Women Who Stand by Their Philandering Men – Why?

     What is disturbing in the case against Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former Managing Director of the International Monetary fund, are the extremely grave nature of the charges levelled him. Alledgedly, he falsely imprisoned, attempted to rape, and sexually abused a hotel maid in a New York City hotel suite, going so far as to chase her down a hallway when she tried to escape.  Evidence that was collected and preserved from the scene proved beyond a doubt his guilt.  As a person who was considered a flight risk, he was held in solitary confinement at Riker’s Island and had been refused bail; however, he managed to duck the charges and is now safely back in France.

     Anne Sinclair, Kahn’s wife, is an American-born journalist living in France, and before the ink was dry on the rap sheet she declared that all charges against her French husband were patently false.  ‘I do not believe for a single second the accusations leveled against my husband,’ she said.  This is a remark from a woman who has published several books and hosted a political chat show on French television for 13 years.  She is a well-known and highly esteemed public figure in France her own right.  Kahn was in contention to be France’s next President through the Socialist Party, a promotion which would have elevated Sinclair to the position of First Lady of France.  Those plans have now been scrubbed as his career flounders. 

     Another puzzling case of a woman standing by her man is Dottie Sandusky, whose husband Jerry was convicted of raping 10 boys over a 15-year period.  He has now been found guilty of 45; however, Dottie was alledgedly in the next room as her husband performed oral sex on an 11-year-old boy.  If she can ignore that, she can ignore anything.  

     Elizabeth Edwards, Maria Shriver, Gayle Haggard, Hillary Clinton –  each of these women, and others, has stood by their man while embarrassing revelation after embarrassing revelation was unearthed about her philandering husband.  All of them stood on the podia beside their husbands while they made their apologies.  Presidential hopeful John Edwards had a love child with his mistress; Arnold Schwarzenegger had Gropegate, and now we know that he also had a love child; Ted Haggard was having gay sex and taking drugs while leading one of the largest churches in America; Bill Clinton was involved with Monica Lewinsky, a scandal that almost ruined his presidency.   Why do these men have so much difficulty keeping it in their pants?  And why do women stay with these men when they suspect, if not out rightly know, that their husband is unfaithful to them?