It's 2016 and Bill Clinton’s past just can’t seem to escape him. While on the campaign trail for his wife, old controversy just seems to follow him. Hillary on multiple occasions has called Bill her secret weapon. But as the election grows closer and closer, one can’t help but question is he helping or hurting Hillary’s chances of becoming the next president?
We all know that Hillary is an individual, and that she can’t possibly be held accountable for her husband’s actions, but in politics that is not the case. When we look at potential candidates, we’re not just looking at the individual, we’re also looking at the family as a whole. When male candidates run, we judge the potential first lady based on how she dresses, how well spoken is she, and if she can capture the hearts of the American people. If she has any skeletons in her closet you better believe that she will be exposed at some point during the campaign. The same applies to Bill. Though his actions are his own, you can’t help but question whether Hillary is as much of a feminist as she makes herself out to be.
For those of you who don’t know (or just living under a rock) about Bill’s extracurricular activities, let’s talk about how these accusations first began. Though there were accusations prior, pretty much all of Bill’s problems started back in 1998 which spearheaded possibly one of the biggest political sex scandals of all time. Then President Bill Clinton (age 49) was engaging in a sexual relationship with then White House employee, Monica Lewinsky (age 22).
From there, all hell broke loose. Over the years we’ve seen women come forward talking about how they too had sexual relations with the former President, and some even accused him of sexual assault. Bill has come clean recently, and in the past, about some of his sexual misconduct, but after nearly two decades, his transgressions are still appearing as news headlines.
Fast forward to 2016, when Hillary is trying to secure the Democratic nomination for President. She’s been avid on reminding the American people -- especially women -- that she is a women’s advocate and that women’s issues will be at the top of her agenda if she were to become President. With Bill’s past actions still on the radar, and Hillary refusing to answer any questions regarding them, it makes it extremely hard for the American people to believe anything that she’s saying.
Not to mention, with Hillary running it gives opponents -- especially in the GOP -- ammo to attack both her and her husband about what hypocrites they are. The misogynist himself, Donald Trump, made a statement saying that Hillary married a woman abuser and that the American people need to take that into consideration when choosing a candidate (isn’t that just the pot calling the kettle black). Carly Fiorina stated that Bill Clinton’s past is “fair game.” Even Democratic candidate, Bernie Sanders, has come forth stating that Bill Clinton’s extramarital affairs were “disgraceful and unacceptable.” Juanita Broaddrick accused then Attorney General of Arkansas, Bill Clinton, for raping her back in 1978 while he was campaigning for governor. She is now back in the news saying that she will never forget what Bill did to her, and she will never let him forget. To make matters worse, she also says that Hillary Clinton tried to silence her. So when you have Hillary campaigning and discussing women’s issues, can you truly believe that she’s telling the truth?
Yes, Hillary will probably always be held accountable for Bill’s actions as long as she has any sort of political career. In politics, your personal life is up for discussion, and all you can do is be prepared for anything that they ask. It's important to note that the point of this article is not to persuade or dissuade you in anyway but rather that some of these allegations definitely raise questions about how much of a women’s advocate Hillary truly is. Bill’s past is making her women’s rights spiel a little unconvincing. She claims that all rape victims should be believed, but when these victims are possibly her husband’s she stays silent.
With the election around the corner, all I can do is advise everyone to get to know each candidate before you make a final decision. It is a big race and it’s important that all of the American people get informed so they can make the best choice possible on election day in November 2016.
