WHEN confronted with the prickly question of whether to disclose their illnesses, Presidents Calvin Coolidge, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin D. Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy divined a simple strategy, historians say. They dissembled. They lied. They covered up or simply kept their mouths shut to keep Americans in the dark. Revealing All Before Anyone Else Can, New York Times, March 25, 2007Thrity-five years ago, Sen. Thomas Eagleton, then Democratic vice-presidential candidate, admitted that he had been treated for depression. He was forced to withdraw his candidacy.
Now, Sen. John Edwards and his wife call a press conference to announce that her cancer is back and is malignant. They are going to continue with his campaign for president.
V. P. Al Gore talks about his bouts with depression and no one really bats an eye. Hell, with the tragic death of his son and the stupid loss of the presidency in 2001, who wouldn't be depressed.
Rep. Patrick Kennedy goes into rehab. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announces that his father committed suicide and he had to deal with it for many years. The top three Republican presidential candidates have been married 8 times between them and if Newt decides to run it will be more - not to mention the adultery going along with it. So what's with the change in Americans' acceptance?
As much as I prefer him over the yahoo in the office now, I think that Bill Clinton directly had a lot to do with this phenomenon, rather than those reality shows. Bill Clinton had excapades in a little closet off of the Oval Office and the Republicans impeached him. It was no-holds barred in the news coverage because the right wing-nut christianists delighted in their hatred of the man and used every opportunity to impugn him. To this day, I am not really certain where their hatred comes from and it is stealthly being transferred to his wife and her bid for the office, in addition to the reasons they have to hate Hillary herself. Real or imagined.
I think that most everyone, at least those with any common sense, has come to the awareness that the reality shows they are bombarded with are, in fact, orchestrated and scripted. I don't watch American Idol, but I have seen Sanjaya's last performance on Olbermann and the internet and I can't imagine [what am I saying? Yes, I can] a worse onslaught to my ears. Sadly, I can hear perfect pitch and he was worse than, than... Andrea Bocelli could ever be. [Now, that statement can cause me a lot of trouble.]
So, maybe what is happening is a blurring of what reality actually is. I think that Robin Williams in one of his best bits said it best...
reality. what a concept...
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