Sex with Sutton: Weighing political sex scandal and appeal

by Madelyn Sutton '08

Tuesday February 19, 2008

Super Tuesday is behind us, yet the race for the nomination remains close for the Democratic Party’s frontrunners. With Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama still almost evenly supported by delegates, I’m sure most Americans are curious to see what could lead to the success of either candidate. While their stance on the issues should, of course, be the main force behind any voter’s personal decision, elections have been won on far more superficial grounds; for example, many chalk up JFK’s success in the 1960 election to his ease and attractiveness on the first televised debates, particularly in contrast with Richard Nixon’s haggard, make-up-free and uncomfortable appearance. Though Clinton is more moderate and shows much more interest in politicking to both halves of the country, her stiff suits and especially unfortunate cankles may work against her, while Obama’s youth and overall good looks could be the deciding factor in his favor.

Who can predict the significance of something like the “Obama Girl” video, in which model xxx xxx sings about having a “crush” on Obama, for his overall campaign? Furthermore, what about John McCain’s surprisingly attractive, not-quite-classy-looking wife? Republican first wives have been particularly frumpy as of late; is posing with Mrs. McCain a strength or a detriment? Looking back, sex and politics have always had a rather interesting relationship; for example, one of the big stories about the Bush administration in 2005 was porn star and California-gubernatorial candidate xxx xxx’s invitation to an important White House dinner – apparently it’s not just the Dems having all the fun, after all.

What I remember best about the 2000 election – prior to all the voting-fraud, etc. – was Al Gore’s appearance on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, in which a hefty bulge was quite evident beneath his well-ironed khakis. My vote was most definitely guaranteed after that, and as I recall, it created quite a stir in the media; however, who can say whether this was good for Gore, or bad? Visible sexuality has definitely been an issue in Hillary Clinton’s political past. The fact that Bill’s indiscretion was enough to warrant an impeachment indicates that in general, the public takes any bedroom misbehavior very seriously. We can agree, I’m sure, that Obama’s hot, but can we agree that if working as an intern for the White House, we wouldn’t be tempted to, well, ruin his career? A very small concern but nice fantasy fodder for the coming months…