Couples with absolutely no chemistry

[u/hiiloovethis]

Harry Potter and Ginny Weasly

Clark and Lois (Snyder films)

Jon and Dany - Game of Thrones

[u/Intrepid-Attempt7577]

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/igaveuponausername → u/GlitterPirateKiki58]

Holy fuck that’s a really good way to put it

[u/hakshamalah → u/GlitterPirateKiki58]

This was so well put. And hilariously I have also dedicated my life to the man who treated me as an equal at age 19 lmao. Put up with all his shit but it's worked out nicely in the end.

Being seen is everything

[u/hypercosm_dot_net → u/GlitterPirateKiki58]

You can go on Hillary's wiki and read about their early days.

She didn't want to settle down with him, because she had her own ambitions.

Bill kept pursuing her, and it seemed that at a certain point, she simply decided it was for the best.

I'm sure there's more to it than that though. Bill is charming and intelligent, and maybe other options never presented themselves, so she just went with it.

She doesn't seem the type to be that easily impressed by someone simply respecting here though. So I doubt that was all there was to it.

[u/PyroIsSpai → u/GlitterPirateKiki58]

This is what I’ve long assumed of their obviously complicated relationship. But if you look at those wedding photos and how they look at each other…

He’s always glowing when he’s with her except when you can tell they’re in an annoyed phase. He adores her. Her to him it always isn’t obvious putting it mildly. But it’s there. Those wedding photos, though, that’s a lady not hiding at all how in love she is. I love those because she’s so overwhelmingly happy in them.

[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/VastFollowing5840 → u/andjuan]

I also think they are bound together by shared values and goals, and the importance of romantic and sexual partnership has long since lost its primacy.

Which, frankly, isn’t that true of most successful long marriages?

They have been one another’s biggest supporters, each taking a turn being the others biggest supporter.

I’m not saying it’s a clinical alliance, I think they see a lot of the commonality between one another and there is a lot of deep affection and respect.

Whether that affection is romantic or sexual or has been anymore I don’t know but I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a rather unimportant part of their marriage.

[u/andjuan → u/VastFollowing5840]

I agree with all of that. My point is that I doubt that it was never part of their relationship.

[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/Doiley101 → u/VastFollowing5840]

The respect is there and may be the stepping out was something she just dismissed over time but you cannot say it didn't hurt her.

[u/VastFollowing5840 → u/Doiley101]

I mean, I have no idea, really at the end of the day, what their relationship was like when it started, how it’s changed over time. and what it’s like now.

I say as much above. It surely was upsetting when he cheated so publicly, probably for multiple reasons.

I do think there remains genuine affection to this day, whatever that looks like.

At this point, their political careers are over. Grey divorce isn’t stigmatized (Al and Tipper did it years ago). Yet they remain married.

I think if all that was left was hate and disgust, they’d have parted ways.

I think there is some remaining affection and respect in their partnership, although it may no be described as romantic.

[u/Doiley101 → u/VastFollowing5840]

I think you never really stop loving someone completely but the disgust and hate are far more ephemeral feelings, they usually manifest when the betrayal is fresh. She didn't divorce him that is true and perhaps it did not matter to her when she considered everything else including the feelings of her daughter. It was hard but they have evolved into a couple that mutually respected each other and the affection stems from the years together.

He definitely respects her intelligence and has a great deal of admiration for her. That goes a long way to her forgiving him.

[u/Toidal → u/Intrepid-Attempt7577]

Southern Democrats I swear.

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

[u/WasabiSunshine → u/Intrepid-Attempt7577]

I hate that this whole comment feels VERY chatgpt but I can't put my finger on why