New Hampshire Democrats have removed the names of two powerful political families from their annual dinner. The ‘Kennedy-Clinton’ dinner is no more, with the party instead opting to name the event after Eleanor Roosevelt.
The name change is two-fold for the party – it will honor the former First Lady and diplomat while allowing Democrats to distance themselves from two notorious womanizers in the #MeToo era.
It had been named in honor of John F. Kennedy and Bill Clinton.
“We are proud to honor Eleanor Roosevelt, a woman revered around the world for her bold leadership and tireless efforts to create justice,” State party chairman Raymond Buckley claimed without addressing those names which were removed.
“She dedicated her life to helping all hard-working Americans and all those who needed a champion,” he added.
RELEASE: The NHDP fall dinner is now the Eleanor Roosevelt Dinner! #nhpolitics pic.twitter.com/Fq8fVY4MCu
— NH Democratic Party (@NHDems) August 7, 2018
The New Hampshire fundraising dinner has been a source of controversy before, having been renamed to the ‘Kennedy-Clinton’ dinner in 2016. It was originally the ‘Jefferson-Jackson Dinner,’ but party leaders made the switch when they suddenly discovered their histories as slave owners.
They must have finally found out that Kennedy was a notorious womanizer. Big mystery.
And Clinton’s history with an intern in the Oval Office and the alleged rape of Juanita Broaddrick must have just dawned on them.
It’s to nobody’s surprise that it took Democrats three tries to find someone in their party’s history that wouldn’t be blatantly offensive to minorities and women.
NH Dems can’t decide who they want to stand with or what they stand for 🤷♀️ #soconfused #nhpolitics
“In September 2016, they dumped Jefferson and Jackson in favor of those paragons of political virtue, Presidents John F. Kennedy and Bill Clinton.”https://t.co/ievJvCwaFk— Jennifer Horn (@NHJennifer) August 8, 2018
Terry Shumaker, a Granite State Democrat, said he voted against the name change but added it was more important for his party to get Democrats elected.
“In the greater scheme of things I think President Clinton would agree with me that it is more important we elect Democrats in the fall given who is in the White House versus which figures from the past we name a political dinner after,” he told the Boston Globe.
Well, that and they’re probably tired of having to explain away Broaddrick and Monica Lewinsky. And Paula Jones. Oh, and Kathleen Willey. Lest we forget Leslie Millwee.
The #MeToo movement has claimed many serial sexual predators, and if this played a role in the dinner’s name change in any small way it wouldn’t be surprising.
But the Democrats have come a long way, shunning the Clinton name from the days that they cheered his impeachment on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice following an extramarital affair with Lewinsky.
Democrats applauded accused rapist Bill Clinton after he was impeached on Dec 19, 1998. pic.twitter.com/VnahEiFh9u
— Ryan Saavedra 🇺🇸 (@RealSaavedra) November 15, 2017
Hopefully, they won’t have to change the name again in two years.