When I think of the 90s as a 22-year-old woman, I think of Nestle Wonderballs and Rugrats. I think of all the weird toys I used to play with and the endless days of summer. Other people remember this decade very differently. It’s not that I’ve been living under a rock for the last few decades, but the Monica Lewinsky scandal isn’t something I think about often. I know that for our parents this case just like the OJ Simpson case captivated the entire world, and it seems to be rearing its ugly head again this year.
We are only a few months away from the primary elections in which both the Democratic nominee and Republican nominee will be announced. Hillary Clinton is the front-runner in some people’s opinion and is being watched much more than other candidates. The country has a history with Hillary and they judge her on things that happened when she was First Lady as well as the things that occurred during her stay as secretary of state.
The Monica Lewinsky scandal is just one of many things that continue to haunt her campaign. Now this isn’t the first time she’s run for office, if you remember she ran against President Obama in 2008 and lost. The blame for this coming up once again can be somewhat placed on Donald Trump for bringing the scandal up in a smear campaign just a few weeks ago. Since then Hillary has been heckled at various speaking events about her husband’s infidelity.
The focus on this seems extremely ridiculous and is a non-issue. Bill Clinton’s sexual past in no way affects Hillary Clinton’s ability to run the country. People who are blaming her and seeing this as an issue are just completely insane. Bigger than this is the fact that people are still slut-shaming Monica Lewinsky. This is something that happened 20 years ago, and yet people will not move on and let the woman live. Monica was only 22 when this happened, when she found herself being accosted by the 50-year-old president of The United States.
Bill Clinton will be the first husband, yes she may consult with him on some issues, but he will not be running the country. Not to say that his time as president was as horrible as some other presidency’s. This whole situation feels like an attack on Hillary Clinton as a woman, not on her policy or political standpoint. Proof that this country is much more conservative than it thinks it is.
If Hillary had divorced Bill Clinton how would we be viewing her right now? People would probably be shaming her for that as well; you divorced your husband, marriage is for life. She can’t win. It’s not a question of whether you support her politics, that doesn’t matter. It’s a matter of respect. Her personal life has nothing to do with being able to operate as a leader.
Bernie Sanders is a great example of this. I’ve only heard him speak of his wife and son on very select occasions. He is going to be running the country, not his family. Hilary should be given respect and criticized for her political stance, not what happens in or out of her marital bed.
