Trapped in the Political Closet

[marmar]

from The American Prospect:


Trapped in the Political Closet

Larry Craig may have been guilty of hiding his sexuality, but the demands of public life lead more than a few politicians to carve out a hidden self.

Paul Waldman | September 5, 2007 | web only



What must have gone through Larry Craig’s mind that day in June, when he looked down to the bottom of the wall separating his stall from the next, expecting to see a reciprocation of his signaled desire, and instead saw that policeman’s badge? “I can get out of this,” he may have said to himself. Or perhaps, “So this is where it ends, finally.”

Of course, we can’t say for sure that Craig was in that restroom hoping to get some action, or if he was the victim of one of the most extraordinary coincidences in the history of western civilization. But whatever lies in the recesses of Craig’s heart, he probably didn’t expect the ferocious speed with which his Republican colleagues would toss him off, shaking frantically to rid themselves of the scent of what many of them no doubt regard as perversion. In a matter of days, a career of decades came to an abrupt end as millions learned of Craig’s intimate secrets both shocking and banal, and a tidal wave of snickers, contempt, and ridicule washed him from public life.

The real surprise may be that this kind of thing doesn’t happen more often. The politician’s life is uniquely public, even more so than those of other kinds of celebrities. If most of us saw Julia Roberts or Peyton Manning in an airport, we'd just say, "Hey, there's that famous person." Going up to talk to them might not occur to us. And if it did, the conversation would likely be a brief one, consisting of telling the famous person how terrific we think they are. But if we see our congressperson or senator, not only might we approach them, what we have to say would as likely be a complaint as praise, and we'd expect them to listen patiently as we deliver a piece of our mind.

So politicians need to be nice to everyone, an obligation that for all but the most pathologically sunny of characters must be nothing short of tortuous at times. It’s no wonder, then, that so many elected officials, even some who couldn’t seem more friendly, are absolute beasts to those who work for them. Once the door to the office closes, the cameras shut off, and the reporters are no longer in earshot, their egos and pent-up rage find outlets in unreasonable demands, cruel treatment, even abuse of their staff.

But even for those who are kind to their underlings, the politician’s life becomes its own kind of closet. Needing always to be “on” in public, they measure their words so as not to give offense, they claim enthusiasm when they feel none, they feign concern when they couldn’t care less. These little daily dishonesties may be merely heightened versions of what all of us enact to keep social interactions lubricated and purring along smoothly, but in the politician’s case the need is unceasing, retreat seldom an option, the line of constituents and colleagues and reporters wanting your time and watching for missteps nearly endless. .....(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=trapped_in_the_political_closet