Young Goodman Clarke

New at Reason: Nick Gillespie carves no hopeful verse upon the former counterterrorism czar's tomb-stone; for his dying hour was gloom.

Comments

[Shannon Love]

Isn't Dr. Condoleezza Rice a (Wink, wink, nudge, nudge) long time confirmed bachelorette?

[Andrew]

I thought Rice was married?

The CIA used to have an employment policy excluding homosexuals (purportedly for security reasons). All CIA officers are investigated routinely and periodically throughout their careers, and I would guess Clarke, if he is gay, has long since reconciled himself to the possibility of publicity.

These matters don't interest me much, but I have casually mused that Justice Souter might be gay-- this never seems to get discussed, although it obviously may pertain to some matters that come before the court (and maybe he ISN'T gay...and I don't see as it disqualifies him on any rulings.)

[Jean Bart]

Andrew,

Do you also ponder whether Justice Scalia masturbates at night? Or is prone to engage in cunnilingus or orgies?

A quick google search did not turn up any information that indicated that she is married.

[Andrew]

If Rice isn't married, I am interested. (I am not married either...never have been.)

The "reason" for Souter is the same as for Clarke-- that both (like me) have never been married.

I saw an article in a woman's magazine saying that after 40 about 6% of men have never married, and thereafter are unlikely to. About half are gay and half not (Many gay men HAVE been married in a lifetime).

I sorta doubt Clarke is gay, for no better reason than that it hasn't surfaced before now. Souter's enemies, before his confirmation, were liberals who may not have felt they could use such information effectively against him.

Souter by the way is IMO a disastrous Justice.

[Jean Bart]

Andrew,

"If Rice isn't married, I am interested. (I am not married either...never have been.)"

And yet you try to pontificate on the nature of marraige and men in married relationships; interesting. *laugh* You are a bit like a Catholic priest in this way.

"The 'reason' for Souter is the same as for Clarke-- that both (like me) have never been married."

That's not a reason; its a rationalization.

[Andrew]

For all anybody knows I AM a priest...or a quad typing this stuff with my eyebrows. What difference does it make?

Generally, I think "different strokes for different folks" is a wonderful formula...and I long ago realised that the formula works best when the "different" folks (like me) are a sizable but distinct minority, and most folks do the fairly conventional things. Then we can all be happy.

[Andrew]

Condi Rice could bring me around, though...she's hot!

[thoreau]

So Andrew digs chicks who aren't afraid to work around really sleazy guys... 🙂

Andrew, if you did marry her, your "big wedding" story would top mine. None of my wedding guests required Secret Service protection, nor did the church organist have to play "Hail to the Chief!" when any of my guests walked in. 🙂

(Before the hawks jump all over my characterization of the Bush White House as "really sleazy", I'd say the same of any White House in modern history.)

[fyodor]

Judging by the Boondocks series of strips in which the young protagonists try to save the world by finding Condi a feller, I would guess she's not married.

Anyway, I'm glad I don't normally think about such things. And Nick's first paragraph sure made me glad I don't live in D.C.!!!!

[Ruthless]

Do you suppose pro-Bush speech-writers have for some time now been itchin' to accuse Clarke of a flit snit?

[dink]

She is most certainly not married.
She has a funny haircut.
She aspires to be NFL Commissioner.
She digs Russian Lit and plays a mean keyboard.
My kind of gal.

[Ruthless]

Karen Hughes is a top; Condi a bottom.

[Jean Bart]

Andrew,

Generally, I think "different strokes for different folks" is a wonderful formula...and I long ago realised that the formula works best when the "different" folks (like me) are a sizable but distinct minority, and most folks do the fairly conventional things. Then we can all be happy.

You've contradicted yourself here. People can be "different" as long as most of them are "conventional."

[Andrew]

I am wondering about the title of the thread (chosen by Nick or Tim)?

In the classic Hawthorne story, a young Puritan husband accepts an invitation (mostly out of curiosity) to attend the sabbat of a witch-cult in the forest.

There he believes he spies his young wife dancing naked at the fire...but he can't be sure-- the episode could be hallucinatory.

He returns to his marriage bed, and being afraid to ask (so disclosing his own dangerous secret) can never resolve the matter in his mind.

A good tale. Not Hawthorne's best-- "In the Hollow of the Three Hills"-- re-telling Saul at Endor with a conscience-striken runaway wife and mother

...the flip side of Hester Prynne?

(Simply horrifying to think a younger generation may have met Hawthorne through the ridiculous Demi Moore "revison")

[Jean Bart]

"The Celestial Railroad" and "Ethan Brand" are my favorites.

[Jon H]

"Isn't Dr. Condoleezza Rice a (Wink, wink, nudge, nudge) long time confirmed bachelorette?"

Wonkette has reported rumor of an alleged date Condi had with a man.

[Kevin Carson]

Andrew,

That revised version of The Scarlet Letter was produced by the same guy (some Hungarian, whose name I forget) who turned Gulliver's Travels and Animal Farm into Hallmark Card TV movies. In both cases, as with his hack job on Hawthorne, he gave them a happy, dumbed-down ending, and obliterated the whole point of the story. Gulliver wound up doing some kind of encounter therapy and discovering his warm and fuzzy side.

[joe]

"Condi [is] a bottom."

This is the internet, Ruthless. You can say "ass."

[Jean Bart]

Nick,

Its interesting to note that some of the more damning things written about by the "grub street" press concerning Louis XVI and Marie dealt with rumors concerning sexual immorality or simply impotence.

[J.K]

"sexual immorality"

Well, from what i've read in 'la bas' immorality might be an understatement

[Jean Bart]

J.K.,

I believe that's it been well established that Louis XVI was a fairly prudish monarch; far more so certainly that Henri IV or Louis XIV certainly. 🙂 Indeed, what is interesting is how distant rumor in French society at the time could be from reality.

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[Benny]

Guys, I have a question. I read some newspapers calling Condi "Condoleezza Rice-Jones". What the heck does that mean? She has a double family name?