Political shenanigans, including Villaraigosa
“When Gary Hart got caught, his political career was over. Have times changed? Do voters see these things differently now? Is Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s career over? Bill Clinton is actually on the campaign trail with Hillary–have we forgotten Lewinsky?Giuliani may or may not be hurt by his marital scandal with Donna Hanover.”
Villaraigosa is a child of an alcoholic (who often appear as narcissists), Clinton is an alcoholic (who may be in recovery for the time being) and I don’t know about Hart or Giuliani. However, adultery is far more common in the lives of alcoholics than non-alcoholics and 40% of divorces include an alcoholic on one side or the other. We forgive and forget because alcoholics are often so darned charming. So no, I doubt times have changed. The public will likely continue to forgive and forget.
Alcoholics stop growing emotionally the day they trigger addiction–average age, 13. Children of alcoholics grow emotionally at half the rate that children of non-alcoholics do. This explains (but does not excuse) idiotic adolescent-like misbehaviors in many grown-ups–Clinton and Villaraigosa alike, and probably Hart and Guilliani.