JFK, FDR, Cain, The Cos and the Kama Sutra

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Bill Cosby, long America's father figure, is being body slammed, again, by allegation of sexual misconduct. The Cos is presently ignoring attempts to get him to address this issue.

In the most recent NPR interview, The Cos kept his mouth shut despite repeated questioning from Scott Simon.

Yay Bill!

Yay for several reasons, enumerated here in whatever order they happen to fall out of my brain.

1) It's none of the media's business. Really. Cos is a public figure, but he does not make policy, create or pass laws or do pretty much anything that can directly affect any of us. So, his character and how he conducts himself is irrelevant. If you don't like his forms of entertainment, don't partake of it.

2) It's none of your business. Your prurient interest in him is only driven by the fact he's a celebrity. If he was a man living two cities away from  you, likely you'd not care one bit. If you don't like his forms of entertainment, don't partake of it.

3) If anything illegal happened, it's a matter for the courts. That does make it your business, but only after charges are filed. Someone showing up and making a claim is so much bullshit.

4) It's a matter between Bill and the accusers. You ain't got a dog in this fight, unless it goes to criminal court.

Why all this mass interest in what other people do to and with each other? It's not new (nor is it news as I just said). Ancient literature is packed with sex. Even the Bible has plenty of gossip about patriarchs making the beast with two backs. Yes. Gossip.

Attention to the sexual habits of other people, and turning that into news, got its modern start with Gary Hart when he took a cruise with on the aptly named Monkey Business with Donna Rice. I met and talked at length with the then-editor of The Miami Herald newspaper, the paper which broke this story. He told me the paper was swamped the next day with subscription cancellations. Most returned. Today, wouldn't be a whimper.

To me this was news. Hart, as he was running for president, displayed exactly what kind of character he had. Character is important in the people who choose as our leaders.

But, it's not always been news. Ted Kennedy got away with murder, nee' Chappaquiddick and the late Mary Jo Kopechne. Were a US sinator (no typo there) to do the same thing today, he'd be hounded out of office.

FDR, the nearly sainted president handicapped by polio, kept a spare bedroom for his mistress. The press cadre surrounding him knew of this, but said nothing. JFK was also well known for boot knocking outside the confines of his marriage to Jackie, but the press was again silent.

Now, it's news. Herman Cain's run for the presidency was derailed by allegations from women. So far as I know, those allegations remain allegations. I'm could be convinced their stories were faked and aimed at ending his run for president.

FDR, JFK and Hart are different than Cain. Hart was caught and called out. The MH editor talked about it at length and how Hart replied "I don't know" to the reporter's questions, despite the reporter having plenty evidence of what was going on. Cain was simply accused.

What two (or more) consenting adult people do to and with each other is none of your business, unless you're one of the consenting adults, the vast majority of the time. The only time it is your business is when one of those people is in a position to affect you directly, as in an elected official. Even then, it only becomes your business when one of those people lies, cheats or steals. That shows character. If the person is willing to lie, cheat and steal in their private life, they'll do so when in office.