Pence wont eat with a women who isnt his wife?

[brettdale]

Is that right??

Each to their own, but that is just plain weird?

Seriously, its just strange.

Did he say his reasoning?

[KittyWampus]

1. maybe he's gassy?

[Marie Marie]

44. ...

[NurseJackie]

74. Ha!! :-D

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. There have to be other people present.

He won't eat alone with a woman who isn't his wife. And that's as weird as hell.

[brettdale]

5. Im guessing its not a court order thing

But some strange religious belief?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

10. It is a strange religious belief.

Pence is a fundamentalist Christian who apparently think all women are evil temptresses, so to avoid being tempted he can't have dinner with another woman who isn't his wife unless he is chaperoned in order to keep him from jumping her bones.

[Cha]

23. " a fundamentalist Christian' who doesn't mind lying and starving

babies, tho.. to name a couple of glaring anti-Christ beliefs.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

26. Yes, but what about avoiding dinners

with harlotish women who want to sap his precious bodily fluids? If I were younger and hotter I'd want to have dinner with him just so I could eat bananas and sausages in front of him, and tie knots in cherry stems with my tongue.

[Cha]

31. That's some strange shite, too.. for such a so-called

"Christian".

[pangaia]

33. You forgot to quote Jack D. Ripper.

So may I ?

"
General Jack D. Ripper: Mandrake, do you recall what Clemenceau once said about war?
Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake: No, I don't think I do, sir, no.
General Jack D. Ripper: He said war was too important to be left to the generals. When he said that, 50 years ago, he might have been right. But today, war is too important to be left to politicians. They have neither the time, the training, nor the inclination for strategic thought. I can no longer sit back and allow Communist infiltration, Communist indoctrination, Communist subversion and the international Communist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids

[Marie Marie]

46. I hope that I would happen to be seated at an adjacent table just to watch this show.

[Docreed2003]

56. As a funny aside...

My dad used to tie knots in cherry stems every time he'd get a mixed drink with them in it. He'd say: "One day, if you learn this...it might come in handy." On my first date with my wife, we had lunch at a cafe in New Orleans and I had a "Hurricane" with a cherry as garnishment, with stem attached. I proceeded to show that trick to my future wife and, well she's been with me ever since...

[atreides1]

97. Like many Fundamentalists!

Pence is a "Christian", but not a follower of Christ!

[Cha]

105. Right.. and I don't know much about

the Bible but I do remember a quote of Christ's that said.. there would be those who use his name... oh here's the quote..

..and I think it fits ol pence, trump.. and all those who lie and cheat, etc and claim to be "Christians".

Matthew 24:4-5 would be: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many shall come claiming to represent Me, saying that I [Jesus] am the Christ, yet shall deceive many.” That is, they would proclaim Jesus as the biblical Messiah and would claim to be His representatives—but they actually would be part of a massive religious deception.

https://www.ucg.org/the-good-news/the-surprising-sayings-of-jesus-christ-many-false-prophets-will-arise-and-deceive-many

[SummerSnow]

69. He knows his weakness.lol

[ginnyinWI]

131. Billy Graham used to have the same policy. Same reasons I guess. nt

[AJT]

32. Does he get a chaperone when he eats with his mom?

[Chiyo-chichi]

127. Given that he calls his wife "mother," your question is complicated.

[Buns_of_Fire]

48. But if the chaperone is also a woman, it could lead to a meringue a trois!

Safer to just not eat at all, I would think. And by all means, avoid NOW conventions.

[KingCharlemagne]

66. ROTFLMAO. Your response should be an instant classic! :) - nt

[FDRsGhost]

3. What do you expect from the guy who wants to electrocute gays?

[MontanaMama]

4. Batshit.

Seriously batshit.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

14. Beyond batshit.

[ProudLib72]

6. Strictly no body shots

during spring break. He doesn't want to be featured in VPs Gone Wild.

[grantcart]

7. Probably is a derivative of Billy Graham's rule never to be in a room alone with a woman

that wasn't his wife. If he was going to meet a woman he would leave the door open.

It is a technique to make sure that you can't be accused of an affair.

[bettyellen]

52. It's a technique that renders women back to being chattel- we need to travel w keepers again?

What the ever loving fuck. This is sick!

[mwooldri]

8. He's a secret convert to Wahhabi Islam.

But he has to play a Christian.

That's weird.

[Historic NY]

9. Does she cut up his food....

like mommie.

[RoadhogRidesAgain]

11. What a loser

This is what religion does to people

[Catherine Vincent]

12. It's a religion thing

One of my co-workers is the same way,

[AgadorSparticus]

13. I am certainly no fan of Pence, and may be in the minority, but it makes sense to me.

He's married and it is about having respect for his wife. He doesn't want her to ever wonder about his intentions or anyone else's in any situation that can sew doubt.

I understand a good relationship rests on trust but in any good relationship, you don't need to invite in trouble, either.

There's plenty of reasons to find him creepy and shady as fuck. This isn't one. I get this. And I respect it. Different strokes...

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

15. It's goofy as hell, and would probably preclude any woman from working for him

in any high-level job. People in those positions often end up eating with "the boss," and Pence's medieval attitude really means that he won't ever hire a woman to work for or with him in a responsible job that by its nature involves irregular hours that necessitate (gasp!) eating.

I had a job that involved occasionally eating meals and even overnight traveling with co-workers who were married to women who were not me. There was never even a thought of hanky-panky, by me or the men or anyone else. Pence's attitude is terribly insulting to professional women because it assumes they are temptresses who can't be trusted alone with married men, and of course it prevents them from being hired at all for certain jobs.

[AgadorSparticus]

17. You can conduct business outside of dinner. But he could certainly have his assistant tag along.

It wouldn't preclude the hiring of a woman to a high level position.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

18. It's sexist as hell.

I could not have done my job if my co-workers thought the way he did.

[AgadorSparticus]

20. It works both ways. Some women wouldn't have dinner with men they are not married to.

Again, I don't think is rooted in sexism. Just a different approach to commitment. Different strokes.

[muriel_volestrangler]

59. It's a version of the burka/veil thing

It assumes that men are unable to interact with women without attraction coming into it. It's also probably his ego saying he's still good enough for women to want to have an affair with him.

It makes me think "god, what a dick" about him. If a woman had a similar rule about men, I'd think "who does she think she is - Cleopatra? What a diva".

[MichMary]

67. BIG difference . . .

This is a restriction he places on HIMSELF, not on women. He can make all the rules he wants about his own behavior, and it won't bother me a bit. When he imposes his rules on others, well, that's when I have a problem with him.

[muriel_volestrangler]

83. No, it's a restriction on the women who ought to be working with him

It's insulting to say they have to have a chaperone. This isn't about what he eats; it's about who he eats with, and thus by definition it is imposed on others.

It's over a hundred years out of date. Women are independent humans, whose interactions with other humans are not always based on the fact of them being women.

[MichMary]

84. There are other ways of conducting business

than an intimate little candlelight dinner for two.

My dh works with a bunch of women, travels with one from time to time, and that's fine. Sitting down together looking like they're on a date--not so fine, at least not in a place where they could be seen by some of our small town gossips.

Maybe I'm just seriously old or something. But I understand and respect his position on this.

[muriel_volestrangler]

98. Was "intimate little candlelit dinner" his description, or yours?

The quote I've seen is "In 2002, Mike Pence told The Hill that he never eats alone with a woman other than his wife and that he won’t attend events featuring alcohol without her by his side, either."

No, it is fine if they sit down together. The small town gossips need to realise this is the 21st century, and women can interact with men without it being sexual. They even have jobs, and the vote. Pence is at the best pandering to appalling sexism; but really, I think he knows he is taking part in that sexism. If women have to be treated with special rules, it makes it look like they're an oddity, rather than just half of the human race. But he joined a campaign that was the most sexist the USA has seen in decades, so maybe it's not surprising. Trump sees women as sex objects, to be used how he wants; Pence sees them as temptation, and signals his virtue by following Victorian standards of segregation.

I'm also worried he thinks he's an alcoholic without any self-control.

[MichMary]

106. My interpretation

"In 2002, Mike Pence told The Hill that he never eats alone with a woman other than his wife and that he won’t attend events featuring alcohol without her by his side, either."

Sounds like he was talking about a dinner with only one woman. Doesn't say he can't go out with a bunch of staffers, even two or more women.

As far as the small town gossips, they are not going to change, and if Karen Pence never has to be subjected to their whispers, their pity, their glances, thats' a good thing.

[JTFrog]

145. Why It Matters That Pence Won't Have Dinner With A Woman Who Isn't His Wife

In Pence’s worldview, men have no self-control, and women are either temptresses or guardians of virtue.
By Emma Gray

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/why-it-matters-that-pence-wont-have-dinner-with-a-woman-who-isnt-his-wife_us_58dd1740e4b05eae031d949c

~~~~~~~

This history makes it all-the-more clear that this do-not-dine-with-women rule is predicated on the idea that the company of women is always first and foremost about sex.

There is nothing disrespectful about a committed person having a meal with a friend or colleague who is not the same gender as they are ― unless one is to assume that any interaction not under the watchful eye of a spouse would inevitably lead to infidelity. In this worldview, men have no self-control, and women are either temptresses or guardians of virtue.

The underpinnings of this belief system are what allow men to view women as “other” rather than equal. They allow some to rationalize that female victims of sexual violence “asked for it” because they wore “provocative” clothing, and others (including our president) to believe that assault is a natural outcome of putting men and women together in a high-pressure environment like the military. These belief systems are what create male-dominated work environments where women are viewed as sexualized distractions or cut out of the office culture altogether.

Is the vice president of the United States able to see any woman as his contemporary, rather than a potential threat to his marriage?

The ability to refuse to be alone with someone who is not the same gender as you and still climb the professional ladder is a privilege that is simply not afforded to women. Imagine if Elizabeth Warren or Kamala Harris or Nancy Pelosi refused to attend political functions where alcohol was served without their husbands in tow to supervise them. Imagine if they never took one-on-one meetings with potential campaign managers or fellow lawmakers who happened to be men. These women’s careers would have been over before they started.

[AgadorSparticus]

146. As a society, when we see someone have a drink, we don't automatically jump to the conclusion

That they are an alcoholic. But we sure do when it is just 2 people of the opposite sex alone together. There are entire magazines and TV shows dedicated to this and it sells. Any person in a position of name recognition will be subject to this because, right or wrong, our society likes to gossip.

So while he can have female colleagues, he doesn't HAVE TO have dinner ALONE with them to do his job. That's not to say he can't be alone with other women. But that is of HIS choosing....for his wife. To spare her of any needless worry or doubt if something shows up in the paper or on tv. It is not sexism nor is it that he can't control his urges. That is just silly....

[muriel_volestrangler]

147. Bollocks. As a society, we live in the 21st century. We used to live in the second half of the 20th.

Don't blame this on society. Blame it on people who think they're still living 100 years ago, and on the fools who go along with them. Of course it's sexism. It's from an attitude that thinks a man's only interest in a woman is sex. You think that it's "his choosing", but it affects women too. See the imbalance? He gets to control them.

We almost got a female president, you know. That would have shocked some, wouldn't it?

I think he does think it's about his urges too. Especially with the remark about not drinking unless his wife's there. It's a "holier-than-thou" attitude, designed to appeal to people 100 years out of date who see women as additions to men, and who, once married to them, are expected to spend all their time looking after their husband.

[AgadorSparticus]

149. Nonsense. There is much assumption on your part. He can still hire a woman

To do the job. He doesn't have to have dinner alone with her for either one to do their jobs.

But you are wrong if you think much of society lives in the 21st century. There are a lot of people out there who don't because of religious or cultural reasons.

[muriel_volestrangler]

150. And it is our duty, as liberal people who see women as equal to men, to call out bad behaviour

such as Pence's. Pandering to people like Pence with views 100 years out of date is wrong. It hurts the status of women. Pence's refusal, over the years (and we've no evidence he has renounced this deplorable attitude) may well have hurt the advancement oe women. If he can meet a man for a meal, but not a woman, then women are at a disadvantage.

It also speaks to his general sexist attitude.

[AgadorSparticus]

151. No one has responded to the social implications. So it doesn't matter

If people gossip? Considering the social and possible personal implications is said activity? He HAS to engage in an activity he doesn't want to... even though he can hire a woman and engage in business a different way? So that's not good enough.

[muriel_volestrangler]

154. Yes, he does have to. That's the point. He has to treat men and women equally.

It's pretty important that the Vice-President of the USA should not be sexist. You're right - it's not good enough. The social implications are that the VP is a dinosaur whose attitude to women is a century out of date, and he does nothing to try and behave like a man born when he was should.

Do you understand yet?

[obamanut2012]

91. Except this IS a restriction being placed on female staffers

[Alice11111]

54. After his vote to destroy women's healthcare today,

He probably should be afraid to dine with anyone but his wife.

[alarimer]

87. Certainly if there were knives on the table. n/t

[Warren DeMontague]

25. thats ridiculous.

People can structure their relationships however they want, but if someone's spouse cant eat dinner with a member of the opposite sex without some suspicion, there's a problem that runs deeper than dinner.

In modern, pluralistic societies where either or both partners quite likely have numerous totally platonic connections both personal and professional with members of the opposite sex, such a prohibition is horrbily antiquated IMNSHO.

[AgadorSparticus]

28. And that is your opinion. But not everyone subscribes to that.

[Warren DeMontague]

35. I guess.

but I'm not sure how it works in reality if both parthers are educated adults with fairly high-powered careers, such that usually involve things like business travel.

Personally, I cant imagine being married to someone I didnt trust implictly, and vice versa. What would be the point? Might as well stay single.

[EllieBC]

63. It can work.

Most of my family and many of my friends are Orthodox Jews. And many are highly educated professionals who won't shake the hand of the opposite sex. And most won't eat alone with the opposite sex either or be secluded with 1 member of the opposite sex that's not family.

[Warren DeMontague]

65. There's two different questions, to my mind, if I think more about it.

one is whether people can reconcile these sorts of.. for lack of a better word, prohibitions with their larger lives even in the modern world, and clearly, yes, many people do. You're right, I know people like that as well. (But it certainly seems like a giant pain in the ass.)

but the other poster also brought up trust, which isn't actually the issue, as near as I can tell, with at least the people I know who are Orthodox to the extent you describe- rather it is more about conforming one's life to a rather strict set of rules.

Yes, personally, I think those rules are silly, not to mention antiquated, I stand by that, "deeply held religious belief" or no; but then I'm an Atheist and I tend to think the entire concept of a magical invisible man in the sky-- who with 14 billion or more light-years worth of Universe to manage, seems unduly preoccupied with what the hairless domesticated primates on Planet Earth are doing with their genitalia--- is silly.

But beyond that, it seems to me the lack of trust implied in "I don't want you eating alone with a member of the opposite sex because I think you will sleep with them" or whatever, would be the real problem.

[MichMary]

76. Do we know Karen Pence's feelings on the matter?

It seems that this is more a restriction he placed on himself, rather than one she placed on him, or that he placed on her.

He can restrict his own behavior to his little heart's content, AFAIC.

[EllieBC]

124. I can say for the current community I am in and my former one,

it was not about lack of trust. As someone pointed out downthread, it's about appearances. And that it's just not done. Most people aren't that vexed about it. Just like we aren't vexed by having to clean every inch of the house prior to Pesach. We aren't as bothered by inconvenience maybe?

[MichMary]

75. It's not about trust

It's about appearance.

Years ago my mom went to lunch with a friend and saw my best friend's husband at lunch with ANOTHER WOMAN!! She came home and breathlessly announced that John was cheating on Mary!!!

I explained that he was in sales, and had to comp his customers, and/or their office managers. She laughed in my face, because OF COURSE if he was sitting at a table in a diner with a woman other than his wife, it meant they were having an affair.

[obamanut2012]

99. It is 100% about trust, period

No one should have to live their lives -- or maintain business -- to the "standards" of distrustful, dirty-minded gossips.

[Warren DeMontague]

143. I think there are a few things going on, some of them generational, here.

I also believe that this is a logical outgrowth of what happens when religious-minded people push inanities like "abstinence only" and suggest to young people that they have to marry the first person they want to screw, frankly.

I've never been tempted in the slightest to be unfaithful to my wife, and I can say with a pretty high degree of certainty that she feels the same. Part of that is that we are very happy with and committed to each other, but another part of it, I suspect, has to do with the fact that we got married well into adulthood after we both had had significant experience with both being single and in other relationships.

If you've spent 15 years dating and playing the field and seeing what else is out there, when the right person comes along I think it's pretty easy to commit to leaving all that behind.

[HoosierDebbie]

37. I agree with your posts on this.

The key word here is to eat "alone" with a woman not your wife. I think it is about respect for the wife, and to not leave anyone open to suspicion if seen by others to draw conclusions. Maybe it is generational but I get it. I'm obviously from Indiana and have lots of reasons not to like Mike Pence, but this is not one of them. Maybe the only one.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

36. It's not only antiquated; in most workplaces a man

who refused to eat with a female co-worker in the course of their work would get in a heap of trouble with HR if that attitude resulted in problems getting the job done. I had a job that occasionally required traveling, not just eating, with married male co-workers. If those men had refused to travel with me because of my gender, they'd have been in hot water, maybe even fired. My employer would not have tolerated that for a minute.

[Warren DeMontague]

43. Seriously.

Just another one of those situations where the hang-up is likely to cause way more problems than the actual thing being hung up about.

[obamanut2012]

94. There is one conference I go to every year that my old boss also attends

We always go out to eat one night together, to catch up on gossip and things. Long, lingering dinners where we laugh and have a couple drinks, and that are 100% platonic, and that his wife knows about and could care less about.

And, of course, networking dinners with basically strangers of all genders.

[former9thward]

113. You are treating DC as if it is a normal and honest place.

Its neither. DC is filled with people who love to spread gossip and slander for personal power and political gain. If more people - male and female -- followed what Pence does there would be a lot less scandals and headache.

[pangaia]

34. No. Not in this case. He is just a disturbed sick fuck.

[MichMary]

73. Totally agree with you

Many years ago a young, single woman was promoted to head my husband's accounting department. It was a small department with a couple of female accountants and a few more female accounting clerks, and him.

He felt he had to go out to a bar alone with her and drink because he couldn't go to the women's Tupperware parties, and that sort of thing. Kind of a bonding thing. We live in a small town, and I will not tolerate the small town gossip machine creating rumors that will be embarrassing to me and to my children.
It was so utterly disrespectful of me that I can still work up a fair amount of anger over it. It was a very big deal to me.

Something must have happened to change his mind, because he apologized to me, and never did it again.

He does occasionally travel to meetings with her, and that isn't a problem, because it is different. The coziness of a dinner, or sitting shoulder to shoulder at a bar is a situation that can look like something it isn't.

There is plenty to criticize Pence about, but this isn't it.

[obamanut2012]

100. Absolutely ridiculous

Wow. Just wow.

[MichMary]

110. Really?

Every couple has their own standards, their own rules. I don't judge theirs (or yours) and I expect others to extend that right to me.

[Adrahil]

85. No offense, but horseshit...

Is he a fucking professional or not? A grown-up professional might actually have cause to be be alone, or even have dinner with, with another professional that just happens to be a woman. If he can't do that, he has no fucking business in public service.

He wants to be weird on his own time, I don't give a fuck....

[alarimer]

86. It makes sense only if you think men can't control themselves and women are harlots.

Everyone has the ability to respect others' boundaries. And having dinner with a friend or coworker of the opposite sex (in the case of hetero people) is no big deal UNLESS you are not a respecter of boundaries. If you are prone to being inappropriate with a coworker or friend, then, no, you should not have dinner with them. But then, if you are prone to such inappropriateness, you should either grow up and change, or be fired or lose that friendship. And your significant other should "fire" you too, because you can't be trusted.

But those of who are adults and who can be trusted are insulted by the implication that someone like Pence would not be alone with us. First off, it's Pence, so not if he was the last guy on earth. Big EWW!. Secondly, it says more about Pence and his proclivities than it says about any woman he could possible have dinner with.

But Pence's attitude, were it widespread (which I guess it is in some circles), prevents women from assuming positions of power, as legislators or CEO, or the like. Male-dominated professions, if they follow this rule, would keep women from ever achieving promotions in fields occupied mostly by men. Imagine if they could never meet with their male clients or associates.

In fact, I could never have had the jobs I have had, because at various times almost all my colleagues were men. I would never be allowed to do fieldwork with anyone, ever, in some jobs.

[obamanut2012]

96. It is 2017, and these SEXIST attitudes are harmful to women

And, to a lesser extent, men.

Again, it is 2017. And we are talking about dinner in a public arena. Get your distrustful mind out of the gutter.

[EL34x4]

104. I agree as well.

But I see it less as a religious thing and more as a wise "cover your ass" thing.

This is Washington DC and Pence is a politician. Nobody is going to be able to accuse him of cheating and splash glossy photos around of him eating at a fancy restaurant with a woman who's not his wife that he's going to have to embarrassingly try to explain if these situations never happen in the first place.

In DC, everyone has enemies looking to destroy them. Best not to give them low-hanging fruit. There's probably lots of politicians on both sides of the aisle who practice these same policies as Pence.

[MichMary]

112. Absolutely right!

IIRC, wasn't there some rumor about John McCain published in the WaPo or NYT or something about him having an affair? Turned out their was no truth to it, but the fact that it was considered newsworthy and, in fact, lawsuit-worthy, made it a very serious situation.

[gilbert sullivan]

126. But this shit is evidence of DIStrust. Or insanity.

Take 2 Pirin tablets and call in the morning.

[DesertFlower]

16. that's really weird. i've always had

male friends and my late husband had female friends. he was upset when his friend cora retired because they used to have lunch together every day.

[Cha]

27. I agree.. It's creepy.

[alarimer]

90. My boyfriend is a librarian.

Now, he's in management but when he worked in the library, he worked mostly with women. They went to meetings, they ate lunch, they might even have gone to happy hour together.

Trust is a big part of relationships. Not trusting someone without cause is a good reason for a relationship to fail.

[MichMary]

114. I don't think it's about trust

but about appearances. If you didn't mind him going out one-on-one with another woman, that's great. For some people it can cause huge problems, even if it is perfectly innocent.

[alarimer]

120. Appearances don't matter; actions do.

I'm in the "who gives a crap what other people think" school on this as on many things.

People (not all, but enough) are far too concerned with what other people will think; it's an attitude that poisons EVERYTHING. I choose not to let it poison my relationships.

[EL34x4]

123. Things are a little different for major political figures than they are for librarians.

Your librarian boyfriend likely didn't live under a microscope in the Machiavellian world of Washington DC where every move he makes is scrutinized by people who want to buy him, blackmail him, defeat him and destroy him.

Nobody is taking photographs of your librarian boyfriend eating lunch and selling them to the National Enquirer.

[alarimer]

133. No, but Pence's attitude is a little suspect in this day and age.

Makes me think there is some "there" there. Maybe he does have a history, although he seems like he has a very large stick in an uncomfortable location, so I doubt there are any Bill Clinton-esque escapades. :Shudder:


The fact is, it is an antiquated attitude that actually harms the potential careers of women (though why the hell would they even want to work with Pence). He couldn't hire a chief of staff who is a woman, for instance. Which is actually discriminatory and illegal, in fact.

But this is more about the mindset that appears not to be all that unusual even among otherwise progressive people. It's damaging to human relationships. It's damaging to progress towards equality. Feminists spent a lot of time protesting male-only golf clubs and the like because it harms women's careers not to be able to do that. But we have a long way to go, clearly, in people's attitudes about interpersonal relationships. All of us would benefit from less judginess. If some guy I was dating questioned my friendship with anyone, I would dump him so fast his head would spin. I would also tell my nosy neighbors to mind their own business.

[EL34x4]

139. Visualize, if you will...

...Someone Tweets a photo of Vice President Pence eating at a fancy restaurant with a staffer. Maybe's she's pretty, maybe she's 25 years younger than him. No Mrs. Pence in sight.

Now how fast do you think the thread here on DU is going to go high and right? Oh, I'd say about 10 minutes before it hits 200 posts.

And do you think us posters here on Democratic Underground will be giving Pence kudos for ditching his antiquated, harmful, sexist attitudes towards women?

No, I'm pretty sure that 199 out of those 200 posts will be castigating Pence as a cheating, adulterous, hypocritical, skeevy, lecherous, dirty old man taking advantage of his position in power to wine and dine naive young staffers. And not just here on DU either. The NYT, WP, MSNBC, and countless other media outlets will be talking about "Who's the beautiful mystery woman eating dinner with the Vice President?"

Pence isn't stupid.

[obamanut2012]

103. My work spouses at my prior two positions were male

Both married. Both wives loved they had lunch with me, and sometimes went to the gym with me, so they didn't have to hear about work venting.

[justlikeronniesang]

19. Well, you know

If he has dinner with a woman that is not is wife, it must mean that they are thinking about, or having sex.

Why else would a man have dinner with a woman?

Women aren't respected people in society. They are sexual, nothing more.

[Buzz cook]

21. A strange woman won't chew his food for him. nt

1

[betsuni]

22. Well, if eating is such a sexy activity maybe he shouldn't eat alone with a man, either.

Just in case.

[Initech]

24. I've known fundies like that, they are a strange bunch indeed.

[oldtime dfl_er]

30. what about teenaged boys?

Can he eat alone with them?

[synergie]

38. women are scary, and he does not like them.

But no alcohol unless "Mother" is there to keep him from acting on temptation with all the men? Homophobes are reliably in denial about themselves. They just direct all that self-hatred outwards. He's a particularly nasty one.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

39. This is simply a secular version of

Orthodox Jews who won't shake hands with women. I think the rationale there is that they can't be certain the woman isn't having her period at the time, which is apparently a case of lady cooties, but even women who are obviously over the age of menopause are still verboten.

But back to Pence: He's an asshole.

[vi5]

93. Uh....how is it "secular"...

That would imply his reasons weren't rooted in his religious beliefs. Given that this is Pence, I don't think that's the case.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

141. Did Pence give a religious basis for

his refusing to eat with women not his wife?

If he did, I'll simply point out how idiotic those beliefs are. And if he didn't offer a religious basis, then I still say it's a secular version of religious based misogyny.

[defacto7]

40. I think people should just

eat with everybody and fuck with everbody all the time with or without the door open... as long as it's consentual and between adults.

[erpowers]

41. Lack Of Discipline

This shows a lack of discipline and self control. Why would a grown man need his wife to be present when he eats with another woman? Can he not control himself?

[marybourg]

42. They're not just a bunch of deplorables.

They're a bunch of bizarre deplorables.

[ecstatic]

45. I honestly didn't see "with" in the headline

It's late.

[milestogo]

121. He probably doesn't do that even with his wife.

Women are gross and disgusting to men like him.

[luvMIdog]

47. but he will "grab 'em by the pussy" when they aren't his wife. This is about PRETENSE that's all

[bdjhawk]

49. Misogynists Club

This has nothing to do with respecting any woman, including his wife. It is nothing more than a "religious" (not) cover for misogynists to exclude women. These perverts can't think of women as intellectual equals who could actually contribute to a meeting but only as potential temptresses who are nothing but sexual objects. With that view, these men are the ones with "lust in their hearts". If they insist on using this cover, they should also never be allowed to have a 1-on-1 with a man to prevent giving men all of the advantages of such meetings. This is nothing but a way to revert to the good old boys clubs that I had hoped we were moving away from. The photos of 100% men at meetings to discuss women's issues are nothing but signals to their Neanderthal followers that the good old boys are back in charge and the world is as it should be. Ick!

[bettyellen]

53. THIS!!

[smirkymonkey]

57. Thank YOU!

And welcome to DU bdjhawk!

[Lars39]

60. All that you said, plus him having an oral fixation.

[moriah]

61. Welcome to DU!

I never understood why, if men are so full of "lust in their hearts", why it's somehow the female of the species's responsibility to try to prevent said lustful thoughts. It makes far more sense to have men learn how to control their own lust.

While I would like to believe that the people who believe this crap are actually religious -- that they wouldn't throw logic out the window unless it was really a faith thing -- it's far more likely that at least the people pushing the ideas realize it keeps women from having any role in society except that of wife and mother. Gotta keep raising more brainwashed kids to make "God's Army" after all...

[treestar]

68. Exactly!

Welcome to DU!

[Charles Bukowski]

50. Pence is a sex scandal waiting to happen.

All this puritan bullshit while he stands side by side with a noted philanderer and likely sex offender in Donald Trump. Pence is a hypocrite and a fraud.

[COLGATE4]

138. My money's on him getting caught with an

underaged boy. That's his style.

[hrmjustin]

51. That is just freaking crazy!

[Skittles]

55. he is a sanctimonious piece of SHIT

he thinks crap like that proves how much he respects women, when it actually shows the exact opposite

[Rhiannon12866]

58. He won't eat food with a woman who isn't his wife

But he associates with Trump who not only has been married three times, but also boasts about unseemly things he's done or wants to do to women - and young girls?? Hypocrisy, thy name is Pence.

[yuiyoshida]

62. He has this fear of Women with Steak Knives.....

[Dorian Gray]

64. He's just going on the offensive

he knows that no woman in her right mind would go out for a solo meal with him... so he's getting ahead of the story.

[justhanginon]

115. That was my thinking too. What woman would want to

have dinner alone with that stone cold fundamentalist viper. The ensuing dinner conversation could scar one's psyche for life and lead to needing expensive therapy.

[Vinca]

70. Does that mean that deep down, below the Bible-thumping veneer, he's just as much an

uncontrollable pussy grabber as his boss?

[CountAllVotes]

156. hahaha

[SummerSnow]

71. what if he and his wife are dining with a female friend and

his wife excuses herself to go to the restroom, does he leave too until wifey comes back? lol

[HAB911]

72. Fundies can't control their bodily functions

They need sky-god rules and external controls

[MyNameGoesHere]

77. So?

Oh wait, I read that wrong.

[crazycatlady]

78. if he feels this wy

Then he should resign. What if he has to meet with Angela Merkel or another female world leader?

And he's also a sex scandal waiting to happen. But it won't be a woman that tempts him.

[Mc Mike]

79. Because: 1) Cooties

2) He knows that women can use their witch type hoo doo on unsuspecting men easier when a ceremonial breaking of bread is occurring.

[OnDoutside]

80. This reminds me of a Father Ted moment...

[lapucelle]

153. That was great.

I guess I have a new show to binge on.

[OnDoutside]

158. A new disciple !!! ;)

[randome]

81. Maybe he has PGS, like Trump? Pussy-Grabbing Syndrome. AKA 'Stupid'.

[hr][font color="blue"][center]TECT in the name of the Representative approves of this post.[/center][/font][hr]

[AngryAmish]

82. All male golf clubs exist for this reason.

Your wife does not have to wonder who is sitting poolside or in the grill room.

[obamanut2012]

88. He also won't be at a function or place that serves alchol, unless his wife is there

[obamanut2012]

89. Does he eat with male staffers? If so, how is this legal?

If he has business lunches with male staffers, works alone with them in the evening and orders, pizza, etc., but doesn't female staffers??????

Do meals include runs to Bucks for coffee?

[vi5]

92. "Mike Pence asks waiter to remove Mrs Butterworth from table"

http://www.theonion.com/article/mike-pence-asks-waiter-remove-mrs-butterworth-tabl-55661

[jeanmarc]

148. Love that article.

[DefenseLawyer]

95. Mike Pence is dumb as a post

His wife doesn't want him to have dinner alone with anyone, For fear he'll be talked into buying property at Rio Rancho or trading their house for magic beans.

[TexasMommaWithAHat]

101. "Above reproach"

Having lived in that world, I can assure you that for most it's a matter of living "above reproach."

It's also a way of protecting one's marriage from the unforeseen. Marriages go through ups and downs, so it's a way of protecting one's marriage from a time when one might be emotionally vulnerable.

Honestly, if you want to go out and have sex with someone, you're just going to do it. However, if you think that affairs begin for different reasons - like emotional vulnerability - it's a bit easier to understand.

[MichMary]

116. I understand his position

I was raised in a different time, and with a heavy dose of the fundy view of marriage. Also with my own mother's, um, shall we say, "quirks."

In my experience, honoring your spouse is the most important thing you can do. You don't criticize, you don't disrespect, and you don't subject them to gossip.

[WePurrsevere]

102. He's weak & very afraid of temptation. To him all women are...

basically Jezebels and Delilahs (except his stepford wife... perhaps) and are out to seduce him from his 'saintly' ways.

I've personally known a few men like this. Along with being sexist and misogynist, they were paranoid and delusional... it never ended well.

[FSogol]

111. Exactly, it is a way to blame women for the fact that he can't control himself. n/t

[still_one]

107. The bottom line comes down to this. He doesn't view women as equal to men.

[get the red out]

108. He sure enjoys

Taking rights away from all women though.

Religious zealots HATE women with a passion, daughters of Eve, evil snakes, bla bla. THAT is why it is appropriate to show how bizarre their religion makes them behave, their extreme beliefs also prompt them to marginalize women, LBGTQ people, people of other religions............................................

If Pence didn't want to marginalize people he hates, I wouldn't care about his ignorant religion, but he wants to do a LOT of harm in this country.

Edit to add: If Pence was actually serious about demonstrating his religious beliefs, he would have never agreed to be Trump's running mate. He has hypocrisy coming out the ass.

[no_hypocrisy]

109. Pence obviously thinks "Tom Jones" was a documentary where dinner becomes the

Highway to Hell.

[sinkingfeeling]

117. Let's make this Pence's big gaffe. Remember the flack Jimmy Carter

got from his statement,

"I've looked on a lot of women with lust. I've committed adultery in my heart many times."

[betsuni]

118. This guy is obsessed with fornication.

Weirdo.

[Ligyron]

119. I think he fears being photographed with a woman other than his wife

and having someone publish it with hints that he is having an "affair".

[Tommy_Carcetti]

122. It is plain weird. I don't really care, though.

Lots more I can bash the 46th President on other than his archaic dining practices.

[Aristus]

125. A guy who does this much public religious posturing over his marital fidelity

has definitely got something going on on the side.

Like those rabidly anti-gay crusaders who get caught trolling for sex in airport bathrooms.

Mark my words: sooner or later, Pence is going to be caught in a hotel room with a live boy or a dead hooker.

[asiliveandbreathe]

128. Totally off the wall...but then remember Ashcroft - and the cloaking of

Lady Justice...OMG..what is wrong with these MEN!!! They sure don't have a problem telling women what to do with their bodies...

[NurseJackie]

129. It's sexist. He sees women only as sex objects, not as equals. He assumes others feel the same.

He's a pig.

[DinahMoeHum]

130. Eh, why doesn't he just chemically castrate himself?

Solve the problem right there.

[Mike Nelson]

132. Proves that he is...

...not qualified to be VP or President. What if we're in the middle of a nuclear war and he has to eat dinner with Merkel or May to decide what to do about the bombing of another country? And, how about gay men? Many ultra-religious people are that way because it's a "cure" for their gayness. He fits the profile. How do we know some guy might turn Pence on, then blackmail him?

[dgibby]

134. If I was his wife (and thank gawd I'm not),

I'd be more worried about him being alone with another man.

[titaniumsalute]

135. He pops a pants tent when he does

[Thomas Hurt]

136. Well Pence is a christofascist theocrat

but making women stay home and out of sight, leaving politics to men is the ploy of the Christian's competitors, can't very well be aping some of the Muslims.

The difference between Pence's chauvinistic bee ess and the Taliban's, as an example, only lies in the degree, otherwise they hold the same conservative misogynistic base theology.

[louis c]

137. Sounds more like sharia law to me

[lapucelle]

142. As per news reports...

http://www.theonion.com/article/mike-pence-asks-waiter-remove-mrs-butterworth-tabl-55661?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=feeds

[BuddyCa]

144. maybe Trump should follow suit

no dinners alone with Ivanka.

[L. Coyote]

152. Wow, what a coincidence, women who aren't his wife won't eat with him either.

[lapucelle]

155. Pence's insistence on ridiculous "above reproach" measures

makes me immediately more suspicious of him. At the very least, we know that he is personally ambitious enough to align himself with Trump who represents the antithesis of truly Christian values.

Pence is a whited sepulchre.

Matthew 23:27 (King James Version)
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whited%20sepulcher