The Political Psyche
I don't necessarily go along with all of Renshon's theories, but when he brings up the psychology of entitlement, I think he is coming close to the heart of the matter.
Most of us have heard (perhaps too many times) Henry Kissinger's comment that "power is the ultimate aphrodisiac." It's not absolutely clear what that means, but the common understanding is that it means important people who want lots of sex can get it without much trouble, because potential partners are drawn to power the same way they are to physical attractiveness. It's easy to find examples of this, many of them at levels far below the upper reaches of the State Department.
Last month I wrote about the legendary California politician Jesse Unruh, a fat, homely man who became a sexual lion once he saw that women wanted to go to bed with the Speaker of the Assembly. He went to bed with almost as many as he could find. It's a relatively short step from there to the idea that sex not only goes along with the job, it is an entitlement, one that is unavailable to ordinary people and that creates its own rules for those lucky enough to have access to it.
A few years ago, after Bill Clinton left the White House, someone in the audience at one of his speeches asked him a simple question: "Why did you have sex with Monica Lewinsky." Clinton gave an equally simple answer: "Because I could." He then added that it had been a terrible mistake.
It's a short answer that's extraordinarily rich in its implications. It suggests that powerful people gradually lose the ability to approach their personal moral lives the way most ordinary people are required to do. They pursue what is available and assume that they must be entitled to it, even if they are unwilling to admit that to themselves. The irony is that, in the larger sense, Clinton was wrong. As president he couldn't pursue illicit sex in the White House without taking a giant risk of getting caught. As a powerful public figure, he was more vulnerable than the ordinary person, not less. But he had forgotten that reality, perhaps in the same way Eliot Spitzer forgot it as governor of New York more than a decade later.
When I think about the combination of sex, entitlement and mischief, I can't help thinking about athletes as well as politicians. In many ways, of course, their life trajectories have nothing in common. Great athletes begin to receive special treatment as teenagers, keep it, if they are lucky, for 20 years or so, and generally finish up as celebrities before they turn 40—at a time when most political careers are in their early stages.
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Member Comments
Posted By: JohnPolitico @ 04/16/2008 9:13:26 PM
Comment: Not that anybody cares or should care ... but I have a confession to make as a lifelong Republican:
I'M BITTER!
What the heck's WRONG with being a little bitter about the way our corrupt politicians treat us?! What's wrong with speaking up about it?! How else are we suppose to address various tough and/or sensitive issues that face this country today?
What? Are we all suppose to say or believe that everything's hunky-dory (e.g., economy, Iraq occupation, real estate bust, credit crunch, outrageous gas prices, general inflation, etc)?
How 'bout no! Let's face it ... things kinda do stink right now. But I really hope that people across the nation are really doing something to change things in their communities---RATHER THAN JUST TALKING OR BLOGGING ABOUT IT!
We can't just talk a great game. You gotta take action!
At the very least ... write or call your local senators and congressmen/women often to let them know exactly how you feel. What's important to you! Otherwise, how do you expect them to keep a FINGER ON THE PULSE OF AMERICA? Last time I checked, not one politician owns a magic crystal ball---they can't read minds!
They need to hear from us on a continuous basis. If you really and truly LOVE THIS COUNTRY ... it's your duty and obligation to speak up when you think things are going sour. Don't let the "POLITICAL ELITIST" (e.g. the Klintoonies) and/or MEDIA control your minds. Don't let these elitist that like to throw around words and labels such as "BITTER" discourage you from speaking up.
That's just a ploy to shut you up! Make you feel bad about having an opinion. Sorry folks! But I love this country way too much to bury my head in the sand! If anybody should be bitter it's ALL US REPUBLICANS that have seen our PARTY get HIJACKED BY THE NEOCONS for the past 7 long years!
TALK ABOUT BEING DISENFRANCHISED!
Trust me! Dems aren't the only people that are bitter! Respectfully ...
GOD BLESS AMERICA!
John McCain 2008!
Endnote; I shouldn't paint all politicians with a broad brush ... that's unfair. I would have to say that most politicians are good-hearted people. But all it takes is a FEW BAD APPLES IN HIGH PLACES to spoil the whole darn tree. To all the GOOD POLITICIANS OUT THERE ... please weed out the BAD ONES! Thank you!!!!
Posted By: Illinois Voter @ 04/16/2008 7:00:17 PM
Comment: This year, Equal Pay Day -- the day every year on which women???s wages catch up to men???s wages for the prior year ??? falls on April 22. Although it has been more than 40 years since the Equal Pay Act became law, full-time working women make just .77 cents for every dollar a man makes. And it's even worse for women of color.
The wage gap makes a real difference to families, who lose out on money that could be used to help feed children, put a down payment on a home, and pay for health care.
Hillary Clinton has been a champion for equal pay for women. Her legislation, the Paycheck Fairness Act, would help close the wage gap for women across the country, ultimately putting more money in the pockets of America???s families. Hillary has also worked in the Senate not only to ensure women earn the same amount as men for equal work but also to expand the earned income tax credit, provide healthcare for children, raise the minimum wage, and stand up for female-owned small businesses.
As President, Hillary Clinton would bring to the White House a long record of fighting for women and children -- and holding our government to a higher standard for improving the lives for all families.
Posted By: powin @ 04/16/2008 5:44:48 PM
Comment: OlderBudWeiser wrote, "Should the administration make overtures to working class white southerners who had all but forsaken the Democratic Party?. . . 'Screw 'em,' she told her husband. 'You don't owe them a thing, Bill.'"
Bud,
I hope that HRC wouldn't be so obtuse and crass to say that on her campaign trail. It's shameful if what you said is verifiable and true.
Po