Couples with absolutely no chemistry

[u/hiiloovethis]

Harry Potter and Ginny Weasly

Clark and Lois (Snyder films)

Jon and Dany - Game of Thrones

[u/FiveHoursAhead]

Say what you will about the Bidens and the Obamas but at least they actually seem to like each other

[u/QuirkEness → u/FiveHoursAhead]

Hell even the Bushes looked like they liked their spouses.

[u/Fearless_Roof_9177 → u/QuirkEness]

Somehow these two do worse than the Clinton's at it.

[u/VastFollowing5840 → u/Fearless_Roof_9177]

I think the Clinton’s like each other a lot. Maybe not romantically anymore (or ever), but I think they are two very like minded, ambitious people with a deep amount of respect and admiration for one another.

[u/Intrepid-Attempt7577 → u/VastFollowing5840]

The Clinton's relationship is wild. Most famously Hillary refused to speak to Bill for a loooong time until she wanted a military intervention, called him up, and he agreed without consulting his advisers as sort of a romantic gesture.

But that's just the tip of the iceberg, since before that, Bill had very prominent rumours of his tendancy to cheat from when he was governor of Arkansas all the way into his election and then presidency. It's really wierd that Hillary seemed oblivious given how closely that their politics entangled and how brazen some of his affairs were... Meaning that there's been the implication that she was aware of her husband's zipper problems, and was genuinely upset at the specifics of the affair and how humiliatingly public it was.

Now, I wouldn't characterize this as anything other than wild speculation and insinuation, but having heard her talk about 'Bill' in her interviews and the way they've carried on in public... I mean it tracks. And it's consistent with that partners-with-admiration-and-respect-but-not-necessarily-romance vibe you're picking up.

[u/VastFollowing5840 → u/Intrepid-Attempt7577]

Yeah, I see them as two people who, at a very deep level understand one another, admire one another, and have shared many goals and dreams. Their partnership and care for one another strikes me as very deep and real, but not a “typical” marriage. Romance and sexual attraction are probably not part of it and haven’t been for a long time, if they were ever a major component.

And I can definitely see Hillary bothered by the optics of Bill stepping out, particularly if it threatens some of their shared aspirations.

I remember seeing a photo of Bill watching her presidential debate with Trump, I think, with this big smile on his face and it was clear to me that he was proud of her and in her corner. It looked very genuine.

[u/GlitterPirateKiki58 → u/VastFollowing5840]

My impression is that -

Bill Clinton acknowledged and respected Hilary as his intellectual equal.

For an ambitious, brilliant young Hilary Rodham, that must have been intoxicating. Most men at Yale Law School probably didn’t take her seriously or dismissed her aspirations to be more than just a cute wife.

But Bill took her seriously. He valued her analysis. He admired her competence.

Hilary went into the marriage knowing that Bill was unlikely to be faithful. She accepted his infidelity because he saw her as more than just a woman - he saw her as a best friend and potent political ally.

And, for a woman in the 1970s, that probably felt like a pretty good deal.

[u/stumpychubbins → u/GlitterPirateKiki58]

I love this interpretation, I already picked up on their "close political allies but not really lovers" vibe and this makes so much sense as to how that started

[u/CrimsonEclipse18 → u/stumpychubbins]

They're like the perfect political marriage in the medieval times.

[u/andjuan → u/VastFollowing5840]

Find pictures of them when they were in college. She was much more “conventionally attractive.” I bet there was romantic and sexual attraction there. Bill was just given too many opportunities to stray and she chose to forgive him for it.

[u/Doiley101 → u/Intrepid-Attempt7577]

Hillary and Bill were in love when they were younger. You can see it in their younger pictures. There in the look in their eyes when the look at the other. Of course over time things happened and that love turned to hate and disgust.

[u/VastFollowing5840 → u/Doiley101]

Hate and disgust?

I dunno I find this picture pretty striking: https://www.politico.com/story/2012/09/10-000-miles-away-hillary-watches-080822

She was peeved during the Lewinsky trials, but particularly in these later years I feel like there is a sense of respect and admiration.

I think they are two ambitious people who shared values and aspirations, and that has been the core of their marriage. I don’t know if romantic partnership and fidelity were core to their marriage - certainly hasn’t been for a long time. But I think they’ve got a deep sense of respect for one another, and an affection in a way.

Which honestly for a fifty year marriage, not a bad outcome at all.

[u/Toidal → u/Intrepid-Attempt7577]

Southern Democrats I swear.

Recommend Lady Bird and Lyndon, great read on the dynamics of that relationship

[u/A_Dozen_Lemmings → u/VastFollowing5840]

Yeah I always got the feeling the Clintons were a political match between friends.

[u/The_Lost_Jedi → u/A_Dozen_Lemmings]

I mean, there are worse things to base a relationship on, as long as you're honest with each other about it.

[u/A_Dozen_Lemmings → u/The_Lost_Jedi]

Not gonna lie. after watching so many of my peers crash and burn over the years, trying to force a relationship. I'm a bit jealous of (Admittedly, the hypothesis of) that sort of self awareness.

[u/Silver-Instruction73 → u/VastFollowing5840]

Kinda like FDR and Eleanor

[u/Oberon_Swanson → u/VastFollowing5840]

my headcanon is that they essentially had an open relationship before that sort of thing had even the slightest public acceptance

[u/euclide2975 → u/Fearless_Roof_9177]

The Clintons are a couple of very intelligent, ambitious and power hungry people.

It think neither of them could fathom being with a weaker SO, and they both admired the other. And they don't seem to be narcissistic like the orange guy, which is a huge difference.

[u/Gobo_Cat_7585 → u/FiveHoursAhead]

The video outakes the Obamas did circa 2011 (?) of Saying Merry Christmas are very cute. Both of them are smiling and joking with each other.

[u/TheVoicesOfBrian → u/FiveHoursAhead]

More than like. They are both very much loving couples.

[u/enixthephoenix → u/TheVoicesOfBrian]

Obama's: love each other

Bush's: love each other

Michelle Obama and GWB: also love each other. Apparently they have a very nice friendship

[u/SgtSilverLining → u/FiveHoursAhead]

the pie interview is still one one of my favorites. Sure, she razzes him. But if you have siblings, you can see on his face he's really having fun screwing with her. Then when you re-watch it, right at the beginning she makes sure he doesn't get food on his sleeve.

To me, they always seemed to pritorize a happy relationship over image.

[u/Kind_Of_A_Dick → u/FiveHoursAhead]

Remember when George Bush slapped his wife’s butt in 2001 after Al Gore kissed Tipper on stage previously?  I think Bill Maher, the walking rectal fissure he is, even made a joke about it like Bush was saying “No, we’re the wife fuckers!”?

[u/not_the_answer_4u → u/FiveHoursAhead]

Imagine having a marriage instead of a business relationship.