, Joe Scarborough, the commentator and former Republican congressman from Florida, compared Mrs. Thompson to a stripper. The comment came after a segment on the use of stripper poles in exercise routines, but it still stung. It is hard to imagine a man, however handsome, suffering similar insult.
THE term “trophy wife” was coined by Fortune magazine in 1989 and immediately entered the language. Although it often has a pejorative spin, the term originally meant the second (or third) wife of a corporate titan, who was younger, beautiful and — equally important — accomplished in her own right, which describes Mrs. Thompson.
Captain Ed responds appropriately:
Now let’s talk about the form-fitting gowns. Or let’s not. The clear implication is that Jeri Kehn is some sort of a trollop who married for power on the basis of her beauty, which is ridiculous. Saulny faults the Thompsons for not officially distributing her resume, but anyone with access to Google knows that Mrs. Thompson worked as an attorney and media consultant in DC, as well as a staffer at the RNC and on the Senate Republican Caucus. She’s no bubble-headed bleach blonde, but someone with her own record of accomplishment — even if the New York Times and Susan Saulny apparently can’t find it with both hands and a flashlight.
That’s what makes the “trophy wife” slam so obnoxious. Saulny even tries to weasel past her use of it by telling readers that Fortune Magazine’s original definition included accomplishment, but that probably lasted as long as that particular issue did on the newsstands. When people talk about trophy wives now, they mean arm candy — beautiful but vapid social climbers with nothing more to offer than cleavage. Jeri Kehn Thompson does not qualify as a trophy wife. Does Susan Saulny qualify as a trophy reporter?
Nope, but I’d say she qualifies for a top editorial position at the snoozepaper of record, what with writing anti-conservative hit pieces like this one.
Via an outraged Joe Gandleman.
Updating to add this picture – another one I forgot I had:
Fred Thompson and his wife Jeri.
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Well, at least we have found one bit of sleazy behavior of which President Clinton is manifestly innocent.
I linked to Powerline’s take on Sulzberger. Powerline called John Kerry a trophy husband. Their case is pausible. Terresa Heinz Kerry just happened to collect United States senators as husbands.
I mean how far does Pinch want to push the spouse game. Tell me if an am wrong, but would not most American women feel more comfortable with a candidate with Jeri Thompson for a wife than one with B.J Clinton for a husband?
This is once again part and parcel of the “soft” racism/sexism/homophobia of the left. A black politician or judge or cabinet member, etc. is a credit to their race unless they leave the liberal plantation and think for themselves, and, God forbid, espouse conservative values and thinking (like Rice and Thomas). They they are “house n****rs” and such. Same for homosexuals, they are to be treated as a preferred group, unless they happen to be Republicans or conservatives, then their sexuality is fair game. Now we see the same thing wrt women. I guess only fat, hairy lesbians (Rosie?) need apply. The Dems have certainly shown their deep commitment to women’s rights in their constant assault on Islamic abuses…wait, that’s right, they support the Islamists.
I think the fact that Fred’s ex’es all have good things to say about him speaks volume to that most important of attributes for a candidate, character. Unlike Bubba Clinton, Fred is not a date rapist and serial philanderer, he doesn’t have women trying to sue him for harassment and rape. His former beau’s all still like him. Believe me, I know how rare that is, everyone knows that seldom do your ex’es have good things to say about you.
But considering the fact that Fred hasn’t even announced, the fact the liberal press and politicians are going after him shows how much they fear his populist and character driven approach. The fact they have to resort to the kind of juvenile, unproven slander we’ve seen so far shows just how desperate and dirty the Dems are, and how clean a candidate Fred would be.
Run Fred, run!
On a related note, Mitt Romney’s being a Mormon, is one of the main attacks the left is pushing. When you’re reduced to complaining about his putting his dog in a roof carrier 20 years ago, you realize how little there is to comment on.
I’ll take this opportunity to say, I’d vote for Romney in a heartbeat too. I’ve had a close relationship with one Mormon family, a guy who used to work for me. I hired him again at a new job after we both had been laid off from our old ones. He, and his family, were hands down the most honest, hard working, ethical, moral, and genuinely nice and helpful people I’d ever met. He was whip smart, spoke fluent Japanese, played piano at a concert level, and had almost gotten a PhD in physics. I was around him enough to see that a lot of these characteristics were supported by his faith. Granted there are hypocrites in every religion, but he didn’t just talk the talk.
I see similar attributes in Romney, he appears to have a great family life, has been married to the same woman for decades, all things that once again speak to character, so naturally he must be destroyed with allegations of misconduct.
Ah, here it is. The classic journalistic ploy. Note the reference to “serious people.” They aren’t named. We don’t know how many of these serious people exist or who they are.
And then, of course, we have the appearance of the ever-so-useful phrase “so-called,” as in “so-called values voters.” We are asked to ponder whether these people, whoever they are, will “accept the union.” Accept the union? Good grief. They’re married. What the heck are these “so-called values” voters to do, go up to Fred Thompson and say, “I reject your union!”?
And who’s making the call here, anyway? Who’s deciding who these “values” voters are? What’s a values voter? I have values; I vote. Do I fit? Danged if I know.
Then, of course, we have the sexist “bleached blonde hair.” The implication here, of course, is that any woman who dares to lighten her hair is a bimbo.
What a craptastic piece of journalism.
Maybe the right-o-sphere should start referring to Michelle Obama as his trophy wife. She’s pretty. The fact that she is a Harvard degreed lawyer is of no consequence, of course.
Maybe the right-o-sphere should start referring to Michelle Obama as his trophy wife.
Or “that hot little brown sugar babe.”
LINK
I don’t believe that the average person is anywhere nearly as envious and resentful as the NYT model of human nature would hold them to be.
If Arnold could run for President, do you think the NYT or the LAT would be saying the same about Maria??? I have my serious doubts.
Also, America has already had it’s trophy wife 1st lady. Wasn’t Hillary just a trophy wife?? I heard that every morning when Bill wakes up next to Hill, he quotes Peter Boyle from Everybody Loves Raymond. “Trophy wife!!! What Contest in hell did I win!”.
His comedic genius is seriously missed. God Love You Peter. – Lorica
Well, we can be reasonably sure that Fred won’t be diddling chubby interns in the Oval Office.