# Why do men like Bill Clinton take terrible risks with their sex life? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 2, 2018, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-men-like-bill-clinton-take-terrible-risks-with-their-sex-life/815331 "2018-06-02T20:17:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2018, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-men-like-bill-clinton-take-terrible-risks-with-their-sex-life/815331/21 "2018-06-02T23:55:02Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > I appreciate the responses, and maybe I could understand if Lewinsky was an absolute bombshell; but, nothing against her, but she is very average to possibly below average. Clinton could have had Mayflower Madam-style pussy if he was so inclined (and he was). Why risk the presidency for less than top shelf, even if you are a risk taker? Top shelf. _Surely_ you realize that different men have different tastes in women? Bashing another dude’s taste in women is a beta move, no matter how much you think you have the concept of women and sex figured out. Monica Lewinsky circa 1998 definitely had sex appeal. Regarding her face, I’m not gonna debase this conversation by using that three-letter acronym that also refers to a form of high-speed internet, but you can figure that one out for yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2018, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-men-like-bill-clinton-take-terrible-risks-with-their-sex-life/815331/22 "2018-06-03T00:01:44Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > I don’t want this thread to become political and I’m not (in this thread) criticizing Clinton’s politics. However, in this documentary, even his supporters like Robert Reich are dumbfounded at how terrible of a risk that Clinton would take by endangering his presidency with this young girl. Monica Lewinsky was about 22 years old at the time of their first sexual encounter. If that’s a “young girl”, then at what age does one become a woman? ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2018, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-men-like-bill-clinton-take-terrible-risks-with-their-sex-life/815331/23 "2018-06-03T00:06:27Z")
> [@Jacquernagy](#): > > Top shelf. _Surely_ you realize that different men have different tastes in women? Bashing another dude’s taste in women is a beta move, no matter how much you think you have the concept of women and sex figured out. Monica Lewinsky circa 1998 definitely had sex appeal. Regarding her face, I’m not gonna debase this conversation by using that three-letter acronym that also refers to a form of high-speed internet, but you can figure that one out for yourself. Fair enough. To each his own. But still…objectively, she was the type of girl you would turn down in a bar at 10pm and start thinking about her at midnight. > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Monica Lewinsky was about 22 years old at the time of their first sexual encounter. If that’s a “young girl”, then at what age does one become a woman? When you are over 50. Then 22 is a young girl. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2018, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-men-like-bill-clinton-take-terrible-risks-with-their-sex-life/815331/24 "2018-06-03T00:11:13Z")
She was woman enough IMO. She knew she was screwing with the very married POTUS. She had stars in her eyes. And was probably a bit in love. Brother Bill was very likable and charming. ---
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2018, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-men-like-bill-clinton-take-terrible-risks-with-their-sex-life/815331/25 "2018-06-03T00:18:17Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > Fair enough. To each his own. But still…objectively, she was the type of girl you would turn down in a bar at 10pm and start thinking about her at midnight. I think you’re seriously miscalculating how many men like those kind of bodies and faces. She’s a straight PAWG. Still, though, Clinton should have just taken some “diplomatic trips” to Italy or Brazil or something. His big blunder was dipping his pen in the company ink, like all of these other dumb bastards who are currently blowing up the news. (As more women attain positions of political power, we’ll undoubtedly see the same thing happening with them as well.) Shit, we might as well just go back to the days of official mistresses and harems. Maybe they should make the White House clothing-optional? Maybe they should paint it purple and hire an in-house Prince cover band to provide a constant stream of baby-making music? Could we just make the UN an international orgy? The idea of it sounds ridiculous, but these are the same people who talk straight-faced about launching nuclear bombs…_that’s_ more ridiculous, when you actually think about it. Far more ridiculous. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2018, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-men-like-bill-clinton-take-terrible-risks-with-their-sex-life/815331/26 "2018-06-03T00:24:23Z")
> [@Jacquernagy](#): > > I think you’re seriously miscalculating how many men like those kind of bodies and faces. She’s a straight PAWG. Still, though, Clinton should have just taken some “diplomatic trips” to Italy or Brazil or something. His big blunder was dipping his pen in the company ink, like all of these other dumb bastards who are currently blowing up the news. (As more women attain positions of political power, we’ll undoubtedly see the same thing happening with them as well.) Shit, we might as well just go back to the days of official mistresses and harems. Maybe they should make the White House clothing-optional? Maybe they should paint it purple and hire an in-house Prince cover band to provide a constant stream of baby-making music? > > Could we just make the UN an international orgy? The idea of it sounds ridiculous, but these are the same people who talk straight-faced about launching nuclear bombs…_that’s_ more ridiculous, when you actually think about it. Far more ridiculous. I’m not trying to fight your point. Suppose Clinton is attracted to that type (he seemed to have been attracted to all types). We can agree that she is not movie star beautiful to the point that it is worth risking a presidency over, right? ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2018, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-men-like-bill-clinton-take-terrible-risks-with-their-sex-life/815331/27 "2018-06-03T00:35:44Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > Suppose Clinton is attracted to that type (he seemed to have been attracted to all types). We can agree that she is not movie star beautiful to the point that it is worth risking a presidency over, right? I don’t think this is nearly as relevant as you seem to think it is. Sexual desirability is subjective, not objective. Speaking personally, there are women who _are_ considered “movie star beautiful” who leave me cold. ---
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2018, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-men-like-bill-clinton-take-terrible-risks-with-their-sex-life/815331/28 "2018-06-03T00:44:22Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > I’m not trying to fight your point. Suppose Clinton is attracted to that type (he seemed to have been attracted to all types). We can agree that she is not movie star beautiful to the point that it is worth risking a presidency over, right? When Arnold Schwarzenegger got divorced after the revelations of his ongoing extramarital affair and illegitimate son, a lot of people were shocked that the woman in question was not more conventionally attractive. I wasn’t. Taste in sexual partners is TOTALLY subjective, despite the prevailing notions of attractiveness in our culture…if you dig someone, you dig them. If anything, someone like Arnold Schwarzenegger - who came up in the world of professional bodybuilding in the 1970s that was almost like a sideshow carnival culture of weird misfits and outcasts, where intensely motivated people of varied genders and orientations trained together and saw every kind of physique you could possibly imagine - would be _more_ open minded about his choice of sexual partners, rather than picky about their appearance. It honestly makes a lot of sense if you think about it from this angle. People were like, “he’s Arnold Schwarzenegger, he’s a movie star and a governor, he could have had the hottest women blah blah…” nah, when it comes to sex, people want what they want. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2018, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-men-like-bill-clinton-take-terrible-risks-with-their-sex-life/815331/29 "2018-06-03T01:09:21Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > I’m not trying to fight your point. Suppose Clinton is attracted to that type (he seemed to have been attracted to all types). We can agree that she is not movie star beautiful to the point that it is worth risking a presidency over, right? Never underestimate the power of flirtiness and proximity. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2018, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-men-like-bill-clinton-take-terrible-risks-with-their-sex-life/815331/30 "2018-06-03T01:20:02Z")
By the time Clinton was in the Whitehouse, Hillary and others were probably minding the shop more closely. Sometimes you just love the one you’re with. And Monica wasn’t disgusting. She was cute, youngish, willing, and around ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2018, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-men-like-bill-clinton-take-terrible-risks-with-their-sex-life/815331/31 "2018-06-03T01:29:44Z")
I’m too lazy to confirm, but I remember reading that Clinton’s sexual encounters with Monica Lewinsky coincided with the government shutdown forced by Newt Gingrich. The suggestion was that Bill Clinton needed to be kept busy to stay out of trouble. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2018, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-men-like-bill-clinton-take-terrible-risks-with-their-sex-life/815331/32 "2018-06-03T01:30:28Z")
Many (although not all) politicians show clear signs of narcissicm, some to a pathological degree. The behaviors of narcissicm include a need for validation and admiration, excessive feelings of self-importance and invulnerability, and a lack of concern for consequences or genuine empathy for others, although many narcissists are quite good at presenting as empathic and reflecting the feelings of others. Despite his previous scandals, including the purportedly uninvited harassment of Paula Jones and later Kathleen Willey. Even in his testimony to a grand jury, he thought he could weasel word his way out of being untruthful. More generally, people in powerful positions often feel the need to exercise that authority in petty ways just to verify for themselves and others that they actually have real authority. For Clinton, having “sexual relations” with an intern, in the Oval Office under the protective eyes of the Secret Service, is verification that he is indeed, “The Most Powerful Man In The World” to be permitted to do so, and it was nearly the undoing of his presidency. This really argues for two things; first, more women in positions of leadership (while women are not immune of the corrupting influence of power there seems to be a generally better track record of not leveraging it by demeaning or sexually degrading others); and second, some kind of credentials and reputation for mental and emotional stability in holding high public office. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2018, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-men-like-bill-clinton-take-terrible-risks-with-their-sex-life/815331/33 "2018-06-03T22:45:53Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > By the time Clinton was in the Whitehouse, Hillary and others were probably minding the shop more closely. Sometimes you just love the one you’re with. And Monica wasn’t disgusting. She was cute, youngish, willing, and around Okay, I concede the point that each person has a subjective view of sexuality and Clinton probably found her attractive. Fine. But this isn’t some guy who punches a time card, drinks a six pack, eats dinner and goes to bed. This guy was aggressive and motivated his whole life. Went to Oxford. Was Governor at a young age. The documentary said that he put in 20 hour days while campaigning. There is no evidence to suggest that Monica was so attractive to him that she just overbore his will to be faithful to his wife. His sexual proclivities were well documented. It just amazes me that a guy who was very successful in life, very personable and charming, a popular President at the time, well-liked with the economy smoking, and very disciplined in achieving his goals, would take such a terrible risk with a 22 year old intern, even if he thought she was the most beautiful woman on the planet. Is it, as was mentioned above, sort of a narcissistic personality trait, or a need to feel loved that Clinton kept making such irrationally stupid decisions? ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2018, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-men-like-bill-clinton-take-terrible-risks-with-their-sex-life/815331/34 "2018-06-03T23:01:12Z")
He thought he was untouchable. In fact he was called teflon-coated. And, this was a big one, he was stupid to believe that he could carry on in Washington like he did in Arkansas. I feel he was likely told this, over and over. He was a powerful man, he thought no one could/would stop him. Classic. Thinking with the wrong head. ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2018, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-men-like-bill-clinton-take-terrible-risks-with-their-sex-life/815331/35 "2018-06-03T23:35:58Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > Okay, I concede the point that each person has a subjective view of sexuality and Clinton probably found her attractive. Fine. > > But this isn’t some guy who punches a time card, drinks a six pack, eats dinner and goes to bed. This guy was aggressive and motivated his whole life. Went to Oxford. Was Governor at a young age. The documentary said that he put in 20 hour days while campaigning. > > There is no evidence to suggest that Monica was so attractive to him that she just overbore his will to be faithful to his wife. His sexual proclivities were well documented. > > It just amazes me that a guy who was very successful in life, very personable and charming, a popular President at the time, well-liked with the economy smoking, and very disciplined in achieving his goals, would take such a terrible risk with a 22 year old intern, even if he thought she was the most beautiful woman on the planet. > > Is it, as was mentioned above, sort of a narcissistic personality trait, or a need to feel loved that Clinton kept making such irrationally stupid decisions? ISTM that you’re sort of “projecting”, imagining that, deep down, he’s the same kind of person you are, with the same motivations, the same fears, etc. Maybe he really isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2018, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-men-like-bill-clinton-take-terrible-risks-with-their-sex-life/815331/36 "2018-06-03T23:51:17Z")
> [@DavidwithanR](#): > > ISTM that you’re sort of “projecting”, imagining that, deep down, he’s the same kind of person you are, with the same motivations, the same fears, etc. > > Maybe he really isn’t. I understand that we are all different, but don’t we basically all have the same motivations and fears? And in case I am wrong about that, it is clear what Clinton’s motivations were: To become President and be a successful one. He pursued that goal for more than twenty years prior to being elected. He was/is also a very smart man. Surely the chance of losing what he devoted his whole life for was not worth a blow job from a staffer, even if he thought she was pretty. Especially given that he was already being sued by Paula Jones. Even if he was the kind of guy that simply could not be faithful and needed some strange pussy, he should have known by his involvement in sexual harassment laws and modern feminism that having an affair with a subordinate was even worse. To her credit, Monica kept it a secret (only confiding in a “friend”) until she was threatened with criminal prosecution. A smart guy like Clinton should have worried that she was going to make this thing her meal ticket. So don’t dip the pen in the company ink. Have Dick Morris or Vernon Jordan arrange for some high priced escorts to come to the Oval Office. On paper they are for Morris; the women are searched before leaving, etc. and if they later claim that they had sex with Clinton, he simply denies it and pins in on Morris or some other flunky. (Morris was already caught having sex with prostitutes). I know I’m getting all James Bond on this type of scenario, but a smart guy like Clinton could have gotten some pussy on the side without exposing himself to these risks. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2018, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-men-like-bill-clinton-take-terrible-risks-with-their-sex-life/815331/37 "2018-06-04T00:38:54Z")
He was thinking w/ the little head, and the little head said, ‘This person is 20 feet from you and wants to have sex w/ you!’ and the biological imperative took over the driver’s seat. Like Ahnuld w/ the housekeeper, Robin Williams w/ the nanny, Ethan Hawke w/ the nanny, and [Mutt Lange](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_John_%22Mutt%22_Lange) w/ his 2nd wife Shania Twain’s best friend (and before that his employee during his first marriage) - proximity and the biological imperative make the husbands of attractive/powerful women think, ‘I want to do this so bad that it’s ok to do so and I will surely get away w/ it somehow.’ ---
**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2018, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-men-like-bill-clinton-take-terrible-risks-with-their-sex-life/815331/38 "2018-06-04T01:08:47Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > And look at how many fat Republican guys have been blown by women not their wives (or men, for that matter) in the years since he said that. And look at how many fat _Democrat_ guys have been blown by women not their wives (or men, for that matter) in the years since he said that. ---
**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2018, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-men-like-bill-clinton-take-terrible-risks-with-their-sex-life/815331/39 "2018-06-04T01:18:57Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > He thought he was untouchable. In fact he was called teflon-coated. And, this was a big one, he was stupid to believe that he could carry on in Washington like he did in Arkansas. I feel he was likely told this, over and over. He was a powerful man, he thought no one could/would stop him. Classic. Thinking with the wrong head. In a sense he DID get away with it. If not for Monica saving the blue dress, she would have been just another floozy who was lying about a supposed affair with the President. Clinton had been caught cheating on Hillary many times, but nothing stuck because it was his word against hers. And he was the Governor or President, so who are you going to believe? Remember Clinton was not impeached because he had an affair with a young female intern at the White House. Clinton was impeached because he LIED about it not occurring. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2018, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-men-like-bill-clinton-take-terrible-risks-with-their-sex-life/815331/40 "2018-06-04T01:36:01Z")
> [@Mangosteen](#): > > In a sense he DID get away with it. If not for Monica saving the blue dress, she would have been just another floozy who was lying about a supposed affair with the President. Clinton had been caught cheating on Hillary many times, but nothing stuck because it was his word against hers. And he was the Governor or President, so who are you going to believe? > > Remember Clinton was not impeached because he had an affair with a young female intern at the White House. Clinton was impeached because he LIED about it not occurring. The first paragraph is not entirely accurate. Monica wasn’t some gold digger who attempted to extort Clinton in exchange for keeping quiet. Nor did she take money for a tell all story (at least before it became public). She denied that it happened. She perjured herself in front of a grand jury. She only confided about the relationship with Linda Tripp, someone who she thought was her friend. Monica only admitted the affair after the FBI browbeat her and then gave her immunity for her testimony. I think that any reasonable juror, after hearing the tapes and the timeline of events, would believe that Monica indeed had a relationship with Clinton, even without the dress. But your second paragraph is correct. I think it unseemly that the government can lay those sorts of perjury traps for people. What married man is NOT going to deny an adulterous affair? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-men-like-bill-clinton-take-terrible-risks-with-their-sex-life/815331.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-men-like-bill-clinton-take-terrible-risks-with-their-sex-life/815331.md?page=3)