Given all the hoopla about President Clinton's extramarital
gymnastics, how would Oberlin respond if
President Nancy Dye was having an affair?
Jamie Didion is a College senior.
I don't think you can compare them, because Clinton has done such an excellent job with Congress and bringing down the deficit, etc., that I don't care who he has sex with. With Nancy, I don't think we feel her influence as greatly as the United States feels Clinton's. As long as it doesn't mess things up, I don't care if she has an affair.
Kali Griffin is a College junior.
Leadership has two sides in my opinion:1.Ability to plan for taking your constituency into the future and 2. Ability to influence those within your constituency and other bodies of peoples with which your constituency will have to interact. Now, as far as the ability to plan and abstract and shit, that is obvious not affected by some blow jobs and fucking. In fact, I believe that fucking around only helps, but that's a different story. As far as ability to influence goes, I believe that the largest difference is the gender difference of the two leaders. Clinton will lose legitmacy in the anti-patriarchy type community because of his male privilege. He will be seen as someone who is obviously not going to fight too hard for women's rights because he doesn't even have the utmost respect for his own wife. Plus, if his acts of fucking around are seen as attempts for advancement for Ms. Jones and Ms. Lewinsky, then that will also show a lack of respect for women in the workplace. Nancy Dye would only lose respect as a role model. Some women would be pissed, viewing her as a weak person who uses her sexuality in, I guess, vulgar ways. But it wouldn't be that serious. Being a female gives her the ability to use men without terrible repercussions.
Ellen Kazary is a College senior.
Since it's Oberlin and we're supposed to be alternative, we would say it was o.k. We would go to extreme measures to make sure that people knew that it was cool, that we were o.k. with people's personal choices.
Pat Coleman is a College junior.
I wouldn't give a porcupine's patootie. Frankly, I don't want to know. I don't care who's having sex with who, as long as they're not having sex with me.
Collin Sherman is a College first-year.
I couldn't care less what Nancy Dye does. Well, a lot of people are missing the point in the Clinton case. The point is whether or not he told someone to break the law, not whether or not he had extramarital affairs. I don't think extramarital affairs affect someone's ability to lead.
Al Porterfield is a professor of Psychology.
Gee, I really don't know . . . unless she had the affair with ME. Then people would be questioning her sanity.
Catherine Mayhew is a College junior.
The issue is not fidelity but whether Clinton committed or encouraged someone else to commit perjury. As for Nancy Dye, I doubt that would become the same type of issue.
Eva Owens is a College sophomore.
I think it would be great to look up to our leaders for moral guidance. Unfortunately, I don't think anybody looks up to the president for his morals, whether or not he screws around on the sly. Do we all think badly of people who have affairs? I can't think of any examples right now of feeling one way or another about a public figure who had an affair. As of yet, I don't give a fuck. Can you think of a recent leader who has given good moral leadership? Didn't people think JFK provided good moral leadership and he slept around? Nobody cared about that. I was going to say, if they do provide good moral leadership then good, but if not, it doesn't hurt either. But that probably doesn't make sense - if it has a positive effect one way , it probably had a negative effect the other way. When I was in Trinidad, there was a headline that Clinton has slept with over a hundred women. Do you think it would be any different if Clinton was accused of sexual assault?
Jeff Little is a College first-year.
Just like Clinton, President Dye having an affair wouldn't reflect their ability to lead or preside. I don't really care what she does. Every president has had a mistress.
Steffany Haaz is a College junior.
I don't think it would affect her leadership capability. I would hope that students at Oberlin are less likely to judge a person's capability to lead by their personal life. But considering Oberlin's reputation for the lack of mainstream culture as it is, I think it would be harshly criticized. Taken less seriously, the Drag Ball's enough, and something like that would just put us over the top. I mean, I don't think that it would have that big of an effect as the Clinton thing has, because I don't think that most people care about the president of a dinky liberal arts college in the middle of Ohio.
Mara Zonderman is a College junior.
I think it would be nobody's business if Nancy Dye had an affair, just like it should be with the president.
