The Left Hates Mike Pence For Loving His Wife Because They Don’t Really Think Men Can Be Evil

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Monday, April 3. 2017

The Left Hates Mike Pence For Loving His Wife Because They Don’t Really Think Men Can Be Evil

The latest Mike Pence furor is not really a clash of political ideologies. It’s a clash of anthropologies, a clash of two incompatible worldviews about human nature. He quotes Ta-Nehisi Coates:

I’ve been with my spouse for almost 15 years. In those years, I’ve never been with anyone but the mother of my son. But that’s not because I am an especially good and true person. In fact, I am wholly in possession of an unimaginably filthy and mongrel mind. But I am also a dude who believes in guard-rails, as a buddy of mine once put it. I don’t believe in getting “in the moment” and then exercising will-power. I believe in avoiding ‘the moment.’ I believe in being absolutely clear with myself about why I am having a second drink, and why I am not; why I am going to a party, and why I am not. I believe that the battle is lost at Happy Hour, not at the hotel. I am not a ‘good man.’ But I am prepared to be an honorable one.

It's a a good piece about the apparent assumptions about basic human nature. Avoiding problematic temptation isn't just about Christianity though. It's also about maintaining self -respect and reputation. I believe that, with humans, sex, personal advantage, neediness, money, power, dominance, etc. are always at work but that there are many other more admirable things at work too. This is all quite obvious.

Outside Hollywood, public figures have to be especially alert to seductions by star-f-ers, blackmailers, users, and the like, so they have an extra character challenge. Happily being a non-public figure, I meet with women colleagues and clients all the time. Never had a problem with myself but I have had to awkwardly handle a few attempted seductions when I was younger.

It is no longer in fashion to talk about how women take advantage of men for their own purposes. Women have power of many kinds, but the current batch of Lefty women prefer the victim image.

Posted by The Barrister in The Culture, "Culture," Pop Culture and Recreation at 14:24 | Comments (14) | Trackbacks (0)

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Anyone who believes there doesn't need to be boundaries should wonder about the custom of men and women wearing wedding rings. Are they doing that just for decoration?

Our whole system of government under the Constitution is based on the assumption that humans are inherently wicked and whose tendencies towards corruption need to be constrained through such things as separation of powers, checks and balances, division of power between the federal government and the states, and the declaration there are fundamental individual rights deriving from God that cannot be taken away by the government.

The Left acknowledges none of this.

#1 Jim on 2017-04-03 14:48 (Reply)

So avoiding an occasion of temptation is sexist?

#2 Marina on 2017-04-03 15:56 (Reply)

Ironically, I just watched a presentation on YouTube this weekend with "best practices" recommendations about how those on staff at churches should behave so to not get in trouble. Right there, front and center, was never be alone with someone of the opposite sex who is not your spouse. Including riding in a car.

#2.1 Jim on 2017-04-03 19:13 (Reply)

So all women are vindictive temptresses who are out to destroy Mike Pence? Really??

Kind of seems like if Pence stopped viewing women exclusively as sex objects, he might be able to have actual professional working relationships with them. As it is, women who work for him are automatically going to be shut out of the best projects and work trips because VAGINA. Pence can only work seriously with men.

"Girls are icky!!" seems to be the level of emotional development that Pence has plateaued on. Sad.

#3 JM01 on 2017-04-03 19:02 (Reply)

Oh for heaven's sake, get real. Mike Pence said nothing about not working with women because VAGINA. That's you, and you alone. Do you really believe that women are nothing more than the support apparatus for their genitalia? Thanks for that vote of confidence in women's abilities to think and work and etc. To my knowledge, none of the women I have ever met, myself included, have made a single dime because of VAGINA. So please, we are now officially out of junior high school, so start speaking and writing like an adult. For one trying to make a point about emotional development, screaming VAGINA doesn't make anyone believe you are out of kindergarten.

Women have, and do, make advances toward married men, particularly married men who are famous to one degree or another. I expect the number who do is fairly small, but they exist. Women have courted serial killers in jail. Women, just like men, do idiotic and stupid things that ruin other people's lives.

So, for the sake of one's own marriage and public reputation, is it so awful to eat in the company of more than one person, rather than be seen eating in the company of another woman, not one's spouse? Get over yourself, already.

#3.1 tcn on 2017-04-03 21:31 (Reply)

Get over yourself. My wife and I are coming up on our 25 yr anniversary. We try diligently not to be alone with anyone who might tempt us. Not because we are sexist or unable to control our primal urges. It's just that the more often you put yourself in the company of those who tempt you, the more likely you are to fall.

We aren't perfect, but it is easier to trust when you know your partner is doing their best to not make you suspicious.

#3.2 Dangerous Dean on 2017-04-03 23:50 (Reply)

Seems to me you missed the point.

I can tell you from experience that being alone with a woman, taking her to lunch, having drinks, walking to the subway, you name it, can lead to all kinds of problems.

A woman at an old firm brought a sexual harassment and discrimination case which was legitimate. I happened to work with there with her for several years, and I saw it all happening firsthand. When I left the company I was asked by HR "whose side will you testify for?" and I replied "the side of the truth."
I testified for her, because her claims were legitimate.

Here's the problem. In the run up to my deposition, I started receiving phone calls from others who were testifying for the company asking about my "affair" with this woman. I just laughed and said nonsense. First of all, she is married with kids. Second, we'd known each other 20 years. Third, she's not at ALL my type (she's a conspiracy theorist and anti-vaxxer, and her crazy themes drive me nuts at times).
But our long-standing friendship led to us having lunches and walking to the train together since we took the same line.

My deposition opened with a series of questions about our 'relationship' - as the company tried to paint me into a corner. Perhaps we were trying to scam the company for enough money to run off and be together?
I laughed and (I admit this was cruel, but I had to do it) said "look at her, then look at my wife, and tell me which one you'd rather be with. No offense, but there's no way in hell I'd run off with her."

It didn't matter, they pushed this hard until it was clear there was no way they could make the connection. The company was eventually forced to settle.

While I don't see Pence's approach as normal, by any stretch, it is legitimate. I haven't changed my behaviors as a result of that experience, but it seems like maybe I should.

#3.3 Bulldog on 2017-04-04 08:48 (Reply)

I actually get a bit of where JM01's coming from, but I come out in a different place. That Pence should be dealing with women in the workplace as equal professionals is exactly why he should be careful about slipping into the habit of private dinners. Obviously for him a private dinner has romantic overtones; he's not so unusual in that. If he's honest with himself and recognizes that setting as a dangerous area, good on him. The less he allows a romantic aura to tinge his relationship with his co-workers, the better they'll be able to work together as equals, and the better for the professional future of the women, especially his subordinates.

So I don't see it as accusing the women of being evil temptresses so much as Pence's acknowledgement of his own tendencies, which are not so unusual. And although I'm not generally a fan of Coates, I thought the quoted passage was spot-on. Lying to yourself in the way he describes is just the kind of mindset that leads people to say, "I didn't intend to have the affair. It just happened."

#3.4 Wendy Laubach on 2017-04-04 10:24 (Reply)

I trust you've been reading and hearing the news, so you should know that there are people out there who hate Republicans and conservatives (and men, generally) and will do anything they can to take them down. If not, you should look into that.

#3.5 Sam L. on 2017-04-04 17:44 (Reply)

And keep reading, JM.

#3.5.1 Sam L. on 2017-04-04 17:52 (Reply)

There's lots of discussion here, but yeah, "Girls are icky!!" keeps it on point for the most of us.

#4 Kevin on 2017-04-03 22:57 (Reply)

I have had had some interesting experiences that might bring a smile to your faces.

1. Academic Dean (fem/nazi white woman married to a black man). She called the house one day to tell me that she just saw my husband having lunch with another woman--funny thing was he was sitting on the couch at the time. Had been home with a cold all day. She was trying to get him to quit his job because "I want to fill your seat with an AFrican/American woman."

2. A gal who was in her early 40's had a big MacMansion. She had gotten a divorce and went to grad school for a degree in business. Couldn't keep up with the homework, but stayed connected to the women running the college. She called the house one day and asked me if we would come to dinner. I said I would ask him-- he said no. When I called her back to tell her we could not come she said, "well how am I going to make the payment on this house?" I asked, "what do you mean?" Her response was, " I have a dining table that will seat twelve and I have invited nine guest to come and listen to your husband talk--they are paying me $400/piece." Sheesh--funny she never mentioned that before! Do you want more horror stories? From the beginning DH had a 60 pound rock holding his office door permanently open to students, staff, and faculty. We are a team--working together like a good farm couple. The women's network can't stand that. Sometimes they won't even let me volunteer to participate in some community project because, "it's not fair--just because your married to xxx000 ! You shouldn't be able to use what you get by being married when we have had to go to college and take out student loans!" How about this one: for years my husband's office manager was a lesbian--nice gal. Very professional. Her partner got money from the school to go to another school across town. When I went to human resources to ask for the same benefit the answer was a very strongly worded "no deals for women like you!" Meaning white woman happily married to white man. Anyone male or female would be a fool to think that a man stands half a chance in a business negotiation with a woman--if it's just one on one. How does he say "no" and come away with reputation unharmed? When we negotiated for our settlement agreement the other attorney and ours demanded that I not come to the meeting, because they knew if they got him alone he would have no back up and agree to anything just to end the misery. I have much more respect for Mr. Pence now than I ever did before. He has the courage to say to the world "this woman--this human being--is my partner!"

#5 faculty wife on 2017-04-04 00:58 (Reply)

Perhaps I am as naive as VP Pence was in making his "rule" public, but look at how the left operates. They bully and intimidate people into powerless submission and then eviscerate them for their submission. They are constantly looking for any tiny incident (or actually make one up) to blow out of proportion or skew for their purposes. They want Pence neutralized and will go to any length to do it, even over an unremarkable sighting of him with a female. There is no male-female debate here, rather a scorched earth attempt to ruin a decent person.

#6 TruthSeeker on 2017-04-04 14:06 (Reply)

Addendum: Rules for Radicals rule #5: Ridicule is man's most potent weapon.https://townhall.com/columnists/johnhawkins/2012/04/13/12-ways-to-use-saul-alinskys-rules-for-radicals-against-liberals-n917872

#6.1 TruthSeeker on 2017-04-04 17:03 (Reply)

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Monday, April 3. 2017

The Left Hates Mike Pence For Loving His Wife Because They Don’t Really Think Men Can Be Evil