Anthony Weiner is back in the blinding national spotlight, which means I get another opportunity to post one of my favorite drawings.
Honestly, I don’t -nor have I ever- cared about the sexting controversy surrounding Weiner. And really, those calling it a sex scandal are being just a smidge disingenuous, as it’s missing the key ingredient to a sex scandal – the sex. As far as I can discern, there wasn’t even any touching. Just some lascivious texts and a glamour shot of Weiner’s personal banana tree. There were no bodies pulled from a river, no drugs, not even any public funds used for trollop sampling. In the grand scheme, this is a pretty tame controversy. But since it lives in the salacious we have recoiled in disgust and written Weiner off as a cheat who can’t possibly be trusted, just as we do with every other politician involved in a sordid scandal. This is something we really need to get over as American’s.
Need proof, let’s go to the history books. The 3 progressive icons of the 20th century – Franklin Roosevelt, John Kennedy, and Bill Clinton – didn’t just share party affiliation as a similar link. They were also all philandering cocksmen. Looking at their legacies, it’s common that not a single one of them are admonished for their healthy portion of afternoon delight because in the grand scheme of things, it just doesn’t matter. Wars, deficits, and policy aren’t decided in the bedroom.
In fact, Anthony Weiner didn’t even need to step down from Congress. A NY1-Marist Poll released in 2011 after his first scandal found that, “According to the poll, 51% of those surveyed said they believed Weiner should stay in Congress; 30% said he should step down. Almost one in five, 18%, said they were unsure.” This is because Weiner did fine by his constituents, which is all that mattered. It’s the same reason why Louisiana Senator David Vitter was able to strap on a diaper while cavorting with prostitute’s and be allowed to still serve.
Yes, Anthony Weiner is married, but his is not the first marriage to hit a rough patch. Of course, his unfortunately hit a rough patch on a national stage. When we vote for our elected leaders, we are voting for how the lead in the streets, not between the sheets. The human character is a flawed character, no one is immune to their own foible’s, so the notion that our leaders should be better than the rest of us is a fairy tale. They are exactly like us. To really be true to that personal standard would render any present/future politician damned from the start. Just one look at anyone’s shameful internet search history after a night in a hotel room alone would render any political future dead in it’s tracks.
