I sometimes struggle when I recall voting for Bill Clinton. It seemed clear back then that Clinton had engaged in consensual, extra-marital affairs. Was he perfect? Of course not. But Clinton didn’t campaign on criminalizing infidelity. And the most serious questions about his behavior emerged during his second term when he was no longer running for office.
So many politically motivated lies have been told about the Clintons over the years that it’s hard to discern the truth. But if Clinton had been credibly accused of sexual harassment or an inappropriate relationship with an intern during his initial campaign, Democrats would have nominated someone else. If these events had come to light after his nomination, Democrats would have called for him to step aside before the general election. Clinton’s political views were pro-women. If his personal behavior clashed radically with his political stance, then the Democratic Party wouldn’t have supported him.
This brings us to the curious current case of Herschel Walker.
The Republican nominee for a Georgia Senate seat has campaigned on a staunch anti-choice platform. Yet there is overwhelming evidence that he paid for a woman to abort the pregnancy he caused. Since these allegations came to light, the Republican Party has actually tightened its embrace of Walker. High-profile, right-wing commentator Dana Loesch pretty much summed up Republican hypocrisy by saying: “I don’t care if Herschel Walker paid to abort endangered baby eagles. I want control of the Senate.”
Some Republicans have claimed that Democrats are the actual hypocrites because of our long-ago support of Bill Clinton. They even bring up President Biden’s history of sometimes overly affectionate behavior toward women. But Clinton hasn’t been on a ballot in a quarter century. And Biden, a principal author of the Violence Against Women Act, acknowledged that he needed to be “more mindful and respectful of people’s personal space,” and has changed his behavior.
An accusation of sexual assault leveled against Biden leading up to the 2020 election, gleefully embraced by Republicans at the time, was investigated and found to be without merit. In fact, Biden invited investigation. Conversely, when Republican Brett Kavanaugh was nominated for the Supreme Court, he bitterly attacked anyone who dared to suggest that accusations of sexual assault against him merited investigating. Kavanaugh was supported by the entire Republican establishment.
If the accusation against Biden had proven to be true, he certainly would not have earned the Democratic nomination. Democratic Sen. Al Franken was forced to resign, mostly due to pressure from fellow Democrats, for offenses far less serious than those leveled against Kavanaugh. In contrast, multiple credible claims of sexual misconduct against Donald Trump didn’t stop Republicans from nominating him twice. Georgia Republicans knew about Walker’s many other scandals but nominated him anyway. Democrats, in contrast, tend to weed out candidates this hypocritical before general elections.
A simple Google search reveals plenty of “pro-family” Republicans with a history of cheating, anti-choice Republicans embroiled in abortion scandals, and anti-gay Republican zealots caught in closeted behavior. Their personal behavior isn’t the main problem. The clash between their actions and the government policy these Republicans want to force on everyone else makes them hypocrites.
On many issues, the Republican Party has made hypocrisy a core principle. Trump decried “illegals” but hired undocumented workers. Republicans claim tax cuts for the wealthy help everyone when decades of evidence show otherwise. They claim states should decide abortion but propose a nationwide ban. They fawn over “the unborn” but slash programs that feed, house, and educate actual children.
They condemned Hillary Clinton’s email but defend Trump’s theft of classified documents. They claim patriotism but attacked the Capitol and flirt with foreign dictators. They praise police but excuse Trump’s crimes. They brag about funds they get from Democratic-led federal legislation they voted against, prompting President Biden to quip recently, “I didn’t know there were that many socialist Republicans.”
Herschel Walker is only the latest example of Republican hypocrisy. He’s a somewhat charismatic semi-celebrity who has some actual accomplishments but no experience in elected office, little insight on important issues, clear affection for authoritarian and oligarchical viewpoints, a superficial appeal to fundamentalist Christian dogma, no practical knowledge about how government works, a tendency to lie about his history, a quick trigger for blaming others, and a truckload of scandals.
Sound familiar? From the former president to Senate candidates to their rank-and-file members, the Republican Party embraces hypocrisy.
The difference between parties couldn’t be clearer. Florida’s Republican Gov Ron DeSantis thought he could catch Democrats in hypocrisy by misleading legal asylum seekers and flying them from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard, expecting the Democrats there to shriek in disgust at these immigrants. In fact, the asylum seekers were met with help, care, food, shelter, and love by the locals. Democrats don’t just talk about the humane treatment of everyone — we actually live by that standard.
I’ve heard people say that Democrats should adopt the slogan, “We’re not perfect, but they’re nuts!” I wish this weren’t the case, but we have to recognize reality. Democrats are working to address the needs of everyday Americans, and most Democratic elected officials live by personal values that match their political stances. The same can’t be said for the other party.
John Sheirer is an author and teacher from Florence. His latest book is the award-winning, “Stumbling Through Adulthood: Linked Stories.” Find him at JohnSheirer.com.