I suspect Kristi was already in bad odor with at least some of those people once the stories about the dog and goat killing got out. Add on the adultery, incompetent government service, extravagance with taypayer money in relentless self-promotion, and folks could see Bryon’s activities as a desperate attempt to cope.
ETA: Also misogyny?
The article was more fluff than fact, but it identified several reasons why people sympathized, through direct quotes or characterizing what various unnamed people said:
“When they go low; we go high.” Remember that? How did that work out? I really don’t care what MAGA thinks of me anymore. They have reaped, they can sow. Their problem at this point, not mine. They made the rules, I’m just playing by them.
What on earth do we accomplish by cackling at the pain of innocents, just because through no fault of their own they happen to be related to a monster?
You can argue for “going low” if your position is that stooping to the level of the MAGA crowd will be effective at stopping Trump and his cronies, and replacing them with a better (KINDER, I might add) system. I may disagree (I do) but I can understand the rationale - “the end justifies the means.” It’s at least potentially based in a heartfelt and strategic desire to improve society.
There might even be limited circumstances where I’d agree. This is not one of them, as I see zero value in refusing to admit it’s wrong to stigmatize innocent relatives of the Noems.
Here’s a thought experiment for you: there is an absolutely horrible principal in a middle school in your neighborhood. Her policies have contributed to rising drop-out rates and arguably the suicides of a couple of students. Yet, somehow, inexplicably, she remains in her job, and even has people who loudly support her. There are also rumors that she drinks and drives; indeed, she even has a DUI from 20 years ago.
One day, you are driving home and see a couple of bewildered, crying kids of middle school age, standing at the edge of the road. Looking more at the scenario, you see that there has been a traffic crash. Sobbing, the students tell you that they were given a ride by that school principal, but once she started driving they were scared that she was drunk. She then crashed into a parked car, at which point she screamed at the kids, “get out!” which they did, and then she gunned it and drove away. The kids don’t have their cell phones because they left them in the car; now all they want to do is call their parents and go home.
What do you do? Not a lot is being asked of you; just call their parents and maybe stick around for a little bit to comfort them.
Seems to me that if you can’t even grudgingly say, “I feel sorry for the innocent relatives of Kristi Noem who are upset; it’s not their fault Rachel Good and Alex Pretti were murdered” then you will say, “not my problem, kids - it’s the school principal’s fault” and walk away.
Would you help the stranded kids by the side of the road? I guess not, if you can’t bring yourself to say that it’s too bad that innocent relatives of the Noems may be laughed at while they are embarrassed and upset (hell, in this lovely era, they’ll likely get death threats, or at least feces in their mailboxes).
Nothing wrong with a guy getting pleasure from privately wearing women’s clothes and fake boobs and having sex workers talk dirty to him, as long as it’s done ethically and nobody’s being harmed.
A lot wrong with people hypocritically kissing up to autocrats who demonize and ostracize people for doing the same things that the hypocrites themselves do in secret.
And I disagree with the assumption that Bryon Noem’s kinky behavior must be some sort of twisted compulsion that he can’t really be enjoying. Some people just have specific kinky tastes when it comes to sex. Doing kink stuff is fun for them. Simple as that.
Is Kristi Noem part of a revolting swampful of liars, thugs, dunces, sadists and egotists who are doing their level best to wreck our country and the world? Sure is. Are Bryon Noem’s kink preferences an indicator of that? No, probably not.
Sometimes a massive prosthetic boob is just a massive prosthetic boob. If Bryon Noem’s kink-whisperer sex worker is a reasonably decent person, then I’m guessing the time he spends in private in falsies and lingerie is probably on average his least unwholesome, destructive and soul-destroying experience in the miasma of malice, slander and stupidity that permeates his wretched life in the MAGA cesspit.
Okay, well I’m not reading all that brow-beating bullshit, and I’m really, truly past trying to be nice to these assholes, so I’m not gong to anymore. End of story.
And now the kids are assholes?
They aren’t the ones sounding like an asshole.
@Jack_Batty : I assume the “brow-beating bullshit”, as you characterize it, was mine.
It’s a shame you wouldn’t read it. Here’s the TLDR version: I conceded that there could be times, rarely in my opinion, when the means justify the ends, and set up a hypothetical I’d be interested in your answer to, because it has to potential to explore the morality of the situation.
If that’s “browbeating,” guilty as charged. Oh well. I was hoping for a thoughtful discussion.
But to be fair, no one is ever under any obligation to respond to another poster.
The thing is that it Kristi Noem has made a career out of making the lives of people like her husband miserable and trying to make it impossible to exist in public so they’re forced back into the closet or kill themselves. The story deserves attention because it illustrates the fact that the “Judeo-Christian traditions” and “family values” Republicans pander to to get votes don’t actually matter to them. It’s sheer libertinism and Nazi coke orgies and parties on Epstein Island for them, Bronze Age morality out of the barrel of a gun for the rest of us.
A question that I have no clue about the answer to: what has been the collective response to the Noem revelation? All I know, or think I know, is:
Kristi (by media reports) - shocked and heartbroken.
Trump - I know nothing about this, I guess it’s sad.
Family (via spokesperson) - “please respect our privacy in this difficult situation.”
Trashy news outlets (Daily Mail, New York Post) - hah HAH! Gleeful and detailed coverage of the balloon boobs, pink hot pants, etc.
MSM - measured interviews with hometown folks (NYT), crickets (WaPo) … others?
Fox News et al - ???
Social media commentary by the vile masses - ???
In truth, it seems this issue isn’t getting a whole lot of traction. Whether that is because who cares, Noem was out before this story broke, or because the right wing doesn’t want to talk about it and the left has higher standards for political discourse, other things, a combination of those, I have no idea.
Curious if anyone has insights.
ETA: left out late night. Haven’t seen if John Oliver / Jon Stewart are going to get in on the action, but the Daily Show did a rather schadenfreude-laden piece. I found it neither unjustly offensive nor funny, just sort of “meh,” but I did appreciate the crack about “they’re sisters, not twins,” regarding the uneven placement of the nipples in the very unfortunate photo of Byron that’s been circulating.
@Kimstu I wasn’t saying he shouldn’t do what he desires in his private life. I care not.
I’m saying don’t these people realize if they put pictures online or send messages electronically somebody will find it.
And will make bank on the knowledge.
Just plain dumb.
Why does anyone care how the Noem’s children feel about this? I can’t easily find out their ages, but if they’re adults and they haven’t already cut her completely out of their lives, then fuck them.
Even if they’re minors, their father hasn’t done anything to be ashamed of or embarrassed about. And even if he had, it has nothing to do with them. There’s absolutely no legitimate reason for them to be even slightly upset. They should be happy that their father is now free to explore his sexuality without the need to live a double life and, God willing, will soon be divorced from the Nazi he married.
In summary, if their children are more embarrassed to be related to them today than they were two days ago, they’re fucked in the head.
Where’s Epstein? A salacious diversion? Trump’s a racist, pedophile; stay on course.
And at the changing of the guard, prosecute Noem.
They are all adults (the Noems were married in 1992). Two daughters who are 31 and 29, and a son who is 23.
The Noems could potentially have GRANDkids old enough to know something’s not right. That said, I do feel bad for her kids, with the parents they do have.
I have to admit, this is kind of how I feel too. If I happened to run into Noem’s kids, I wouldn’t rub this sordid affair in their faces. But, I’m not losing any sleep over them feeling humiliated or people snickering behind their backs. I’m really out of fucks to give when it comes to the delicate sensibilities of the MAGA crowd or anyone in their orbit, especially when they’re connected to someone as toxic as Noem.
From my reading over the (big) ditch, the Republicans have had no qualms about tainting family members of Democrats who might (or might not) have fucked up in some way.
Michelle Obama being transgendered? The shit that Chelsea Clinton copped from the Pubbies?
I’m sure there’s plenty more examples, but seriously, like @Jack_Batty said, the time of going high when then the fuckers go low is long gone. Fight their shit with THEIR shit, and see how they like the repercussions.
Her oldest, Kassidy, is 31 (born 4/21/94).
I personally have no problem with holding hypocrites to their own ostensible standards.
Don’t make me link to the video of Trump kissing drag queen Rudy Giuliani.