Jenny Sanford talks to Barbara Walters on ABC about not "standing by her man."
Today's Abiola's Kiss & Tell News.
No one loves a scandal more than fab-o vintage journalist Barbara Walters, and as this is the season of wronged wife books we've been seeing our role model Ms. Walters lots more in prime time these days. A couple of weeks ago it was the minister Ted Haggard's wife Gayle Haggard. This week, South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford's estranged wife Jenny Sanford.
Barbara Walters started her very official Barbara Walters Special with a recap of top celebrity sex scandals from Jude Law to Tiger Woods. Then she recapped the famous lurid sex scandals and wronged wives of politics. There was Jackie Kennedy, Elizabeth Edwards and of course, Hillary Clinton who said that she forgave President Bill Clinton's adultery because, "No one understands [her] better. And no one can make [her] laugh the way Bill does." According to Barbara Walters the "age of kiss and confess politics" started in 1987 with presidential candidate Gary Hart having an affair on a boat called Monkey Business.
Barbara Walters pointed out that to date 27 Democrats and 26 Republicans have been caught with their figurative and literal pants down by participating in illicit sexual behavior. The list of these perpetrators with their wives by their sides included Elliot Spitzer, Larry Craig, and Jim McGreavy. Dina McGreavy told Barbara Walters that it was an "out of body experience" standing on the stage while her husband revealed that he is "a gay American."
Imagine standing next to your husband in a press conference while he publically confesses to having sex with someone else? We can't. So while euphemistic jokes about Governor Mark Sanford "hiking the Appalachian trail" and his Argentinian mistress continue, Jenny Sanford and her 4 sons are left to pick up the pieces.
To us, this lengthy list does not say that public figures are any more whorish than the general population. They are just more public. There are many Joe Bus Drivers, Larry Plumbers and Dr. Cheaters out there, for sure.
Jenny Sanford's sister told Barbara Walters that if there was "a list of 1,000 men who would have had an affair Mark wouldn't have been on it." Neither would Tiger Woods. As the definition of insanity is to do the same thing repeatedly hoping for a different result we must ask, do we as a society have unrealistic views of monogamy and sexual expectations? Clearly. But what does that mean going forward? What does that mean for marriage?
Is Jenny Sanford a feminist icon or ostrich? And if her husband never took a vow to be monogamous (he actually refused this part of the vows) did he cheat? Mark Sanford certainly lied and is a disreputable son of a something, but did he cheat? We don't know the answer.
Staying True is the name of Jenny Sanford's new autobiography. It details meeting her husband and eventually working as his campaign manager to help him to orchestrate his rise to the top. She confesses readily that they never had passionate love although she called him "loving, affectionate and ambitious." The affair and btrayal made her feel "ugly unwanted dirty."
Jenny Sanford's definition of true love is: "enduring love is an act of the will and not just a feeling." We commend her for staying true to her self.
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What do you think?
Comments
Welcome to the club. I found out that my husband was cheating on me. Whithin a week I took him to my solicitor. We signed a financial agreement and divorced after 35 years of marriage. Goodbye to the "Sh..." I desrve better than this. Off you go to Cambodia...there you can be with your soul mate....that's your level...that's what you deserve and please try to stay there and not come back because we don't need you here.
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