Social Question

MrGrimm888's avatar

When Bill Clinton said that he had no sexual relationship with Monica, did anyone expect a different answer?

Asked by MrGrimm888 (19480points) November 13th, 2019

It seems like the natural response, from a married person, to deny an affair.

I’m not saying that I agree he should have lied.

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50 Answers

seawulf575's avatar

Actually, he would have been far better off coming clean. I thought so at the time. Boffing an intern in the Oval Office, while kinky and unprofessional, is not a crime. Lying about it under oath is. As an attorney, he should have known better. But it depends on what the meaning of the word “is” is.

Demosthenes's avatar

I was in first grade when it happened, so I can’t speak to my opinion at the time. But while I would expect a married person to deny an affair when casually asked (even if that married person is the president—presidents lie, not surprising), I do think it was oddly self-sabotaging to lie about it under oath. Did he truly think he would not be found out? Seems like a large mess could’ve been avoided if he had just been honest about it.

chyna's avatar

@seawulf575. They didn’t boff. They only had oral sex.

seawulf575's avatar

@chyna does it really matter? Think your husband would be okay with you having oral sex with some other guy?

SQUEEKY2's avatar

In my opinion he wasn’t lying about it to save his ass from the country ,he was lying about it to save his ass from Hilary.
@seawulf575 NO spouse would be ok if their other half had any kind of sex with another person that is why he lied about it.
You can hold your little conservative chest high and say I would have told the truth, sounds good but I highly doubt you would,I highly doubt anyone would regardless of political banner.

Darth_Algar's avatar

It wasn’t one of his more brilliant moments. I think he was trying to rely on the old “well it’s not like sex sex” like of excuse that guys have been employing since time began. I mean blowjobs don’t count, right? They’re like handshakes or something…

Darth_Algar's avatar

@SQUEEKY2

I’ve always figured that he and Hilary had a little agreement. “Do what you want, but don’t be stupid about it and don’t get caught”. Billy Boy got stupid.

seawulf575's avatar

@SQUEEKY2 I think he wasn’t so worried about Hillary as his popularity. He was afraid it would taint his presidency somehow. I understand the desire to lie about it, if you were worried about your spouse, but let’s be totally honest: Bill had been screwing around for decades before Monica. And Hillary helped cover some of them up. It’s not like it was the first time for him, nor the first time he was caught.
As for lying about it, I’m not puffing up my chest, but let’s be honest…if you are put under oath and there is a really good chance they already know the truth, lying about it only makes you guilty of perjury.
I said at the time and still believe that if Bill had just said in a public statement that yes, he had been acting inappropriately in the Oval Office and he regretted his infidelity to his wife, the whole thing would have blown over. It would have given Hillary a chance to publicly forgive him (making her look somewhat human) and no crime would have been committed. And it would have put a quick halt to any investigation into it. And the public would probably have been okay with it.

chyna's avatar

@seawulf575 I just wanted to get the verbage correct. There’s boffing and there’s oral sex. He didn’t boff which is a good thing as she could have gotten pregnant.

SQUEEKY2's avatar

That is pure speculation on your part, and yeah probably would have been better to come clean.
But add he has been a horndog in the past, and Hilary helped sweep it under the rug.
Trump has been no virtue of purity he has cheated on all his wives, including the current one.
But keep your speculation Clinton was already on his second term he wasn’t running again and you think it was to keep his popularity?
I think he did it to save his ass from his wife, you think he did it to save face with the nation.
We are just going to have to disagree on this.

ucme's avatar

I mean, if he’d come right out, with a straight face & said in a calm steady voice…
“she sucked my bendy wendy!”
That would’ve been a shock, funny, but a shock.

zenvelo's avatar

To put into context, many kids, especially from Christian/Mormon households and schools, use the “sex is only sex if the penis penetrates the vagina” as rationale for having only oral and anal sex.

People have used that context both before and after Clinton/Lewinsky.

Inspired_2write's avatar

I believe that he said “I had no sex with “THAT WOMAN..”
And that in itself implies that he had with others.

In this book of which I am reading ” “My Life Bill Clinton” ( Vol 1: The Early Years..may 2005 Edition)

And I read where he confesses that he cheated on Hillary ( they were married)
during a time when both were busy in their Careers in Law
and living in different States but meeting again on
Thanksgiving/Christmas /Easter etc.
He knew it was wrong but circumstances of living apart and long hours with a female eventually resulted in this one time dalliance.

However this doesn’t make it OK since what would had happened if the shoe was on the other foot?

From this book I gathered that he was a very sociable and likable person who connected to a diverse group of the population and I suppose it would happen in those circumstances.

In present day they would classify some as being “A Player” , one who makes the rounds and hooks up with different women all of the time, but Bill Clinton was not that type as he chose to be busy carving out his career as his priority.

He simply made a mistake and paid for it and continues to pay for it for the rest of his life, unfortunately.

All the good that he did and does now will not erase his bad choices in his lifetime.

chyna's avatar

But yet, JFK cheated a lot and people still love him and think he’s the greatest man that ever lived.

Dutchess_lll's avatar

Right? I read that when he was away from home JFK literally had a new woman in his bed every night. The Kennedy women were groomed to accept that. The reporters were men and they admired him for it.

LadyMarissa's avatar

He didn’t have sex with that woman, his cigar did!!!

Seriously, I knew he was a liar back during his campaign when he said he didn’t inhale. Everybody in DC knew he was having affairs after affairs…including Hillary. She played the victim very well & should have garnered an Academy Award for her performance!!! She honestly thought she could turn that sympathy into votes for her run for the Oval Office. She didn’t care that he was having affairs, but got pissed off he was lying to her.

Caravanfan's avatar

Ms. Lewinsky has been through enough. Everybody should let this go and move on. Her life was ruined by this man and she’s just now rehabilitating herself.

Darth_Algar's avatar

@LadyMarissa “She honestly thought she could turn that sympathy into votes for her run for the Oval Office.”

lolwut?

Jaxk's avatar

It’s not surprising that Bill would lie about the affair. The surprising part is that he got caught. If Monica had not kept the blue dress, I think he would have gotten away with it. Bill was a very likeable and believable liar. Bill lied under oath because he never expected there would be any proof. Nonetheless, the Senate acquitted him and I believe that was the right decision. Of course he lost his license to practice law and that also was the right decision. Why Hilary actively supported him through it all is a mystery. I suspect she had her own skeletons to keep hidden.

LadyMarissa's avatar

She wasn’t pure as the driven snow…they DESERVED each other!!!

Caravanfan's avatar

@LadyMarissa No. She was a victim of sexual abuse from a much more powerful man. And then she had her life ruined by vilification from the press, targeted hate, and vindictiveness from the Clintons.

MrGrimm888's avatar

I don’t see, how Hillary, was a victim. She, was complicit. Or. So, it appeared.

Dutchess_lll's avatar

She stayed because it would hurt her political career if she left him.
I don’t get this Cinderella attitudes toward marriage some of you have. Marriages are a legal business contract. If you’re lucky you’ll still actually like each other and want to be together, you’re lucky. Rick and I are coming up on 18 years and we’re lucky.
I think Bill and Hillary like each other.

Dutchess_lll's avatar

@LadyMarissa Bill’s screw up actually was a negative thing in her campaign. She’s a very intelligent woman. She knew it would be a problem.

seawulf575's avatar

@Dutchess_lll it wasn’t the Lewinsky scam that hurt Hillary. It was her efforts at trying to screw over some of his other complainants. So when Bill got out of control and a woman complained, Hillary stepped in to silence her. That speaks volumes to her character and lays open the lie that she is for women. She is and always has been for herself.

Dutchess_lll's avatar

I didn’t say it was the only thing, but it was so tame compared to the shit the raping child molester did.
She won the popular vote.

LadyMarissa's avatar

Ms. Lewinsky has been through enough. Give me a break!!! SHE chose to go after him & she’s paid dearly for it. She was an adult and the women on Capitol Hill like her were a dime a dozen. They would sell their souls for 10 seconds alone with a politician…ANY politician. Had it not been Bill, it would have been another one!!! She also had poor judgment when it came to her friends. Linda Tripp conned her into keeping the dress, so she wasn’t even smart enough to pull that one off all by herself. Most politicians stay away from the Capitol Bunnies just for reasons like this. Bill ALWAYS thought with the wrong head. Breaks my heart because I always liked him.

Dutchess_lll's avatar

He was talking about Monica.

And if Hillary didn’t care – and I suspect she didn’t – I don’t know why it’s your business and why are you passing such harsh judgement.

Caravanfan's avatar

@MrGrimm888 Ah…pronoun trouble, sorry. I was talking about Monica, not Hillary. Monica was the victim of sexual abuse from a serial predator.

seawulf575's avatar

@Dutchess_lll ” the raping child molester ”….Bill?

MrGrimm888's avatar

So. Monica, kept her semen coverred dress, why?

It seems clear, to me, that she was doing to extort, or blackmail him….

Darth_Algar's avatar

@Caravanfan

Monica was no victim here.

SQUEEKY2's avatar

Eh I am going to agree with @Darth_Algar on this poor little Monica was no victim in this at all.
That is like saying Trump is the most honest politician of all time.

Darth_Algar's avatar

@Caravanfan

She was a consenting adult who, of her own free will, engaged in an affair with a married man. She’s always been clear on this.

Caravanfan's avatar

@Darth_Algar She was a victim of sexual abuse by a much more powerful man and known sexual predator, and then an even bigger victim of vitriol and ridicule from the press, comedians, tabloids, and later social media. No question she was a victim.

Darth_Algar's avatar

Yeah, nevermind what she says about. You, obviously, know her mind better than she does.

chyna's avatar

I think at age 22 she fully knew what she was doing. Plus the fact that she kept the stained dress. It’s one thing to keep a dress or article of clothing you wore on a certain date. But to keep it with semen stains tells me she had more than sentimental attachment to the dress.

MrGrimm888's avatar

It’s a crazy scenario. I know that I will keep panties, from girls I’ve been with, if possible. I guess if this wasn’t a republican conspiracy, she just wanted to keep the dress, as was…
Still, it seems odd, to me…

Allegedly, Bill, wouldn’t “finish” in affairs. He didn’t want evidence of his infidelity, hanging around.
And, according to what I have read, this wasn’t Monica’s first time doing what she did…

zenvelo's avatar

Lewinsky kept the dress, uncleaned, because she was “advised to” (told to) by Linda Tripp, who secretly recorded her phone calls with Lewinsky.

chyna's avatar

True, but if Linda told her to go jump off a bridge, would she have?

zenvelo's avatar

@chyna Probably. Lewinsky was the “young intern”; Tripp was the “wise elder woman mentor” that had been around Washington for decades.

MrGrimm888's avatar

I always thought Monica, was a planned trap. Knowing Bill’s weaknesses…
And, they (the GOP,) got him.

But. In the end. It was an interpersonal relationship. It had nothing to do with Bill’s abilities, as POTUS…
Trump fucked a porn star, while married!
Haven’t seen his supporters, be upset about that.

The “devout Christians, ” don’t seem to care. So. Why, was Bill, SO terrible?

Biden, and Trump, are basically in the same boat. But. The Republicans are only upset, about Biden….

How fucking stupid, is this? The Republicans, are playing by a different set of rules….

SQUEEKY2's avatar

As one of our favourite conservatives said it was because he lied about it that makes it so horrible, if he had just come clean about it ,it would have died right there.
One thing extra he is convinced he lied about it to save his popularity,I am convinced he lied about it to save his ass from Hilary IMO.
Guess he should have just paid her $130,000 in hush money that would have been better right?

Darth_Algar's avatar

Denny Hastert, one of the GOP’s biggest bulldogs when it came to Clinton’s blowjob, certainly knows a thing or two about hush money.

seawulf575's avatar

@MrGrimm888 The thing about Bill that bothers me is not that he was unfaithful to Hillary. It isn’t that he was flavoring his cigars with interns. Those things are between him and Hillary and given past behaviors, this was not new ground. The issue is that he lied about it…under oath. I could even have understood lying about it if it wasn’t under oath. But at that point, when there is already an investigation into his actions going on, to lie under oath was just an idiotic move. And then to use his power as POTUS to try blocking the investigations by working with Monica to get her to lie…well…that’s obstruction of justice. And it looks like all his sins came from trying to avoid getting hung out to dry by Paula Jones…another of his conquests, or more accurately, one of his attempted conquests. He was just sexually harassing her.

seawulf575's avatar

@MrGrimm888 also, your claim of the Repubs playing by a different set of rules is also one sided. After all, by your logic, if the Repubs are upset about Biden, they should also be upset about Trump. Yet doesn’t this logic also apply to the Dems? They believe Trump’s actions are paramount to an impeachable offense. Yet they are working to block any investigation into Biden and are still pulling for him for the next presidential candidate. Different set of rules? And here’s the kicker…there is no evidence that what Trump said to Zelenskyy was anything other than a discussion about corruption. The only “evidence” is the claims of the left. Remember? They tried the “quid pro quo” angle by saying that Trump held up aid to Ukraine until Zelenskyy announced an investigation into Biden. Yet the aid was released without such an announcement AND Zelenskyy even stated twice that he had no idea the aid was even held up. The facts don’t support the accusation. AND POTUS’s have held up aid many, many times before for a variety of reasons. So even holding up aid isn’t really anything either. Meanwhile, we have Biden’s own words that he coerced Ukraine to fire the state prosecutor that had several investigations going into Burisma…the company that hired Biden’s loser son onto their board of directors. So…on one hand we have the left making up stories and trying to pass them as facts and on the other hand we have a confession. Now…which one is the real issue here?

MrGrimm888's avatar

^I’m confused about your response.
I have already stated (multiple times, ) that Biden, shouldn’t be allowed to run. As a result of his role…

What’s your problem, with me?

SQUEEKY2's avatar

@MrGrimm888 The only thing I can get from that is everyone should be calling for the death penalty on Biden, and nominate Trump for a Nobel for the same thing.
EVERYONE on this site has said over and over if Biden is guilty of a crime he should pay for it but that is not good enough for these fright wingers.

MrGrimm888's avatar

^I don’t disagree.

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