A history of politicians crying The art and artfulness of crying
lik a politician: NORMALLY, one would feel sympathy for anyone
reduced to tears by a Ken Livingstone campaign video. But when
the blubber is Ken himself, and the tears are in full public
view and in the presence of his own party leader, the response
is likely to be rather different. But Ken – who as Mayor of
London once broke down while apologizing for the city’s role in
the slave trade – is merely the latest in a long line of
politicians who have broken down in the glare of the spotlight.
Ken’s illustrious weeping predecessors include men such as
Abraham Lincoln and Winston Churchill – the latter crying openly
and frequently in the House of Commons. Here we celebrate that
familiar, and not always honourable, tradition… Back in 1972,
crying was a big deal. When Democratic candidate Ed Muskie was
reported to have broken down while defending his wife form
accusations of drinking and bad language, it dealt a fatal blow
to his presidential aspiratio