The stages of a Clinton scandal (HILLARY!)

Don Surber:

Muriel Gallo-Chasanoff meet Elisabeth Kübler-Ross


All I ever needed to know about psychology I learned from “On Death and Dying” by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross.

She described the psychological steps necessary before an individual accepts the death of another or his own dying.

As the planted question scandal unfolds, I notice I can apply Elisabeth Kübler-Ross to a Clinton scandal.

The first step is Denial and Isolation. Now any politician denies a scandal. 4 months after he was caught playing footsies in a men’s stall, Larry Craig still denies he’s gay.

But it is the Isolation that marks the Clintons as unusual, maybe even unique. Kübler-Ross meant the person isolates himself. The Clintons isolate the accuser. She’s a mad woman (notice how often the scandal involves a woman). She’s a member of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy. She seeks a book deal.

Notice that the one instance where all three demonizations were used against one person was Paula Jones, who succeeded in defeating the Clintons in court over sexual harrassment. The key to her proving her case was establishing a pattern of such abuse of power, which is where Monica Lewinsky comes in.

The second step is Anger. We’ve all seen Bill wag his finger. Everyone who has reached the age of reasoning knows that when he wags his finger, he is lying.

The third stage is Bargaining. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross described this as a brief stage in which people try to cut a deal with God.

This is the longest stage for the Clintons. It has four substages.
1.) It is an isolated incident that won’t happen again; move on.
2.) Everybody does it, the Clintons just got caught; move on.
3.) There is no legal controlling authority; move on.
4.) It is old news; move on.

The fourth stage is Depression. Again, the Clintons do not feel this pain; their opponents do. They outlast every scandal. The public gets numb as it slowly sinks in that these people won’t ever go away and take their little soap opera with them.

The fifth stage is Acceptance. I don’t know how this works. The Clintons have never accepted responsibility for anything.