It takes one to know one. I’m talking about women who have been humiliated by their husbands, and Hillary Clinton’s top aide Huma Abedin is a poster child for that unhappy club.
After the release of the new (and terrific) documentary “Weiner,” it’s not hard to see why Abedin, the wife of former Congressman-exhibitionist Anthony Weiner, is a perfect match for Hillary Clinton.
I assume Weiner envisioned the documentary as a redemptive, comeback kid-type of tale — until he reverted to his sexting, junk flashing “Carlos Danger” persona. A gifted politician, Weiner clearly has a fatal flaw that isn’t going away.
But is his wife?
Why did Abedin stay with Weiner after he betrayed her a second time? A similar question could be asked of Clinton. Why stay with a serial philanderer? Do they both sincerely believe in their “for better or for worse” wedding vows?
If anyone understands Clinton, it’s Abedin, and she fiercely guards the presidential candidate’s privacy. Anyone who wants to get Hillary’s ear first has to go through Huma, according to Vanity Fair.
As they prepare to face yet another man who not only has complicated relationships with women but also belittles them, the H team can draw on their experience dealing with such men. So the first time Donald Trump tries a cheap personal attack on Hillary Clinton at a debate, he should duck, because as they say, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
Meanwhile, Hillary and Huma’s bond is palpable. “If I had a second daughter, it would be Huma,” Hillary Clinton has said.
I saw the “Weiner” documentary over the weekend. Before I did, I had a bunch of funny, Thelma and Louise-type laugh lines ready for this column. But seeing Abedin’s face at the end of this film, the shock and sadness in her eyes, I didn’t have the heart.
Before this scandal broke, Huma Abedin’s first allegiance was to her mercurial husband, Weiner. But after being repeatedly humiliated by him and having her faith shattered, it seems the No. 1 adult in her life now is the person she trusts most and has a special bond with: her boss, confidant and mutual protector, Hillary Clinton.
Playwright Mike Vogel blogs at newyorkgritty.net.
