Should Dean divorce his wife and marry Paris Hilton?

[dsc]

Yes I am kidding but on the square. I am disgusted by the attitude I am seeing in the thread about Dean's wife and hope this puts it in some perspecitve. To Paris Hilton fans, I am sure she isn't the vacuous tramp she plays on TV.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

1. It's the demonization of Hillary all over again

Honestly if we are going to do this, why not look at what good Pickles has accomplished as first lady. Has she made any difference at all in the world, except to give aid and comfort to the fashion handicapped?

[aquart]

2. Just to avoid a Jewish first lady?

[dsc]

3. No

Their problem is that she isn't good looking enough and actually wishes to persue her career.

[Bertha Venation]

19. Heavens forfend!

She won't be the first First Lady to go her own way while he's in office. Bess Truman eschewed the new first-lady style that Eleanor Roosevelt put in place, shunned the press, etc., and for much of Harry's administration, Bess & Margaret lived in Missouri.

Screw what anyone else thinks ought to be done!

[DuctapeFatwa]

4. Paris can convert

[Toucano]

5. The issue has been in the press.

And on people's minds.

The fact that the question disgusts you (I have no attitude about it, so it must be the question itself) suggests you don't want to face the issue it raises. What is so wrong about facing it now rather than in November?

http://www.redding.com/news/national/past/20030810nat219.shtml

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2003/08/22/deans_wife_focusing_on_career_not_campaign/

On edit:
typo

[Sean Reynolds]

6. What issues does it raise?

The fact that Dean has a chance with Paris Hilton?

Riiiiight!

[dsc]

7. Your're not the problem

You didn't call her ugly. You didn't call her backstabbing for not giving up her job. I wasn't thrilled with your question but you weren't the problem.

[Toucano]

13. Well I accept the blame

for it disentegrating into personal attacks. I should have more clearly defined the parameters to inhibit that.

For what it's worth, I think we learned about how to counter the idea that Judith is a liability.

The Dean's are a working family. America IS working families.

I'd still like to see her a little more often, though.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

11. Stories that Bush is a great leader have been in the press as well

What counts is the manner in which those stories are framed once they grace our pages. One need only look at your responses in your own thread to see that you are posting it to support a particular agenda that has little to do with who will be the best leader for our country.

In fact, the FEAR BATING regarding various candidates and the innuendos regarding this story are no better than the fear mongering coming out of the White House.

[Toucano]

15. I disagree

We discuss those articles that Bush is a great leader. We can discuss the criticisms of our candidates too.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

17. We discuss them in a light that does not quite adopt the point of the

article but rebuts it. Smearing Dean's wife with couched sexist innuendo in order to support your candidate is really beyond the pale.

Please explain what exactly is SO WRONG about a woman who is obviously intelligent enough to practice medicine, shunning the "dog and pony" show in order to keep making the contribution she is making.

Operate under the pretense of innocence all you want...your intent was pretty clear and very cheap and insulting to those of us women that did go out and get post grad degrees and live our lives regardless of what MEN thought we should be doing.

When we get back to the DARK AGES, remind me to pay you for the ticket. Thanks. Very liberal and progressive indeed.

[chicaloca]

24. I couldn't agree more, NSMA....

This whole situation reminds me of Eve (the Biblical one, not the rapper...). Blame a woman for all the troubles of the world, or in this case all the troubles of a candidate/movement. And no, I'm not suggesting that Dean has had any more problems than the average candidate, but just that many of the troubles he does have will now be blamed on his wife. Just because repugs stoop to that level, why should we? We're only feeding their fire, which is exactly what they want us to do, while we simultaneously alienate countless women voters. Hell, a person who's sexist enough not to vote for a candidate because their wife has a spine isn't likely to be voting for a Democratic candidate, anyhow.

[maxanne]

26. it's unfortunate

that the Democrats aren't uniting on this issue to say - HEY- let's move into the 21st century and get behind women's equality.

Instead we're seeing the same old stereotypical expectations of women, both appearance wise and job wise.

[Renew Deal]

8. I would dump Judy in a second

for Paris if I were Dean. Paris is hot. That will get him name recognition.

[terrya]

9. First Lady Paris Hilton...oh dear God, NO. :-) eom

[Blade]

10. Oh hell no...

Paris Hilton is an ugly tramp. She's a rich version of Ann "The Man" Coulter. I don't think Dean should lower his standards just to get a "presentable" first lady.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

14. oh lord

we gone a long way in reverse baby..to get FROM where we got to yesterday.... *going out to buy burka now* pretty bad when an insult is couched as a compliment...language matters.

Do we really need to trash one to show our support for the other? Isn't Paris at least an innocent bystander in this train wreck?

[Bertha Venation]

20. "Do we really need to trash one to show our support for the other?"

The answer to this question should be self-evident.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

25. Should is the operative word, thanks.

[Bucky]

12. You should have added a "Wesley Clark" option to this poll

Clark's ruled out being Dean's VP. But he hasn't ruled out being Dean's woman.

[w13rd0]

16. Most Americans are married to neither...

...Britney Spears nor Stepford Wives nor RockStud, they are ordinary Americans that didn't select their mate because of how they'll look in a photo op or on the campaign trail. Imagine that... Do they really want to elect someone who has sculpted every aspect of their life for the campaign trail, including who they sleep in the same bed with? I don't know, this whole election is all about turning conventional wisdom (corporate media foisted content-free marketed crap) on its ear...

[neebob]

18. I'll admit I've been enjoying The Simple Life

but I'm with ya on the vacuous tramp, although I think she's probably a much smarter vacuous tramp than she lets on. I doubt she'd give Howard the time of day.

On edit: That last sentence is not related to the one before it. I like Howard Dean.

[DFLforever]

21. I voted yes because she's proved with her recent 'video' she's willing

to be in the public eye, no matter what!!!:evilgrin: and that's the kind of total committment we need from the wife of a presidential candidate.

[TXlib]

22. I sure HOPE Paris Hilton IS the vacuous tramp she plays on TV!

[Blue_Tires]

23. not unless

he wants to pick up a social disease

[Spirochete]

27. She'd have to change her first name

to "Freedom" or something, since Paris is a city in France