Famous Philanderers

John Edwards, one-time US presidential candidate, is presently on trial, accused of using campaign funds to help cover up the affair he was having--while his then-wife was suffering from cancer, which in the end was the cause of her death.

Edwards is by no means the first prominent figure in US politics to have proved an unfaithful husband. It's easy to name three US presidents and I am sure there were more.

Franklin D. Roosevelt had a mistress for many years, who I believe was his personal secretary. His wife Eleanor was aware of this (there are rumors that Mrs. Roosevelt had a very intimate female friend but I don't know how well established that is; and it would be another subject, anyway). When Roosevelt died, his mistress got to his side before wife Eleanor did. I'd say Mrs. Roosevelt had a lot to bear.

John F. Kennedy was long rumored to have had an affair with famous actress and sex symbol Marilyn Monroe, and there is a new revelation about another woman in his life.

Then there is Bill Clinton, who very nearly suffered total downfall because he engaged in sex acts with an intern named Monica Lewinsky.

When it's a president and these things come to light--and how often are they successfully kept secret from the public?--it makes for a big scandal. But I do not believe for a moment that it's only presidents and senators and such who can't keep it zipped up. They may have more allure for their paramours because of their position and power; but I tend to think there is a tomcat in every male. One time I heard a very amusing little poem:

Higgamus hoggamus,
Woman's monogamous.
Hoggamus higgamus,
Man is polygamous.

Of course many married men never "stray." Of course there are women who have extra-marital affairs. But, when I look at lesbian couples I have to feel that women have a greater tendency to want to "settle down" and lead a life in which they are completely satisfied with one partner. Men, on the other hand, seem to get tired of one sexual partner, not to mention all those men with (suppressed or not) ambitions to be a Casanova and have sexual variety in their lives or maybe achieve "conquests."

Update, August 13, 2013.
Anyone who follows the news is aware of at least a couple more recent sex-related scandals involving political figures. Anthony Weiner has had more than his 15 minutes of notoriety, for sexting, emailing nude images of himself to women, and so forth. Of course I'd say that is a man who is not a normal human male but a sexual compulsive. And then there's the mayor of San Diego. So my listing, in this post, only scratches the surface. No one should be surprised. Political figures are like every other man but they so often seem to lack the good sense to realize that being in the public eye means they need to be more discreet.

Copyright (c) 2012 by Richard Stein