7 of 9, the Borg Who Changed History

 

Today is the seventh of September, in other words, 7 of 9. It seems like a good time to ponder the actress who played the character of 7 of 9 on Star Trek: Voyager and her role in American History. Because, you see, Jeri Ryan had the most profound impact on American politics as an actor since John Wilkes Booth. Without her, Barack Obama would not have been president.

From 1991-1999, Jeri Ryan was married to Republican Jack Ryan, governor of Illinois and one of the precious few not to be indicted for corruption. They divorced in 1999, and by mutual agreement, their divorce records were sealed. Then, in 2004, Jack Ryan was running for the US Senate against a state senator by the name of Barack Obama, and his chances were looking pretty good as he had been a popular governor.

But then, Obama’s political operatives persuaded a judge to release the sealed divorce records, which included accusations Jeri Ryan made against Jack Ryan that he had wanted to take her to sex clubs and have sex in public. Jack Ryan denied the charges, but the scandal ended his campaign and resulted in Barack Obama being elected senator, then president.

Odd the things on which the entire history of the world turns; including a scandal involving a Republican having sex with his own wife.

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  1. WillowSpring Member
    WillowSpring
    @WillowSpring

    Wow – I was vaguely aware of the Ryan ‘sealed’ divorce records, but didn’t know the details.  Thanks.

    • #1
  2. A-Squared Inactive
    A-Squared
    @ASquared

    Victor Tango Kilo: Odd the things on which the entire history of the world turns; including a scandal involving a Republican having sex with his own wife.

    I remember in 2012, one conservative commentor noted the irony that the only Republican running for the Presidential nomination that had only one wife was the Mormon (Romney).

    • #2
  3. RightAngles Member
    RightAngles
    @RightAngles

    I lived in Chicago when they were married. Obama knew he wouldn’t be able to beat Ryan in an election, so the Democrats, who are not much more than a crime syndicate really, obtained the sealed records illegally and nothing was ever done about it. What they did was actually no different from the Watergate break-in. Stealing sealed records. Barack Obama is one of the smarmiest individuals on earth.

    • #3
  4. Quake Voter Inactive
    Quake Voter
    @QuakeVoter

    You are confusing Jack Ryan with George Ryan, who was somewhat less than a success.  Whether Ryan could have defeated Obama after his star-making turn at the Democratic convention is doubtful.

    Peter Fitzgerald was the only decent, principled politician in the state.

    • #4
  5. JimGoneWild Coolidge
    JimGoneWild
    @JimGoneWild

    Oh, but Obama supporters will say Obama didn’t get those records unsealed, it was Democrat operatives working on their own time.

    • #5
  6. A-Squared Inactive
    A-Squared
    @ASquared

    Quake Voter (View Comment):
    You are confusing Jack Ryan with George Ryan

    Ah, yes.  I didn’t remember Jack Ryan being governor of Illinois, but I don’t keep track of all of them since they all seem to wind up in jail.  If my neighbors are any indication, they won’t wait for Rauner to commit a crime, they will just send him directly to jail for being governor.

    • #6
  7. Majestyk Member
    Majestyk
    @Majestyk

    Victor Tango Kilo: Odd the things on which the entire history of the world turns; including a scandal involving a Republican having sex with his own wife.

    You forgot to add… in public.  Sort of.

    It does seem that Jack Ryan did have a kink, and I can’t blame Jeri Ryan for not wanting to indulge her then-Husband’s kink by allowing him to humiliate her in front of his pervert friends for his and their enjoyment.

    • #7
  8. RightAngles Member
    RightAngles
    @RightAngles

    Quake Voter (View Comment):
    You are confusing Jack Ryan with George Ryan, who was somewhat less than a success. Whether Ryan could have defeated Obama after his star-making turn at the Democratic convention is doubtful.

    Peter Fitzgerald was the only decent, principled politician in the state.

    I’m not confusing them, though others might be. Obama had a genuine fear of not being able to beat Ryan, which is the entire reason he resorted to underhanded tricks. And it worked.

    • #8
  9. Majestyk Member
    Majestyk
    @Majestyk

    RightAngles (View Comment):
    I’m not confusing them, though others might be. Obama had a genuine fear of not being able to beat Ryan, which is the entire reason he resorted to underhanded tricks. And it worked.

    Obama’s history indicates that his MO was not direct confrontation with his opponents but that he sought to disqualify his opponents instead.

    Let’s keep in mind however that we’re talking about deep-blue Illinois, and even though Obama’s actions were those of a typical Chicago, machine-pol, him spiking the ball in this fashion wasn’t really the determinative feature of the ultimate outcome.

    • #9
  10. James Gawron Inactive
    James Gawron
    @JamesGawron

    VTK,

    This is the bizarro world that we live in. I refer to the Democrats as the party of no shame. No matter what a Democrat does in their personal life, the ability to get votes and hold office seems to make up for it. No Democrat will condemn another for almost any reason. Fraudulent claim of Indian heritage, fraudulent claim of Viet Nam War hero, Sex with an underage intern, or Gay prostitution ring run out of your townhouse, all no problem. As long as you can get votes and stick with the party line you’re in.

    The Republican Party still possesses shame and thus is vulnerable to any character assassination attack. Democrats look for it because they know that reprisals against them won’t work. As soon as the Republican is exposed, the calls from within the party for him to step down are immediate. Even an unproven innuendo is enough for the party to fold under pressure and leave their own to the wolves.

    Regards,

    Jim

     

    • #10
  11. MarciN Member
    MarciN
    @MarciN

    RightAngles (View Comment):

    Quake Voter (View Comment):
    You are confusing Jack Ryan with George Ryan, who was somewhat less than a success. Whether Ryan could have defeated Obama after his star-making turn at the Democratic convention is doubtful.

    Peter Fitzgerald was the only decent, principled politician in the state.

    I’m not confusing them, though others might be. Obama had a genuine fear of not being able to beat Ryan, which is the entire reason he resorted to underhanded tricks. And it worked.

    I think the confusion is in the OP, not in what you wrote. :)

    • #11
  12. EDISONPARKS Member
    EDISONPARKS
    @user_54742

    That famous episode of Illinois Sleaze was produced and directed by none other than David Axelrod(ie: Obama’s Senate campaign manager)

    Axelrod’s(AKPD Message and Media) specialty was and always has been dirtying up his candidate’s opponent.

    (btw: It was as much Judy Baar-Topinka’s fault for dumping Jack Ryan for something so stupid.  Ryan would have still had a chance to win and been a far better candidate than Allan Keyes.)

    • #12
  13. EDISONPARKS Member
    EDISONPARKS
    @user_54742

    Majestyk (View Comment):

    Victor Tango Kilo: Odd the things on which the entire history of the world turns; including a scandal involving a Republican having sex with his own wife.

    You forgot to add… in public. Sort of.

    It does seem that Jack Ryan did have a kink, and I can’t blame Jeri Ryan for not wanting to indulge her then-Husband’s kink by allowing him to humiliate her in front of his pervert friends for his and their enjoyment.

    While I do not claim this incident never happened, I would strike a cautionary note that many accusations are made during heated divorce/custody battles.   Maybe Ryan never said it at all, maybe he said it as a joke, maybe he said it when he was three sheets to the wind …. we don’t actually know and never will.

    • #13
  14. OccupantCDN Coolidge
    OccupantCDN
    @OccupantCDN

    I was also going to make the point that Jack Ryan wasn’t governor of Illinois. In the tradition of Illinois governors George Ryan was released from federal prison on July 3, 2013.

    I had also thought about these events when I saw her underwear and costume in a museum, back in July.

    • #14
  15. dnewlander Inactive
    dnewlander
    @dnewlander

    Yet, just try getting a hold of any of vaunted “Congressional Law Professor” Obama’s college records, which are not, to the best of my knowledge, legally sealed documents.

    • #15
  16. James Gawron Inactive
    James Gawron
    @JamesGawron

    dnewlander (View Comment):
    Yet, just try getting a hold of any of vaunted “Congressional Law Professor” Obama’s college records, which are not, to the best of my knowledge, legally sealed documents.

    dnew,

    This and a multitude of other unvetted land mines that were ignored. When the MSM wants an outcome it knows no honor.

    Regards,

    Jim

     

    • #16
  17. OccupantCDN Coolidge
    OccupantCDN
    @OccupantCDN

    dnewlander (View Comment):
    Yet, just try getting a hold of any of vaunted “Congressional Law Professor” Obama’s college records, which are not, to the best of my knowledge, legally sealed documents.

    Yea, this is one thing that kicked off a million conspiracy theories.

    My personal bet, is that these records show Obama was an ‘Indonesian Exchange Student’ – I bet is that he took advantage of all the financial programs that would be available to an exchange student. (aka committed fraud)

    Anther record that was suppressed was Hillary Clinton’s thesis on Saul Alinsky. It was made available in 2001, someone read it in 2007 saying “While [Rodham] defends Alinsky, she is also dispassionate, disappointed, and amused by his divisive methods and dogmatic ideology.” at 92 pages, this thesis will remain in the TL:DR, category for me.

    • #17
  18. Old Bathos Member
    Old Bathos
    @OldBathos

    I don’t think Ryan had much of a shot.  The scandal killed off whatever chance there was.  Not sure that Obama’s people were directly involved.  The Illinois Democratic Party likely has enough corrupt contacts in the state judiciary that nothing juicy can ever stay sealed if it is politically useful.

    It is amazing that with all the leaking and hacking since Obama came on the stage that his college records are still not in the public domain.

     

    • #18
  19. OccupantCDN Coolidge
    OccupantCDN
    @OccupantCDN

    Old Bathos (View Comment):
    I don’t think Ryan had much of a shot. The scandal killed off whatever chance there was. Not sure that Obama’s people were directly involved. The Illinois Democratic Party likely has enough corrupt contacts in the state judiciary that nothing juicy can ever stay sealed if it is politically useful.

    It is amazing that with all the leaking and hacking since Obama came on the stage that his college records are still not in the public domain.

    Yea, considering Obama’s wasted youth, as a wasted youth. Wouldn’t it be all kinds of wonderful, if Bush had better grades?

    • #19
  20. PHCheese Inactive
    PHCheese
    @PHCheese

    I wonder what percentage of what is said during a  divorce and entered into  the records is actually true?

    • #20
  21. SirZog Member
    SirZog
    @

    Majestyk (View Comment):

    RightAngles (View Comment):
    I’m not confusing them, though others might be. Obama had a genuine fear of not being able to beat Ryan, which is the entire reason he resorted to underhanded tricks. And it worked.

    Obama’s history indicates that his MO was not direct confrontation with his opponents but that he sought to disqualify his opponents instead.

    Let’s keep in mind however that we’re talking about deep-blue Illinois, and even though Obama’s actions were those of a typical Chicago, machine-pol, him spiking the ball in this fashion wasn’t really the determinative feature of the ultimate outcome.

    These sort of machinations showed up in his lesser races for the Illinois House – “leaked” information caused his opponents to withdraw leaving him a near default “win”.

    It’s not a one off occurrence with him…

    • #21
  22. James Gawron Inactive
    James Gawron
    @JamesGawron

    PHCheese (View Comment):

    I wonder what percentage of what is said during a divorce and entered into the records is actually true?

    Cheese,

    For the parents, there is the question of custody. For the lawyers, there is the question of money. The temptation to defame your soon to be former spouse must be great. Your lawyer, depending on the lawyer, will help you with this.

    Regards,

    Jim

    • #22
  23. EDISONPARKS Member
    EDISONPARKS
    @user_54742

    James Gawron (View Comment):

    PHCheese (View Comment):

    I wonder what percentage of what is said during a divorce and entered into the records is actually true?

    Cheese,

    For the parents, there is the question of custody. For the lawyers, there is the question of money. The temptation to defame your soon to be former spouse must be great. Your lawyer, depending on the lawyer, will help you with this.

    Regards,

    Jim

    There is also the negotiating aspect of taking a small(or not huge at the time but it was a something) incident that was resolved,  and years later resurrecting said incident into a terrible event that contributed to ruining the marriage that should now limit visitation rights ….. unless of course you are willing to forgo taking your half of my pension/401k ….

    • #23
  24. Gary McVey Contributor
    Gary McVey
    @GaryMcVey

    dnewlander (View Comment):
    Yet, just try getting a hold of any of vaunted “Congressional Law Professor” Obama’s college records, which are not, to the best of my knowledge, legally sealed documents.

    To be fair, neither are they public documents. Your college records and mine aren’t either. Obama’s record at Occidental College is not “Legally sealed”. The school won’t disclose it, which is their right.

    • #24
  25. Umbrasjg Inactive
    Umbrasjg
    @StevenGruenwald

    Obama and his team did the same thing (unseal divorce records) in the Democrat Primary when Obama was in a dogfight with Hull if I remember correctly.

    • #25
  26. dnewlander Inactive
    dnewlander
    @dnewlander

    Gary McVey (View Comment):

    dnewlander (View Comment):
    Yet, just try getting a hold of any of vaunted “Congressional Law Professor” Obama’s college records, which are not, to the best of my knowledge, legally sealed documents.

    To be fair, neither are they public documents. Your college records and mine aren’t either. Obama’s record at Occidental College is not “Legally sealed”. The school won’t disclose it, which is their right.

    Neither were the Ryans’ divorce proceedings. Yet they were legally sealed and somehow they came to light.

    You and I aren’t running for president. W’s records were released without much ado, yet the “Constitutional Law Professor’s” somehow remain under lock and key.

    Funny, that.

    • #26
  27. Michael Minnott Member
    Michael Minnott
    @MichaelMinnott

    If not for Obama we probably would have gotten HRC in 2008.  Maybe we dodged a bullet and owe Jeri Ryan our gratitude.

    • #27
  28. Richard Easton Coolidge
    Richard Easton
    @RichardEaston

    Umbrasjg (View Comment):
    Obama and his team did the same thing (unseal divorce records) in the Democrat Primary when Obama was in a dogfight with Hull if I remember correctly.

    The divorce records were unsealed by a Democratic judge in California.  A local republican official told me in 2004 that the PTB offered the judge a future state Supreme Court appointment in return for this.

    • #28
  29. Antisocial-Introvert Member
    Antisocial-Introvert
    @ctregilgas

    RightAngles (View Comment):
    I lived in Chicago when they were married. Obama knew he wouldn’t be able to beat Ryan in an election, so the Democrats, who are not much more than a crime syndicate really, obtained the sealed records illegally and nothing was ever done about it. What they did was actually no different from the Watergate break-in. Stealing sealed records. Barack Obama is one of the smarmiest individuals on earth.

    I think you spelled nastiest wrong.

    :o)

    • #29
  30. Quake Voter Inactive
    Quake Voter
    @QuakeVoter

    RightAngles (View Comment):

    Quake Voter (View Comment):
    You are confusing Jack Ryan with George Ryan, who was somewhat less than a success. Whether Ryan could have defeated Obama after his star-making turn at the Democratic convention is doubtful.

    Peter Fitzgerald was the only decent, principled politician in the state.

    I’m not confusing them, though others might be. Obama had a genuine fear of not being able to beat Ryan, which is the entire reason he resorted to underhanded tricks. And it worked.

    I was referring to the OP RightAngles.  I disagree.  Obama and Axelrod resorted to underhanded tricks because they are Chicago Democrats.  Just a dog returning to his vomit thing for them.

    No way an investment banker like Ryan wins a Senate seat in a presidential year in Illinois from the party’s newest AA superstar, who could have tapped a limitless supply of campaign funds and turned up the graveyard/corrections vote to 11.

    I’d guess Obama would have won 58-60% of the vote.

    Maybe I’m wrong.  Illiniguy’s opinion is better than mine, of course.

    • #30
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