Whoops. Not that ugly thing.
Closer, but still not the right person.
There we are. This young lady.
Before I get to my point, I ask that you set aside whatever your opinions about the current president are. Hear me out. This story is one no one covers, and it directly links our first black President to Star Trek. How is that possible?
Around 2003, she divorced her husband, an aspiring politician, Jack Ryan, in Illinois. By the request of both parties, the records were sealed. So that had the effect of shielding Jack from the explosive content in them. At the time, he was running for an open US Senate seat in Illinois, and was expected to win easily. His opponent was a little known aspiring politician named Barack Obama.
The LA Times managed to get those divorce records unsealed. And then everyone knew that Jack Ryan is one hell of a creep. Jeri Ryan made allegations that Jack had repeatedly tried to get her to have sex with him, and other men, in sex clubs. In public. Apparently he liked to watch. When this became public, it forced jack to withdraw from the race. The GOP didn’t have enough time to get someone else with the qualifications for a Senate seat. Barack Obama won. Four years later he used his position to catapult him to the presidency. A bold move, to be sure. But with unparalleled charisma and speaking ability, it clearly worked.
It should be noted that Jeri Ryan and Jack didn’t want any of this to be made public, for the sake of their son. But in her husband’s public persona, someone with the money and the thirst for a story, it was inevitable. So, in a way, what she alleged he did during their marriage, almost handed that Senate seat to Obama.
Should we thank her? Those of us who think he did more good than harm (the most we can expect anymore)? I do. But don’t go bothering Seven of Nine about it. She’d rather these private details be sealed. And I certainly understand that. It’s probably “irrelevant.”
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