Long before JFK and Clinton, there was a long tradition of extracurricular activities.

Dwight Eisenhower had Kay Summersby; Warren Harding had Carie Phillips among others. Woodrow Wilson had Mary Peck, and James Garfield (a total weirdo when it came to sex) had Rancie Sellect and an 18-year old reporter named Lucia Calhoun. George H.W Bush allegedly had Jennifer Fitzgerald, a political aide and Lyndon Johnson had an affair with Alice Glass, the wife of one of his major supporters. Lyndon Johnson once bragged that he’d “had more women by accident that Kennedy ever had on purpose.” Grover Cleveland, one of only three presidents to get married while in office, wed his ward from the age of nine. He was a really terrible person to another woman who became pregnant with his son. It is a story of abuse of power by a man who was notoriously bad with women. Makes you wonder.   George Washington married Martha in 1759, and prior to marriage and during their engagement, it was alleged that he was in love with an old flame, Sally Fairfax.   There is not credible evidence that he was unfaithful after their marriage. And then there is James Buchanan who’s fiancé died a few days after their engagement ended. Local gossip speculated that she had been devastated to discover that he was seeing other “people”. For 23 years Buchanan lived with Senator William King, sharing a house and the same bed. Some historians suggest that the relationship was as good a reason to call Buchanan our first gay president. FDR’s infidelity is fairly well known at this point. The relationship with Eleanor has been described as “complicated”.  FDR’s affair with Lucy Mercer (Eleanor’s social secretary…oh dear) was well known.  I wonder if FDR could have been elected in the era of social media?  Most likely not.

The point is, who cares really? I do not on any level. It’s none of my business.

Hillary Clinton’s email…I don’t care. I do care about her statement having “both a public and a private position” on politically contentious issues. But not really as I’m not surprised by any of the rhetoric.  Trump’s taxes, I do not care.  Trump’s wife’s past, I do not care.   Bill’s affairs, clearly I do not care.   In fact, I’m not surprised about any of the allegations…I just do not care.   What I do care about are issues. The Fourth Estate is not doing their job. We’ve seen very little specific proposals on immigration reform, tax reform, economic programs, education, student loans, election reform, etc. They spend hundreds of millions to get elected. And one will prevail, and we have no idea what they intend to accomplish and how.  We deserve to know.

Elizabeth Rice Grossman

8 October 2016