Manly Tears Highly Rated

[unhappycamper]

Manly Tears Highly Rated
Svenska Dagbladet, Sweden
By Erik Åsard
Translated By Grace Olaison
25 November 2010
Edited by Heidi Kaufmann

American political culture is significantly more emotional than that in Sweden. Certainly, it does occur that our elected representatives sometimes show feelings in public; however, there is a large difference between Maud Olofsson’s quivering lower lip, when a year or two ago, she explained the Centre Party’s reversal on the nuclear power issue, and Republican John Boehner’s repeated fits of crying after the recent congressional election. In his victory speech, Boehner invariably began to cry whenever he talked about his blue-collar upbringing. It gave rise to chiefly positive reactions — oh my goodness, a humane leader!

John Boehner is not just any politician — when he takes over as speaker in the newly elected House of Representatives in January, he will become the U.S.’ third most powerful person. For those who have listened to him before, the flood of tears comes as no surprise. Since Sen. Bob Dole left the stage, Boehner has assumed the role as U.S. politics’ foremost weeper. Boehner cannot talk about anything that touches upon his private life without turning on the waterworks.

One might view this public crying as a form of rhetoric. Boehner is, at best, an ordinary speaker, but by becoming choked up and teary-eyed, he can express feelings he is incapable of conveying in words. Barack Obama, on the other hand, who is a celebrated and brilliant rhetorician has, as far as is known, only on a few occasions become teary-eyed at the lectern.

But there is a difference between crying and crying. When Hillary Clinton’s eyes teared up before the primaries in New Hampshire in 2008, it was seen by many pundits as a sign of desperation, or worse, as a cynical attempt to win votes. Critics wondered how such a sensitive person would be able to cope with being commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

Contrastingly, when her husband, Bill Clinton became teary-eyed — which in his case happened more often as a listener than as a speaker — he was considered to have demonstrated his involvement and compassion.

[WonderGrunion]

1. And yet perceived tears cost Sen. Muskie a chance at the Presidency

Oh, what could have been.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

5. Add Pat Schroeder to the list.

[GoCubsGo]

2. I remember the Right mocking Bill Clinton's tears

They mocked his "I feel your pain" compassion, too. They do the same to President Obama in the few times he tears up--even when it was over his just-deceased grandmother. Not a peep when the Orange-skinned Freak blubbers away. Only republican tears are "manly", I guess.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

4. You mean that Olympic gymnast? Fuck, that was vile, even for Clinton-bashing standards.

Yeah, the standard wingnut discourse was, "Huh huh, yeah he wants to feel her pain, all right, huh huh, if you know what I mean, nudge nudge wink wink, huh? Huh?"

[JustAnotherGen]

3. Hmmm

If one of my girlfriends had a 'shady sketchy' fairly new relationship with a man who only lied when his lips were moving . . . and he tried to keep her 'hooked' on his b.s. by a crying and weeping . . . I would and HAVE told her "he's a P*ssy - A manipulative little piece of shit and get rid of his weak ass." That's our Woman Code Rules of Engagement in Dating. So I look at it like this - you tell your boyfriend your dog died and he tears up in "empathy" (Bill Clinton) - that's AOK.

He starts weeping about how hard he's had it and that's why he did xyz (Boner) - then he's a p*ssy.

I think this is what Pelosi was talking about when she said Boner cries a-a-a-lot. :rofl: