Sunday, January 22, 2012

Gingrich: Open Marriage or Menage a Trois?

Various news stories have reported that Newt Gingrich asked his second wife for an open marriage. So far as I can tell, it isn't quite true:
Marianne Gingrich, in her first television interview since the couple's 1999 divorce, told ABC News that when Gingrich admitted to a six-year affair with a congressional aide, he asked her if she would share him with the other woman, Callista, who is now married to Gingrich.
"And I just stared at him and he said, 'Callista doesn't care what I do,'" Marianne Gingrich told ABC News. "He was asking to have an open marriage and I refused...that is not a marriage."
...
Marianne Gingrich, in a separate interview with The Washington Post, said Newt Gingrich initially asked for a divorce.
(Fox News Story)

His original proposal was a divorce—the conventional resolution to such a situation. When his wife turned that  down, he offered an alternative. 

But that alternative does not seem to have been an open marriage—it is clear from other accounts that that was her term, not his. An open marriage would have meant not only that he was free to sleep with other people but that she was as well; so far as I can tell from the news stories, that was not what he proposed, although it is possible he would have been willing to. What he asked for was a different traditional solution, although the tradition is perhaps more French than American.

6 comments:

Gordon said...

Gingrich is unlikely to have suggested an open marriage, given his views of the sanctity of same.

Anonymous said...

Gordon, I see you forgot your sarcasm brackets. Oops!

Xerographica said...

Oh, let he who has not wanted a Menage a Trois cast the first stone...

*does not cast any stones*

Here's my favorite song on the subject...Stereo Total - L Amour A Trois...and here's my favorite book on the subject...Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein...and here's my self-ownership survey which kinda includes the subject.

Xerographica said...

While I'm here...here are a couple of unrelated questions...

1. Any plans on jumping on the Bleeding Heart Bandwagon?

2. Do you support allowing people to sell their votes?

Tati said...

Hi David,

I want to sell pre made far vision glasses and I researching same topic. I found many American based companies are selling them online here so how come I can not sell it in retail and what would be the consequences if I do?

John T. Kennedy said...

@David: Gingrich did not even ask for that, at most he suggested the possibility if I read the account right. And the suggestion my well not have been genuine, he may have known how she would react.