You’ve all heard the argument: “What I do with my private life is nobody else’s business. it doesn’t affect anybody else.”
Well, I can think of one recent instance where private immorality affected the world greatly.
Just a few years ago, a man took his wife to sex clubs in Europe and asked her to engage in sexual activity in front of other patrons. He called them “romantic getaways.” His wife at first refused to go in the first but finally went at his insistence.
That’s man’s name was Jack Ryan. He was running for Senate. Because his private peccadilloes were made public he had to drop out of the race and the Republicans lost their majority, thus transferring the power of Congress to Democrats.
And the Democrat who was set to run against Ryan and cruised to victory after he dropped out was Barack Obama.
October 28, 2008 at 4:32 pm
Yikes!
October 28, 2008 at 5:14 pm
The most shocking sex scandal in American history; the woman involved was the man’s wife, and they actually had no sex, as she refused to “scene” with him.
The wife in question, of course, was Jeri Ryan, of Star Trek: Voyager and Boston Public fame. No shrinking violet she.
The news came to light when the Chicago Tribune, in support of Obama’s Senate candidacy, filed suit and, over the objections of both Ryans, got their sealed divorce records unsealed.
October 28, 2008 at 5:49 pm
“The news came to light when the Chicago Tribune, in support of Obama’s Senate candidacy, filed suit and, over the objections of both Ryans, got their sealed divorce records unsealed.”
It sounds like Obama’s “friends are[, indeed,] in low places.” Either the court reporter or the owner of the “club” in this instance. It almost sounds as though someone was gathering material to blackmail Senator Ryan.
October 28, 2008 at 5:54 pm
There is nothing wholly private about sexual morality. Your decision to contracept and not have children has broad public repercussions for years to come. Think of the tax base that will be paying for Social Security and Medicare down the road.
October 28, 2008 at 6:05 pm
Never figured out why he didn’t just go home with his wife. What a babe!
October 28, 2008 at 9:27 pm
Wow. The “butterfly effect” on steroids.
October 28, 2008 at 10:26 pm
It should probably be noted that these were allegations (as far as I know unsubstantiated) made by his (ex-)wife in the context of a custody hearing. Ryan denied them completely during the custody battle, and again when the scandal broke during his campaign, and as far as I know has always continued to deny them.
Less importantly, Obama had been leading in the polls throughout the campaign anyway. Although Ryan seemed to be a very gifted candidate in many ways, with the political situation in Illinois at the time it would have been nearly impossible for any Republican to win that Senate race in Illinois that year. Interestingly, Obama’s biggest Democratic primary opponent that year was Blair Hull, who was ahead of Obama in the polls. Hull didn’t withdraw, but he also had his campaign effectively destroyed by a scandal that came from divorce records, which in his case revealed allegations of spousal abuse and an arrest for battery.