# 10 Marriages Among Top 5 Pub Candidates **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 4, 2007, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-marriages-among-top-5-pub-candidates/394515 "2007-03-04T05:44:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Gary\_Kumquat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4491bb/32.png) [@Gary\_Kumquat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Kumquat)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2007, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-marriages-among-top-5-pub-candidates/394515/21 "2007-03-04T19:58:57Z")
[QUOTE=DanBlather] I like that; they are not divorced, they’re re-married. Kind of like “pre-owned” cars. They didn’t cheat on their wives, they “recycled their affection”. I’m pitting these clowns because they belong to a party that talks about traditional values and the importance of the family, but doesn’t back it up. It’s like the chicken hawks attacking Kerry and Max Cleland, both decorated war heroes, for being unpatriotic. [/QUOTE] Remarried is a fairly common term here for someone who married following a previous marriage - perhaps it’s not one you use in the states? As for the rest of your post, I really don’t understand the logic that a marriage break up indicates someone doesn’t believe in family values? Sometimes marriages don’t work, for all manner of reasons. I’d hesitate to jump to the conclusion that a remarried person doesn’t view family as important. ---
**Author:** ![Caridwen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c89c15/32.png) [@Caridwen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caridwen)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2007, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-marriages-among-top-5-pub-candidates/394515/22 "2007-03-04T20:47:44Z")
Not all people that remarry cheat, I didn’t. Giuliani openly brought his new girlfriend to a parade and his kids had to find out about it watching TV. McCain dumped the wife that waited for three years and raised his kids while he was a POW. He cheated on his wife then left her. He admits that. > [@](#): > > At least they end of marrying them, Dems like Bill Clinton just fucked em and left them. A later trip to the altar is family values. I bet Monica Lewinsky would have killed for a box of chocolates the next day. That’s all you’ve got? I bet that makes McCain’s ex-wife feel better. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2007, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-marriages-among-top-5-pub-candidates/394515/23 "2007-03-04T22:18:56Z")
[QUOTE=Gary Kumquat] Remarried is a fairly common term here for someone who married following a previous marriage - perhaps it’s not one you use in the states? [/QUOTE] No we use it here as well. It means someone who got married again. We don’t use it as a synonym for divorce however. There is a difference between “That Bill has real family values, he got re-married 5 times” and “That Bill has real family values, he got divorced 5 times”. > [@](#): > > As for the rest of your post, I really don’t understand the logic that a marriage break up indicates someone doesn’t believe in family values? Sometimes marriages don’t work, for all manner of reasons. I’d hesitate to jump to the conclusion that a remarried person doesn’t view family as important. Shit happens, but when two of the top 5 candidates in your party got divorced twice it shows there is no substance behind all the family value bullshit. ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2007, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-marriages-among-top-5-pub-candidates/394515/24 "2007-03-04T23:05:35Z")
> [@](#): > > As for the rest of your post, I really don’t understand the logic that a marriage break up indicates someone doesn’t believe in family values? Sometimes marriages don’t work, for all manner of reasons. I’d hesitate to jump to the conclusion that a remarried person doesn’t view family as important. But when those same people talk about the “sactity of marriage”, or about protecting the institution of marriage from the homosexuals, it makes it hard to take them seriously. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2007, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-marriages-among-top-5-pub-candidates/394515/25 "2007-03-04T23:09:02Z")
Just for comaprison sake, let’s look at the top five Democratic candidates: Hillary Clinton – One marriage, 32 years. Barack Obama – One marriage, 15 years. John Edwards – One marriage, 30 years. Joe Biden – First wife died in a car accident, married to second wife 30 years. Bill Richardson – One marriage, 33 years. Chris Dodd – Divorced, remarried for 8 years. I think the statistics speak for themselves. ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2007, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-marriages-among-top-5-pub-candidates/394515/26 "2007-03-04T23:30:19Z")
Surely they don’t just say, “I was an evil bastard to my wife. Suck it up!” How do they spin it to try to make themselves look better? ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-marriages-among-top-5-pub-candidates/394515/27 "2007-03-05T00:16:28Z")
[QUOTE=Aeschines] Surely they don’t just say, “I was an evil bastard to my wife. Suck it up!” How do they spin it to try to make themselves look better? [/QUOTE] They blame Clinton. ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-marriages-among-top-5-pub-candidates/394515/28 "2007-03-05T00:31:45Z")
[QUOTE=DanBlather] They blame Clinton. [/QUOTE] 😛 ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-marriages-among-top-5-pub-candidates/394515/29 "2007-03-05T00:34:52Z")
Pretty much. That’s just one example of the ol’ misdirection tactic that’s been part of their recent playbook - accuse the other guy of doing something you’re doing, and accuse him _first_. Enough people will believe it at face value that anybody trying to point out your own hypocrisy in making the accusation will look simply petty, or be ignored altogether. Accusing Democrats of being anti-family is closely related to accusing them of being anti-defense, anti-responsibility, pro-tax-and-spend, pro-intrusive-government. It’s worked for a pretty long time, too. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-marriages-among-top-5-pub-candidates/394515/30 "2007-03-05T01:03:46Z")
The biggest “offender” here is Rudy Giuliani. I don’t recall hearing him talking the “family values” line or dissing homosexuals. ---
**Author:** ![pantom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/34f0e0/32.png) [@pantom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pantom)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-marriages-among-top-5-pub-candidates/394515/31 "2007-03-05T01:16:55Z")
Well, weird thing about Giuliani is that he was Catholic. I say was, as with the divorce of his second wife, one has to wonder what his status actually is now. As for the Dems, not really that surprising. The Reps now represent the South and West, where Protestants rule. The Dems’ blue states have a lot more Catholics, and recent immigrants in general, who tend to stay married and look down on divorce. ---
**Author:** ![Caridwen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c89c15/32.png) [@Caridwen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caridwen)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-marriages-among-top-5-pub-candidates/394515/32 "2007-03-05T01:45:59Z")
Maybe he found out she was a long lost sister and had that marriage annulled the same way he did when he ‘found out’ his first wife was his cousin. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-marriages-among-top-5-pub-candidates/394515/33 "2007-03-05T04:26:02Z")
[QUOTE=John Mace] The biggest “offender” here is Rudy Giuliani. I don’t recall hearing him talking the “family values” line or dissing homosexuals. [/QUOTE] I dunno. Newt has pretty much the same record, and I seem to recall him leading the charge against presidential adultery. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-marriages-among-top-5-pub-candidates/394515/34 "2007-03-05T04:38:28Z")
> [@](#): > > At least they end of marrying them So it’s okay if you cheat on your wife as long as you divorce her afterwards? What do they call that - taking the moral slightly-less-deep hole? ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-marriages-among-top-5-pub-candidates/394515/35 "2007-03-05T04:42:29Z")
[QUOTE=Little Nemo] So it’s okay if you cheat on your wife as long as you divorce her afterwards? What do they call that - taking the moral slightly-less-deep hole? [/QUOTE] Serial polygamy? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-marriages-among-top-5-pub-candidates/394515/36 "2007-03-05T05:05:58Z")
[QUOTE=Gorsnak] I dunno. Newt has pretty much the same record, and I seem to recall him leading the charge against presidential adultery. [/QUOTE] Well, Newt isn’t running. It should also be noted that the poll in the OP, which he didn’t cite, isn’t really a poll in the usual sense. It was the straw poll from the CPAC conference. Right now, among Republicans, it’s about 40% Giuliani and 20% McCain with the others trailing in or close to single digits. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-marriages-among-top-5-pub-candidates/394515/37 "2007-03-05T05:28:51Z")
[QUOTE=John Mace] Well, Newt isn’t running. It should also be noted that the poll in the OP, which he didn’t cite, isn’t really a poll in the usual sense. It was the straw poll from the CPAC conference. Right now, among Republicans, it’s about 40% Giuliani and 20% McCain with the others trailing in or close to single digits. [/QUOTE] Cool, 40% of Repupublicans support a twice-divorced man who openly cheated on his wife and shared an apartment with gay men. Can’t wait to see that on Fox news. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-marriages-among-top-5-pub-candidates/394515/38 "2007-03-05T05:52:48Z")
Our country passed up a brilliant candidate twice and one of the main reasons was because he was divorced. I’ve always wondered how things would have been different in 1952 and 1956 if Adlai Stevenson had been elected president. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-marriages-among-top-5-pub-candidates/394515/39 "2007-03-05T06:19:14Z")
[QUOTE=DanBlather] Cool, 40% of Repupublicans support a twice-divorced man who openly cheated on his wife and shared an apartment with gay men. [/QUOTE] Yep, Republicans are becoming more like liberals every day. 😃 I must say all the mentions one is beginning to see around here about Guliani’s having cheated on his wife are most amusing considering the pass that Blow Job Billy got around here for Monica Lewinski (and shaking his finger in our face and lying through his teeth about her at the same time), his 13-year affair with Gennifer Flowers (who has him on tape instructing her to lie about it as well), and the various and sundry other affairs that he has had over the course of his marriage. I thought personal lives were supposed to be inconsequential and out of bounds in terms of liberal philosophy these days. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2007, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-marriages-among-top-5-pub-candidates/394515/40 "2007-03-05T08:40:21Z")
No, we’re saying that conservatives should start living up to the principles they’ve been claiming they have. “I won’t vote for Clinton because he didn’t serve in Vietnam. But I’ll vote for Bush instead of Gore or Kerry.” “I won’t vote for Clinton because he commited adultery. But I’ll vote for Guiliani or McCain instead of Obama.” Why don’t you guys just try a little honesty? What’s wrong with saying, “I’m a Republican and I’m going to vote for the Republican candidate.” Instead you try to portray yourselves as independant voters who consider all the candidates with an open mind and then just happen to discover a reason not to vote for the Democrat every time. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-marriages-among-top-5-pub-candidates/394515.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/10-marriages-among-top-5-pub-candidates/394515.md?page=3)