The religious right wants to make this woman first lady

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

Polling shows Trump is by far in the lead for the Pat Robertson-style, Y'all-Qaeda voters of the religious right:

From GQ, not too long ago:


I'm sure if Michelle Obama or Hillary Clinton had done a photo shoot similar to this, the rightwing would be totally accepting and not have a single bad thing to say, right?

I'm sure Hannity would totally stay quiet, too.

[pinboy3niner]

1. Thanks. She just won my vote!

Hubba hubba hubba!

[Ilsa]

2. I get your point. The evangelicals will ignore the fact

That tRump is on his third (living) wife who used to pose nearly naked, especially in a context suggesting that she is directing using her sexuality to get three "J" things...a jet, jewels, and a jerk.

[pinboy3niner]

4. And yet somehow I suspect that no election will turn on Trump's wife.

An attractive distraction, though.

[Ilsa]

5. Possibly true. But as a voter,

I don't completely set aside these details about who they are vs who we are.

[merrily]

6. When it came to Bubba, getting a blow job in the Oval Office from an intern while speaking to a

head of state on the phone was said to have had nothing to do with the performance of his duties as President. Same with fooling around with Arkansas state employees while Governor of Arkansas.

However, the fact that Trump's stunning wife posed for a photoshoot--not a nude shoot--while Trump was NOT an office holder of any kind supposedly has something to do with the performance of Trump's duties as President?

And we're not supposed to mention Bill Clinton's actions during his 8 years as President, which Hillary embraced at various times, including while running for President in 2008, because that would somehow be sexist, but blaming Trump for not stopping his wife from posing for a photo shoot before he even ran for President is not a problem.

No double standards there.

[Ilsa]

7. I voted for Paul Tsongas in the primary.

After that, it was between Perot, Big Dog, and GHWBush. I held my breath and voted for Clinton, hoping he'd put this behavior behind him once he became president.

I'd rather our public representatives behave with more discipline and respect for their spouses.

[merrily]

8. How does Mrs. Trump's voluntarily posing for a photo shoot equate to Trump not respecting his spouse

Would forbidding her from doing that been respecting her?

[Ilsa]

9. She can do it all she wants. And I can

have an opinion about it if I want. It's part of the detail in the big picture. And apparently the evangelicals can ignore it if they want, but we know they'd throw it front and center at the cameras if it had been Michelle Obama, Hilary Clinton, or O'Malley's, or Sander's wife.

I'm done here explaining myself.

[merrily]

10. IOW, both Democrats and Republicans are capable of employing double standards

and clothespins on their noses when they vote for President.

I would not have imputed Bubba's conduct to Hillary, unless there was some evidence she forced or pressured him into it.

I don't believe that evidence exists, either to President Clinton or to Mrs. Trump.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

33. Tronald Dump, however, chooses his spouses *specifically f

For their interest in salacious trophy bimbo posing.

I see a very different message here as compared to the Democratic Team examples.

[MsMAC]

51. Totally agree Ilsa!

[JDPriestly]

41. I think you miss the point if you will please excuse me for saying so.

The issue is not that Ms. Trump posed for that photo shoot.

That's not funny or particularly interesting (well to me as a woman, anyway).

What is funny is that the Religious Right judges people who sit for photo shoots like that so harshly if they are Democrats and then wants a person who sits for that kind of photo shoot as the First Lady.

It's just funny because it reveals what phonies, what hypocrites the Religious Right are.

They don't really care about how women pose for photos any more than you or I do. They just use their frowns and pursed lips and Tsk, Tsks in order to make themselves feel superior and intimidate others.

It's a sexy picture. Sex is part of what being human is about. Would we really bother with the dirty diapers and wake-up calls in the middle of the night if it weren't for sex and the drive to keep the human race going, the drive to reproduce and to love?

SHE is not the joke. The bigoted, two-faced, judgmental, silly Religious Right is the joke.

What a bunch of imposters.

And of course, Trump is a bit of a joke too because he is pulling this on the super serious, self-righteous Religious Right. He knows exactly what he is doing. It's like a scene out of a Moliere play.

Really funny.

[KingCharlemagne]

71. more like Pirandello, methinks, but I take

Your point. Been awhile since I read Tartuffe, so it may be time to dust it off.

[merrily]

52. Nothing to forgive, but I was replying to a post about candidates disrespecting their spouses.

[eridani]

74. I believe the OP was about how it would go over with evangelicals

From our standpoint, consenting adults and all.

[kcr]

15. I read the OP as being about the hypocricy of evangelicals

How is it not fair to point that out? Or on edit I may have misunderstood your post. On reread, no, I don't htink I misunderstood. The OP is talking about evangelicals and their double standard.

[merrily]

16. IMO, all sides are capable of hypocrisy when it comes to for whom they vote.

It's not as though we get infinite choices, unless we choose to write in a candidate who has no chance of winning.

[kcr]

17. Okay I didn't misunderstand

It isn't unfair to point out hypocrisy, even if both sides are capable of it.

[merrily]

19. ? I never said the OP was unfair. Neither is it unfair to point out that hypocrisy does not

abide only in Republicans.

[kcr]

20. Maybe not unfair, but not entirely accurate

I don't play the both sides do it game because it paints a picture of both sides are the same. It's just not true. Human beings aren't perfect, so that means Democrats aren't perfect and make the same mistakes all human beings make. But claiming that our side is the same as their side is flat out wrong.

[merrily]

21. I never said both sides are the same, nor was I playing a game.

If your point is that my post was out of order in some way, I don't agree.

[kcr]

22. I'm sorry. I wasn't allowed to disagree with you? I didn't get the memo.

Please forgive me.

[merrily]

23. Huh? No one said that, either. Please stop pretending to reply to things I never posted.

[kcr]

24. Then kindly return the favor and stop doing it to me.

For some reason this got hostile and I have no idea why.

[merrily]

25. Um, I didn't reply to things you didn't post.

[kcr]

26. Um, yes you did.

For some reason you decided I was being hostile.

What the heck was this about? "I never said both sides are the same, nor was I playing a game.

If your point is that my post was out of order in some way, I don't agree."

[merrily]

27. LOL! Okay. nt

[pinboy3niner]

30. You guys are arguing hot and heavy over a Melania OP?

You're both better than that.

[kcr]

31. I have no idea what just happened there n/t

[sulphurdunn]

29. The point is in the irony, not the photo or the Trumps.

Now, if the Donald has a sudden on the road to Damascus conversion...

[tblue37]

48. The RW certainly felt Hillary's use of her maiden name and her unwillingness to

bake cookies, ditch her headband, or say she was a Tammy Wynette "stand by your man" kind of woman were all reasons to vote against Bill.

And they thought Michelle's wide backward worn belt, her sleeveless dresses, and her feeling that the election of her husband was a reason to finally feel 100% proud to be American despite being black were all sufficient reasons to consider Barack Obama unfit to be president.

BTW, about their attitude toward a First Lady's exposure of skin or any body part other than her hands, face, or legs below the knee--remember how outraged Republicans were over Hillary's "shocking" cleavage? THIS "cleavage":

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/19/AR2007071902668.html

And how disgusted they were that Michelle kept exposing her (gasp!) naked arms? Even supposedly moderate David Brooks begged her to dress more "modestly."

"Should Michelle Cover Up?"
www.nytimes.com/2009/03/08/opinion/08dowd.html

And she wore shorts to visit the Grand Canyon on a super hot summer day, and even repeated that offense when walking Bo on hot days. How dare she, the hussy!

"First Lady Michelle Obama bullied? Why she won't wear shorts"
http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-sh-michelle-obama-bullied-why-she-wont-wear-shorts-20131121-story.html

Despite Republican outrage over Hillary's "cleavage" and Michelle's sleeveless dresses and shorts, you just know they will not act similarly offended about Melania's exposure if Trump is nominated, and they would also lecture any Democrats who dared to suggest that perhaps Melania might be seen by other country's people and leaders as lacking sufficient decorum to serve as First Lady.

IOKIYAR, but nothing is ever OK if you are a Democrat. Even suggesting that maybe kids should be encouraged to eat healthy and exercise instead of being pumped full of sugar and unhealthy junk food provoked Republican outrage.

So, yes, Republicans consider a candidate's wife to be very important--if the candidate is a Democrat.

[roguevalley]

68. plastic boobs. ugh.

[Vinca]

3. You're forgetting there are Evangelicals on the Ashley Madison site.

They're no saintlier than the rest of us. Now . . . gotta hide this page from my husband or he might vote Trump. LOL.

[pinboy3niner]

11. Do not let your husband see Melania's pic at all costs!!!

Since I saw it here I'm already looking online for a 'Make America Great Again' hat.

[KingCharlemagne]

72. LMAO - priceless! - nt

[LuvNewcastle]

12. She has a briefcase full of jewelry beside her?

What is she doing with it.....selling it, playing with it, showing it off? The Trumps aren't like rich people, it seems to me. They're a parody of what rich people are supposed to be like. It reminds me of how, when I was a child, I thought rich people carried all their money and possessions around with them, like in a different culture the people might carry around gold or lots of camels. The Trumps are very odd, tacky people, at least in this culture and this planet.

[classykaren]

36. She looks like she is posing for a ad on a Sugar Babies web site.

[JDPriestly]

44. Yes.

[Frustratedlady]

13. Now, what was the complaint about Michelle's bare arms?

Not suitable for her position? Erotic?

I'm sure that once the RW recovers from the shock of it all, they will forgive and forget. After all, Trump is deeply into his Bible...has it on his bedside table next to his book on Hitler.

He trades wives rather than take Viagra.

[jmowreader]

69. Is that a book ON Hitler or one BY Hitler?

[Frustratedlady]

75. His speeches, I think. eom

[newfie11]

14. Add to promote implants

[TNNurse]

18. As long as she admits

that this is just a form of exhibitionism and be honest, I do not care what she does.

Unless he should get elected and then I would care very much.

There are other people in the public eye who do the same....Miley, Kim, and others. Just admit that they are exhibitionists and that it is not a talent but a trait or behavior.

I am pretty big on honesty about why you are doing something.

[INdemo]

28. From the looks of things sure hope

Donald doesn't have any sharp objects on his ring band or the sharp finger nails

[Cassidy]

32. And what about the four bankruptcies?

Thanks for pointing out the hypocrisy or the religious right and family values party. Our gracious first lady, Michelle Obama, has taken far more than her share of slander.

And Trump never talks about the money it would take for his grandiose plans - unless it is how easily he could get some other country to pay for it. As if that would ever happen! Do conservatives think it would be OK for him to bankrupt the U.S.? I guess he must be very good at bankruptcies, since he has had so much practice.

I would like to know about the people this supposed business genius left holding the bag. Four times!

[TexasBushwhacker]

59. And when anyone asks about the bankruptcies

Trump says something along the lines of 'I took advantage of the bankruptcy laws ....'

What I'm waiting for is someone to point out that 'taking advantage of bankruptcy laws' translates to stiffing his creditors. How is someone who stiffed his creditors qualified to run the biggest economy on the planet?

[Bad Thoughts]

34. Ivanka has always been the female face of Trump

I'm not suggesting that the Donald will use his daughter over his wife, but if Melania's image ever became a problem, I don't think that he would hesitate to make Ivanka Trump is First Lade, either effectively or officially.

[DhhD]

35. First Ladies have an agenda of public service of some kind. What kind of culture and service

can this lady bring to Americans? How to make material things for women to stay naked and pregnant at home. What else?

[rurallib]

37. can you guarantee he will still be married to her on Jan. 20, 2017?

I think not.

Bet he has a binder of women.

ETA - he may want to get a new one for the swearing in.

Actually, he may have a first harem

[marble falls]

38. Like her or not, loathe her husband or not, why the 'slut shaming'? I thought we were above that.

[pinboy3niner]

42. Good point

Melania could turn out to be a great First Lady if she ended up in that position. I have no reason to dislike her. And I don't think she'll be on the ballot, anyway.

[marble falls]

45. Thank goodness we won't need to find out. At least 99% of us dindn't even know her name. tRump....

will never be President. I'm not really sure he even really wants to be President.

[pinboy3niner]

49. If he should be elected, Melania is the least of our worries

And she'd probably make a much better President than the Donald.

[marble falls]

50. Bingo! Let alone being a better President than the Donald tRump is a very low bar, indeed.

[CincyDem]

46. ^^^----- this. Exactly

I've been trying to find the right word and this hits the mark. Who are we to judge how Ms. Trump chooses to live in her body. Would we think Mike Huckleberry to be a better candidate because his wife chooses to wear what we might consider "more modest" clothing ?

More to the point - with the exception of Hillary, and now The Donald, can anyone picture any of the candidates spouses in their mind's eye right now?

[nichomachus]

67. The "________ Shaming" catch-phrase needs to be retired

I don't give a rat's ass what Trump's latest wife is or does -- until he runs for president.

It's not "slut shaming" (whatever the fuck that means) to say that this is not a woman we want representing the US. Like it or not, the first lady is part of the package. She's the one who co-hosts state dinners, visits foreign heads of state, attends state funerals, etc. you would like a person with a little bit of propriety and good taste.

This is not that person.

To say someone looks cheap and vulgar, which this woman does, is not "slut shaming."

[marble falls]

70. Which is why I 'ditted' it. First lets stop it and the phrase will disappear.....

but frankly that wasn't your point. Your point is to demean someone by judging their looks as "cheap and vulgar" (cheap and vulgar is the definition of a 'slut') and shame her and her husband with it. Please, lets stop that.

[procon]

39. Evangelicals will LOVE her... look, she even has a gun in her right hand. nt

[LynneSin]

40. Really? I thought I logged into a progressive website.

We get pissed over the racists shit the right-wing assholes have called Michelle Obama.

Now ask yourself this. Is posting photos of Melenia Trump's in skimpy outfits and making innuendos, hints and winks but hey not quite saying she looks like a slut and saying she could be our next First Lady - how are we any better?

Anyone who suggests these sorts of posts are acceptable are no better than those who make the racist comments against Michelle Obama.

FYI. Mrs Trump was formerly a model and the photo you see was a job she was hired to do. As far as I know she pretty much has retired from modeling so why are we judging her on jobs she was hired to do?

[pinboy3niner]

43. +1. nt

[JDPriestly]

47. Please see my post 41. It isn't about her. It's about the Evangelicals.

[LynneSin]

53. Does she dress like that today? Show me one photo from after she married Trump

and might win your argument.

All the photos posted were from her modeling days and before she was married. But even then SHE WAS DOING HER JOB. Which btw was NOT escorting or prostitute. She had a very successful career as a fashion model, she was in all the top magazines and worked for many of the top designers. She has also done Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition too. BTW this is all on wiki.

But since marrying Trump she has pretty much retired from modeling. I'm sure she's done work but more selective. But even before Trump running for office, the photos I've seen of her she actually dresses very classic style. She's got a great figure and she knows how to style it to flatter it but not overdo it.

But to say this is about the Evangelical over modeling photos from 20 years ago. That's just beyond lame. This is pure slut shaming at its absolute worst.

[JDPriestly]

54. We are talking about people in the Religious Right who condemn that kind of modeling.

The laughter is at their double standard not at her or her modeling.

If Chelsea Clinton had modeled in poses like that, what do you think the Religious Right would be saying about it especially if she had been a professional model and posed for the money?

They would be up in arms. But since it is Ms. Trump and not Chelsea, they think it is great.

That's what is funny.

[LynneSin]

56. Really? Bullshit

do you want to be like the Evangelicals or do you want to be better then them. Because right now you are just as bad as they are. Just because they do it doesn't mean it's right. And as a woman I find absolutely NOTHING funny about slut shaming. This is why so many rapes and attacks against women go unreported. Because we think it's ok to post photos like this and shame the woman and think maybe her reputation isn't somehow clean.

Think about the man in your profile icon. Do you think Bernie Sanders would find this funny? You think someone would show him that photo and he would think 'bet those religious crazies love her. Isn't that a hoot!'

He would see the same thing as most of us women - slut shaming

[kcr]

55. The point is they shame Obama's wife. But not Trump's wife.

The OP isn't shaming Trump's wife.

[LynneSin]

57. Oh geez

Whatever

[kcr]

62. Okay n/t

[Lizzie Poppet]

58. This!

This shit should be unacceptable here.

[pinboy3niner]

60. We should definitely put a stop to this!

After a few more Melania cheesecake photos!

I'm sorry, I just couldn't resist.

I'm hoping my humor won't be mistaken.

[Lizzie Poppet]

61. *wags finger*

Those pics don't do much for me (boring ol' straight, cisgender female here), but she's certainly quite a looker, huh?

[LynneSin]

65. You'd think!

go figure

[kcr]

63. Well, apparently the fact that the religious right has no problem with Trump's wife as first lady

even though they do things like attack Michelle Obama for wearing sleeveless shirts should be totally ignored. Because reasons. Which cannot be determined because I either get attacked or get roll eyes for an answer. So I'll just post this and ask someone to politely explain it? Maybe?

[LynneSin]

64. Ok here goes

Who gives a rats ass what they do?

But by posting a photo like the on in the OP. We now are doing exactly what they are doing. We didn't pick a recent photo where she was perhaps wearing something tasteful, which btw she is a very tasteful dresser. No we find a photo from probably 20+ years ago from her fashion model days, a photo where she was hired to pose for that photo, and now we are the ones making judgement.

And sure we put our 'progressive' spin with hey why are the fundies protesting this? But really - it's just spin and poorly done. It makes us look stupid and in the end it is us slut shaming!

[KingCharlemagne]

73. I get your point, I really do, but I think this OP is

Attacking rw hypocrisy and not Ms. Trump. If similar pics of Ms. Clinton or Ms. Sanders emerged, even if from 20 years ago, the RW would be all over it with shrill condemnations.

[LynneSin]

77. True. But are we right wing extremists?

just cause they do it doesn't mean it's ok to do it. I think we are better than that!

[Gothmog]

66. I thought that Trump was trying to trade her in for Miley Cyrus

[LonePirate]

76. We're no better than Repubs when we start shaming and criticizing candidates' spouses.

That photo is little more than an attempt at slut shaming given its context. The pic assumes evangelicals would be offended by her because of her attire. We should never stoop to such deplorable practices here at DU.

[mmortal03]

78. "From GQ, not too long ago"

"From GQ, not too long ago"

Actually, it's from the GQ UK magazine, January 2000 issue, which was 16 years ago.

[marble falls]

79. Nice catch, welcome to DU!