Alternet has a list of the top 20 right wing sexual hypocrites, those infamous “family values” advocates and self-appointed morality police who’ve been caught in flagrante delicto with someone other than their spouse. Jimmy Swaggart tops the list, though I think Laura Schlessinger is way too high at #2, ahead of Newt Gingrich at #3. I hardly think 20 year old nude photos taken for a boyfriend even comes close to Newt’s offenses in this regard. You know it’s a long and not-so-distinguished list when Ted Haggard and Henry Hyde don’t even make the top 5.
May 08 2012
Right Wing Sexual Hypocrites: The List
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Gregory in Seattle
May 8, 2012 at 9:49 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
You might find this article from Alter.Net entertaining: 7 Gay Sex Scandals of Career Anti-Gay Crusaders.
Gregory in Seattle
May 8, 2012 at 9:51 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Wow. Google “Republican gay sex scandal” and there are more than three million hits. Color me unsurprised.
Reginald Selkirk
May 8, 2012 at 10:00 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Judging a list like this must be difficult; you would have to weigh the seriousness of the offense against how large a role the “family values” spiel played in the offenders schtick.
Skip White
May 8, 2012 at 10:03 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Great, now I need to get my lungs checked, from laughing so hard.
slc1
May 8, 2012 at 10:04 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
What about Strom Thurmond, intrepid racist, who had an illegitimate child with a black woman.
Skip White
May 8, 2012 at 10:07 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Oh god, I just got to the part about Tony Alamo. Why the hell isn’t he number 1 on the list?
Marcus Ranum
May 8, 2012 at 10:07 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
The problem with lists like this is that they’re really about how well-known the hypocrite was, not how far out they were. It’s more like an inverted beauty contest than anything else. Though he’s not as well-known, I’d say Rev. Gary Aldridge was probably a bigger hypocrite – at least among the “more than two wetsuits” crowd. Or what about pope Ratzinger, who is anti-gay as a $3 bill? His rugged boy-toy prayer-companion is one thing, but appearing in public in a red satin dress is “Dennis Rodman over the top”… For that matter, what is sexually more hypocritical than claiming to be celibate while asserting dominion over the sex lives of billions? I bet Ratzo’s in the 3 wetsuit zone down in his heart of hearts, where it really matters…
Blueaussi
May 8, 2012 at 10:21 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Dr Laura is #2 because she’s a woman. When men misbehave sexually, it’s still a wink and a nudge and a “boys will be boys”. When women misbehave sexually, even something as innocuous as posing nude for what were supposed to be private photos, it’s “OMGAWD! Punish the SLUTWHORESKANK!!Eleventy!!”.
Ben P
May 8, 2012 at 10:23 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I think they’re ranking combines the popularity of the conservative figures versus the nature of the scandal.
I’ not even 100% certain what Tony Alamo’s political positions were, I’d assume they were probably batshit insane, but he ran what basically amounted to a cult, out of his compound in South Arkansas or North Texas and is now in prison for IIRC statutory rape. He’s not exactly a mainstream figure.
Trebuchet
May 8, 2012 at 10:52 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Where is George “Rent Boy” Rekers? I’d have thought he’d be a slam-dunk for the list.
I’d probably have left Alamo out. I hadn’t heard of him before but he appears to be more of a garden variety nut than an influential conservative leader.
Ms. Daisy Cutter, Gynofascist in a Spiffy Hugo Boss Uniform
May 8, 2012 at 11:00 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
See also “Republican Sex Scandals.”
dingojack
May 8, 2012 at 11:02 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I agree: ‘forget (the) Alamo, already!’ [Drumfill]*
Dingo
—–
*(Thank you and goodnight! I’ll be here ’till Thursday, try the pretzels and don’t forget to tip the waitresses).
tommykey
May 8, 2012 at 11:05 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
The article made an error with regard to Rush Limbaugh. He is thrice divorced, not twice divorced.
Trebuchet
May 8, 2012 at 11:24 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Oh, and regarding Dr. Laura: The list only references her nude photos, which I agree don’t rate inclusion at number 2. But according to Wikipedia, she was living with her current husband while he was still married to another woman and only eventually married him when she became pregnant. All while vociferously decrying couples shacking up.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura_Schlessinger
Azkyroth, Former Growing Toaster Oven
May 8, 2012 at 11:42 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Well, there IS the double-standard to consider…
valhar2000
May 8, 2012 at 12:36 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Azkyroth:
Every asshole on that list exhibits a double-standard. I have to agree with other comenters: it doesn’t seem like the Schlessinger Menace belongs that high up on this list. She’s a disgusting hypocrite, absolutely, but considering the heavy-weights that appear on that list, I really don’t think she should be that high at all.
pacal
May 8, 2012 at 2:53 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
RE No. 5:
One could add that the women in question was apparantly underaged and working as a maid for Thurmond’s family. Further that they paid hush money for decades to the childds mother and then the child. Finally Strom Thurmond for decades screamed and ranted about the evils of intermarriage and miscegenation.
The hypocrisy was strong in Strom.
godlesspanther
May 8, 2012 at 4:30 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I do agree with Swaggart in top place. His — forgive me father, for I have sinned — with the exaggerated water works. That may be the funniest thing that I have ever seen on TV.
I remember rolling on the floor laughing when I watched that.