"Those of us who take issue with the Boomers' rickety marriages — with their divorces and bargains — look to the Obamas and think, "Who knows? Maybe they — and we — will manage to always be in love." Ahhh...confirmation that the fundamental hopes and dreams--and the naiveté--of each generation ultimately remain unchanged. I'll suggest that whether those hopes and dreams will be fulfilled relates less to generational differences than to individual, personal commitment--and speaking from the perspective of a 57 year old boomer who has been (almost always)happily married to the same woman for 36 years, I suspect that too will ultimately remain unchanged from one generation to the next.
--msb
02/09 |
Maybe the Obama's marriage seems nicer and filled with love because it is. The Clintons is based on political opportunity and a quest for power. Hillary is a lesbian. Bill likes women. The two don't make a marriage that will work. No matter how much they would like us to believe they are a "couple", it is obvious that they are not. A country's leaders should be ones that give us something to look up to, to emulate, and I see none of that with the Clinton's. Who would want a pretend marriage built on lies, deceipt and trying to show the public that you are something you are not. I'll take the Obamas over the fake Clintons anyday.
--aw
02/07 |
Another couple that seemed to have a bitterness free marriage: George and Laura Bush. When how capable a man is of loving his (support role) wife stop being a tactic used to play on the emotions of voters and lure the ahem, domestic female, support, THAT will be progress. I am not voting for either Michelle OR Bill...for me, its between Barack and Hillary. Thats whats on my ballot. Call me old fashioned.
--LMS
02/07 |
While the evidence clearly shows Bill undermining Hillary, I find the comparable "perfection" of the Obama marriage just like everything else about him: Exactly as his supporters can dream it to be-- yet lacking in any objective evidence.
--RL
02/05 |
I'd like to echo mm's opinion. It's easy for things to seem gracious and at ease when traditional roles are being undertaken (despite Ms. Obama being a high powered lawyer, she's still in the traditionally female 'supportive' position); it's a whole different ball of wax when the female partner is the one in power and in my experience younger men handle this no more gracefully than their older counterparts, despite changes in the political correctness of such things. (I'm a 44 year old woman whose last two partners have been 44 and 29 and I can tell you that the 29 year old is *much* more controlling and undermining than the equal-aged gentleman was, all other things being equal.) Your assessment makes rather smug and sweeping generalizations and sells the Boomers short - some of the most *truly* egalitarian marriages I know are among people in their 50s and 60s and often that comes after the menopause, the children have left the nest, and both partners have the chance to grow as people. I also agree that assessing marriage health is a superficial and crappy way to pick a candidate for president, the train wreck that is Guiliani notwithstanding :).
--DAD
02/04 |
Since in the Obama marriage, he's the "public figure", there's very little here to compare...in my experience, men in their 40s are not measurably less sexist than men in their 50s and 60s, when it comes to being asked to take on the conventionally "female" role of support to a high-powered spouse.
If Mrs. Obama were expecting her husband to shine a bit less brightly for a time in order to further her career, would things really be any different? Doubt it.
And anyone making their voting decisions based on this kind of shallow observation, rather than the candidates' stands on issues, is no better than the many fools who voted for GWB because he seemed so much more "likable" than Al Gore.
--mm
02/04 |
Very interesting. I don't have much of a grasp of the Obama's marriage but I do think Billary are well described as "like two strong Oxen yoked together, sometimes pulling in different directions."
--stj
02/04 |
I agree with you 100% on your assessment of these two high-profile couples. We should not overlook the crucial role positive marriages play in helping to shape and influence billions of onlookers worldwide. Mr. and Mrs. Obama certainly provide a fresh CHANGE, as we finally can actually look up to, and admire a First Couple, both on and off the political circuit.
--AT
02/04 |
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