Old Rules: Wrong To Tie Hillary Clinton To Her Husband’s Bad Behavior. New Rules: Perfectly Fine To Tie Melania Trump To Her Husband’s Rhetoric
[guest post by Dana]
As you know, a number of Christian bakeries, bridal shops and wedding venue providers have found themselves named as defendants in lawsuits accusing them of discrimination for declining to be involved in gay weddings and exercising their religious rights. Some businesses ended up closing their doors. The Left has shrieked about this for years, and accused those who choose to live their faith and religious freedoms as being bigoted, narrow-minded, discriminatory, intolerant, biased, and even, bizarrely, “mentally raping” gay couples. And it didn’t matter that the business owners had no problem serving gays in any other way and that it was just weddings they declined to be involved with.
But when it is the Left actually being “intolerant,” it’s a “righteous cause”: High-end fashion designer Sophie Theallet has dressed Michelle Obama during her 8 years as First Lady. The vast exposure of her designs, worn by one of the world’s most recognizable and popular women, has put Theallet on the map, both artistically and financially. How could it not? Today, Theallet penned a letter announcing that she would not be dressing the next First Lady, Melania Trump. Why? Because of her husband:
As one who celebrates and strives for diversity, individual freedom, and respect for all lifestyles, I will not participate in dressing or associating in any way with the next First Lady. The rhetoric of racism, sexism, and xenophobia unleashed by her husband’s presidential campaign are incompatible with the shared values we live by.
What’s amusing here is Theallet’s rank hypocrisy. You don’t want to dress Melania Trump? That’s fine. Don’t dress her, you’re not obligated. But at the same, you aren’t allowed to tie her to her husband’s rhetoric and use it as your excuse, because that goes completely against the rules that the Democrats repeatedly hammered into us during the campaign whenever the subject of Bill Clinton’s abuse of women came up. Recall the declarations: Hillary Clinton is not responsible for Bill Clinton’s bad behavior, and it’s sexist, misogynistic, discriminatory, and really dirty pool to try to tie her to it. Apparently, as is always the case, the rules only work one way. And it’s Democrats that get to decide which way they go. Hence we have a very successful designer and businesswoman who has obviously benefited greatly from Michelle Obama’s support, changing the rules. Convenience should never be underestimated.
With that, it’s worth taking a minute to look back at what the rules were just a very short while ago…
“[Hillary Clinton] is her own person”:
First of all, Clinton is not her husband. She has her own beliefs and ideologies. She’s already set herself apart from Bill while serving as a senator and secretary of state, as well as promoting a criminal justice plan that would reverse the 42nd president’s 1994 crime bill. Even if Bill does have a “penchant for sexism,” that doesn’t mean that Clinton should be penalized for it. Should every man in her life also be monitored for sexist behavior so that Trump can point out exactly how many men she knows who degrade women?
Nancy Pelosi made the distinction:
MITCHELL: But on this issue of sexism and the issue of Bill Clinton’s past, is that fair game and –
PELOSI: It would be if he were running for president, but he isn’t. Hillary Clinton is running for president.
…
[T]hat’s what this election should be about, not about what Bill Clinton did two decades ago.
Millennial women were able to separate Hillary Clinton’s candidacy from Bill Clinton’s actions as well:
As 30-year-old publicist Eva Zimmerman, put it: “I consider Hillary Clinton as a politician independent of her husband, Bill Clinton. Just as I would never associate Bernie Sanders as a politician with his wife, Jane Sanders, I would never associate a politician as a politician with their spouse.”
For Demkiewicz, co-founder of women’s lifestyle magazine The Riveter, Bill’s affairs and the allegations against him have no bearing on “what I know about her leadership, experience in politics, and plans for the future of our government.”
And men registered as Democrats didn’t think Hillary Clinton should be tied to her husband’s actions either:
“The personal stuff is irrelevant,” pronounces Brian Brown, a 56-year-old former professor and Democrat from Antrim, New Hampshire, who’s having coffee with a friend at Dunkin’ Donuts.
Democrat Richard Hoffman, 63, a retired chemist in Littleton, Colorado, thinks it’s unfair to lay anything on Hillary Clinton.
“If anything, she was the injured party,” he says.
Self-described progressive Rine Kasckow, a junior at the University of Wyoming, says it’s time to look forward, not back.
“Why do I care if a woman does or doesn’t leave her husband?” she asks. “It’s just a ridiculous notion.”
Finally, Think Progress cautioned that it would be really, really sexist to blame Hillary Clinton for Bill’s infidelities:
It’s a simple concept, but one that bears repeating. Bill Clinton is responsible for his own infidelities, not Hillary Clinton.
Suggesting that men’s actions reflect badly on women is a familiar sexist trope.
Look, I’m reasonably sure that Melania Trump has never grabbed some woman by the p****, and I’ve never heard this immigrant woman unleash any rhetoric of racism, sexism, and xenophobia. And yet, in typical, painfully obvious and exhausting fashion, the Left has determined that it’s okay to tie Melania Trump to her husband’s rhetoric when it was not okay to tie Hillary Clinton to her husband’s actions.
My hope is that Mrs. Trump takes this with an amused grace, and then trolls the masses again
–Dana
“Integrity is our only true currency,” my ass.
Dana (d17a61) — 11/18/2016 @ 7:48 pmnow I took a look at their catalogue, and I didn’t see much that was appealing,
very thorough effort, dana,
narciso (d1f714) — 11/18/2016 @ 7:52 pmThis would impress me more if I felt there was ever a chance Ms. Theallet would be asked to design an outfit for Mrs. Trump.
As a FB friend says, “it’s like me giving up Peking Duck for Lent”
Kishnevi (0cb353) — 11/18/2016 @ 7:54 pmTolerance is only to coerce you accept the things *I* like. But I have every right to hate the evil and disgusting things people like you do.
Kevin M (25bbee) — 11/18/2016 @ 7:56 pmBecause you’re evil and MY goodness knows no bounds.
Kevin M (25bbee) — 11/18/2016 @ 7:56 pmIf you want to make liberal heads explode, compare her to Jackie.
Kevin M (25bbee) — 11/18/2016 @ 7:58 pmoh gosh that would be very messy, it would be like the last half hour of kingsman,
narciso (d1f714) — 11/18/2016 @ 8:00 pmIf you want to make liberal heads explode, compare her to Jackie.
Brilliant, simply brilliant!
Dana (d17a61) — 11/18/2016 @ 8:03 pmabout two pics from the bottom, it’s a Yugoslav publication, Croatian,
http://www.microsofttranslator.com/bv.aspx?from=&to=en&a=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.itgirl.hr%2Fnewsflash%2Ftrend-and-glow%2F8450-vintage-stih-6-barsunastih-aduta
narciso (d1f714) — 11/18/2016 @ 8:16 pmCaption contest: My what big hands you have, Mr. President.
Regret (5da42f) — 11/18/2016 @ 8:57 pmThe Left makes rules for everyone else, and the rules are whatever they need to be at the time to reach the Left’s goals.
Gabriel Hanna (905cbf) — 11/18/2016 @ 9:16 pmAlso the Trumper right.
But they’ll tell you that’s just because that’s what the left does.
And the left will tell you it’s because that’s what the right does.
And the…
Patterico (115b1f) — 11/18/2016 @ 9:22 pmheretofore, the left has had the power to enforce it’s value judgement, through media, education, power and persuasion,
narciso (d1f714) — 11/18/2016 @ 9:27 pm“The vast exposure of her designs, worn by one of the world’s most recognizable and popular women,”
She’s popular we’re told. I think she’s much less popular than the arbiters of popularity would have us believe.
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 11/18/2016 @ 9:28 pm11… you are on to something there.
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 11/18/2016 @ 9:33 pm@Patterico:And the left will tell you it’s because that’s what the right does.
Elements of the right have attempted that, but they were opposed in those schemes by others on the right with more integrity, which was to their credit.
Gabriel Hanna (905cbf) — 11/18/2016 @ 9:47 pm@Colonel Haiku:She’s popular we’re told.
She is, and expensively dressed, often for free, by the world’s top designers. And this simply does not bother progressives a whit, because their rules are for you, not for them.
Gabriel Hanna (905cbf) — 11/18/2016 @ 9:49 pmDid Sophie Toilet design the “black widow” dress?
papertiger (c8116c) — 11/18/2016 @ 9:55 pmI wouldn’t be so sure of that Mr. Hanna. I have left, centrist, right friends and co-workers and – if they’re any indicator – she’s not as admired as I’ve been repeatedly told by the media she allegedly is. Most find her fairly phony and unaccomplished.
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 11/18/2016 @ 10:04 pm18… haha, who will ever forget that one!
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 11/18/2016 @ 10:08 pm@Col Haiku: she’s not as admired as I’ve been repeatedly told by the media she allegedly is.
Well that’s not what the polls say. 🙂
Gabriel Hanna (905cbf) — 11/18/2016 @ 10:13 pmThe few times I’ve encountered Mrs. Bamster on entertainment shows she seemed charming and personable. Normal and conventional standard issue first lady stuff. People magazine covers. Appearances on Ellen Degenuine.
But any correspondence between her and high fashion, that’s the fashion world indulging her position.
Something completely different will happen with Melania Trump. She could have a fashion show of just the stuff hanging in her wardrobe. She could populate the catwalk with members of her immediate family.
papertiger (c8116c) — 11/18/2016 @ 10:33 pmIt would be a good move for Melania to do the Ellen Degenerate show, come to think.
Dims are trying to paint Trump as anti bgtl.
Out of work dress makers are trying to paint Melania as “untouchable”.
She could change that in a minute.
papertiger (c8116c) — 11/18/2016 @ 10:38 pmPolls… HA-ha!!!
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 11/18/2016 @ 10:42 pmYou’re worth several Billion (with a B) dollars?
You have friends who are, if not Billionaires, pretty rich?
Nah…. I don’t want your business or money or your friends’ money or business.
John Pomeroy (a427d1) — 11/18/2016 @ 11:00 pmI would have no problem watching Melania Trump grab a woman by the pussy. Just sayin.
Donald (bd230b) — 11/19/2016 @ 3:29 amI find these silly arguments so very trite. She did this, because he did this, but wait, they did this so it’s unfair for them to criticize that. My God, is it so difficult to simply say enough? I don’t care about the petty hypocrisies of the small minded. These games that we play have grown tiresome: children in the back seat of a car on a long trip. I think decent men and women are able, innately, to observe actions and draw fair conclusions. And as I believe in the concept of freedom of assembly, if this woman does not wish to dress the new First Lady, then fine, it is her right.
I will call this the argument of first principle. If I do not believe that the owners of a bakery should be forced to engage in any actions, as freemen, that would trouble their conscience and violate the particulars of their value systems, I then may not argue that another is hypocritical for doing the same. In fact, I must, to remain intellectually consistent, argue that she has the right to lend her services or not to those that appeal to her whim and fancy.
Now, if any governmental entity attempts to codify and thus force such hypocrisies upon us, in the form of laws, statutes & other measures, well, then, we may have a fight on our hands.
Estarcarus (cd97e1) — 11/19/2016 @ 4:47 amThe liberal hypocrisy is amazing. It was racist to say anything negative about Obama voters when he was elected, but Obama himself called Trump voters bigots.
DRJ (15874d) — 11/19/2016 @ 5:44 amI would have no problem watching Melania Trump grab a woman by the pussy. Just sayin.
Here you go, Donald: http://nypost.com/2016/08/01/melania-trumps-girl-on-girl-photos-from-racy-shoot-revealed/
nk (dbc370) — 11/19/2016 @ 6:03 amIf true, this is another disappointing group of humans:
DRJ (15874d) — 11/19/2016 @ 7:26 amThat breaks my heart, DRJ. Hooray for the pilots.
felipe (023cc9) — 11/19/2016 @ 7:38 amMoney does not equal class.
nk (dbc370) — 11/19/2016 @ 7:42 amOften the opposite which is why parvenu and nouveau riche are pejoratives.
nk (dbc370) — 11/19/2016 @ 7:43 amCase in point …. 🙆☺
nk (dbc370) — 11/19/2016 @ 7:47 amThere’s a simple way to explain the problem to your response. It’s the prisoner’s dilemma.
The left will always vote to rat on you and say you are guilty. The only way to make them pay for it is to say they are guilty as well. If you decide the right thing to do is not punish them for their bad behavior, they will always go free while you rot in hell.
Choose wisely.
NJRob (a07d2e) — 11/19/2016 @ 8:53 amAmerica Airlines did a good thing. The passengers should be ashamed.
Thank you.
NJRob (a07d2e) — 11/19/2016 @ 8:54 amHeck there were songs to Obama, whereas children are encouraged to denounce trump, something shocker noonan doesnt get.
narciso (d1f714) — 11/19/2016 @ 9:17 amNJRob (a07d2e) – Oh, I’m picking up what you’re laying down. I refuse to engage on those terms. If I were to condemn a man for an act I would readily permit another, what does that say about me? Nothing good. I’ll let the zealots eat themselves.
Estarcarus (15cfac) — 11/19/2016 @ 10:16 amI always wondered why Michelle dress so badly.
Kevin M (25bbee) — 11/19/2016 @ 11:51 amit’s cause she never had a real job her whole pampered useless life
happyfeet (28a91b) — 11/19/2016 @ 11:52 amAmerica Airlines did a good thing.
Many airline pilots are ex-military.
Kevin M (25bbee) — 11/19/2016 @ 11:58 amthere’s a commenter here what says she’s related to the family on the jet plane
happyfeet (28a91b) — 11/19/2016 @ 12:12 pmWhy are you complaining about anything connected to Trump? Seriously, you assholes complained about everything “Trump” throughout the campaign. Now you want to support Trump? really? Hypocrisy much?
Rich Vail (339dcb) — 11/19/2016 @ 7:44 pmI wonder if this is a false flag operation?
White lives matter.
felipe (023cc9) — 11/20/2016 @ 7:59 amNo mugshots? No “obvious” black names, but no obvious “ethnic white” names either. Chau might be on either side.
urbanleftbehind (847a06) — 11/20/2016 @ 8:35 am…and I thought Texas was the level head these past 11 days.
urbanleftbehind (847a06) — 11/20/2016 @ 8:53 am#45 urbanleftbehind,
Isn’t Thomas Francis McGuire rather Irish sounding?! (LOL)
Cruz Supporter (102c9a) — 11/20/2016 @ 9:29 amYeah, admittably, he sounds like someone mixed in with the strong side in the mid 1600s Oliver Cromwell era. I’m used to seeing -owski, -ic, -olous, -ak, -zzo along with the Irish.
urbanleftbehind (847a06) — 11/20/2016 @ 9:33 am**wrong** side
urbanleftbehind (847a06) — 11/20/2016 @ 9:34 amAnyone recognize the flag and understand the writing at this website?
DRJ (15874d) — 11/20/2016 @ 9:36 amThat might be from a Turkish pack of Cigs (apparently Erdogan is going C. Everett Koop part 2 in his latest power grab).
http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/11/18/world/europe/turkey-press-erdogan-coup.html?_r=0&referer=https://www.google.com/
urbanleftbehind (847a06) — 11/20/2016 @ 9:57 amDon’t know the flag, but the language appears to be in support of Texas secession.
Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 11/20/2016 @ 10:09 amIt is a pack of cigarettes, but it’s not Turkish. Turkish has a Roman letter alphabet.
nk (dbc370) — 11/20/2016 @ 10:56 amIf Melania Trump did ever grab another woman by the p***y,
NickM (d6362a) — 11/20/2016 @ 12:20 pmIt was probably for a photo shoot
With a photographer instructing her to do so
And with both women being well paid for it
And if the pictures ever surface, they will become the most downloaded in the history of the Internet.
It’s Bahman cigarettes from Iran.
Milhouse (40ca7b) — 11/20/2016 @ 12:37 pmWhat entered my mind immediately was that this designer would not be permitted to announce that she won’t design for Melania—if Melania were gay. Other deeply held convictions she might hold against Melania’s actions or politics or religion would count for nothing; she would be forced to design and she better come up with lovely and flattering styles. Perfect example of competing rights, and perhaps progressives considering this hypothetical would gain empathy for those who struggle against the iron law of political correctness if they,say, don’t want to be forced to create wedding photos for a ceremony that violates their religious convictions.
rigeldog (c38160) — 11/20/2016 @ 2:28 pmIf she did it because Melania was gay (in your hypothetical) then it would be no different from refusing to design for Michelle because she’s black. The point with the bakers, photographers, et al, is that they are not refusing services because the clients are gay but because they object to the event.
Milhouse (7905a0) — 11/20/2016 @ 5:48 pm56. rigeldog (c38160) — 11/20/2016 @ 2:28 pm
No, because in the matter of the wedding cake, there is no issue of design – the message is being dictated. This could not apply to creative work like designing a dress.
And the prohibition of discriminatton only applies when that is the reason or the suspected reason, but politics is a perfectly legal reason to discriminate (not good though)
Even photographers creating wedding photos is at least treated, for purposes of arguments about discrimination, as a purely mechanical task – indeed if bad pictures were made, there would be no recourse except not to pay for them.
This could be fine tuned a bit, but that’s basically the way it is, so the comparison is not really valid.
Sammy Finkelman (704f59) — 11/21/2016 @ 7:58 am