• CeruleanRuin
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    2 years ago

    Why do so many modern presidents have such embarrassing relatives?

    Biden’s son, Dubya’s siblings, Clinton’s brother, all of George H.W. Bush’s kids, Reagan’s wife, Trump’s entire family…

    • SCB@lemmy.world
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      2 years ago

      Most people have embarrassing siblings.

      You’re seeing it more now because there is heightened interest from people, so it sells clicks, and before that, it sold newspapers.

      • CeruleanRuin
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        2 years ago

        Maybe it’s just the combination of high profile and very rich that makes them seem way way worse than any embarrassing siblings of anyone I know.

        Yeah, so my friend’s sister has an alcoholism problem, but she’s never, say, posed for nude photos and then campaigned on a family values platform, and you have to admit the incidence of serious substance abuse issues in the families of US presidents is… well, embarrassing. I don’t know what the statistics are compared to the average, but goddamn there seem to be a lot of drug problems among and around people with so much influence.

        I take your point that it’s likely nothing new, but it’s disingenuous to imply that it’s normal compared to the average person.