How do some politicians get away with it and others not? Gingrich is a skunk who cheated on two wives. McCain's record is nearly as colorful. Bill Clinton made a mess of things and is today one of the world's great humanitarians. Texting, groping, lying, cheating--it seems as if it's almost inevitable these days for pols to self-destruct when their libido and sense of power get in bed together. Now Anthony Weiner goes down (so to speak). I felt sorry for him at first, because I figured he had been only a little bit bad. I still feel sorry for him, but I think he's been very, very bad. How excruciating to be humiliated in such a public way. How devastating to carry the guilty knowledge that he himself caused all this. And his poor wife. What a terrible position he's put her in.
Absolutely no one can or should try to tell her what to do or how to respond. Donald Trump is an ass for going on TV and scolding her for sticking with her job in Europe while all this blew up. It's none of his business, and it's none of mine either. But I want to go on record as saying I see this debacle as both a disaster and an opportunity. Something was clearly awry in Weiner's head; now he has a chance to face his demons and figure out how to live the rest of his life. Is it possible that this is somehow what he wanted deep down all along?
What disturbs me almost as much as Weiner's peccadillos is the obloquy heaped upon him by the public. Is there anyone else besides me who feels sorry for the poor schmuck? I don't defend or accuse him, but if I were in his shoes, my heart would be broken. That seems pretty much punishment enough to me.
Am I being selective about whom I direct my sympathy toward? Perhaps. I admit that I get more upset with the politicians I don't like than with the politicians I do like or am indifferent to. Weiner would fall in the latter category. All I know is, morality is not one-size-fits-all. Consenting adults should be free to do whatever they want; we are only obligated to those closest to us. Private matters should be left alone by everyone not immediately involved. And I have a question? If all these women (Weiner's online pals, Clinton's dishy side-dishes, etc.) were so outraged, why did they write back, stay in the room, answer the phone? Surely, they bear some responsibility as well.
