Fine, call me a prude.

[cali]

If I was a NYC voter, Weiner's behavior would absolutely make me not vote for him even if I thought he was a great candidate otherwise. For me, the needless, selfish cruelty of how he treated his wife is a valid reason to reject him. He made decisions to engage in crap that he knew could become public and cause real pain to her. His behavior reveals a man who places every fleeting desire of his own over everyone else. His wife was pregnant and he engaged in this shit, spending hours and hours on it. Who the fuck does that but a total asshole? And don't bother with the "maybe they had an open marriage line". There's evidence that contradicts that.

It's been my experience that people who are total assholes to the people they love are both screwed up and can't be trusted not to be total assholes with other people.

I consider character when I vote. I know that I can't truly know what a person does or has done, but you get a sense of people. I always thought Weiner was a bullshitting phony who cared more about getting his face in front of a camera than anything else.

Yes, FDR had an affair. JFK fucked around, but those were those different eras- the media simply didn't reveal what they knew.

So call me judgie, judgie, judgie. Yeah, I'm judging. He's a public figure. His behavior became public because of his actions. He shamelessly used his family to try and make nice with voters and project a family man image. His first campaign ad was in his home with his wife and son.

As voters we're called on to make judgments. I'm comfortable with that. I can't compartmentalize and simply discard issues that go to character. What I've learned about Weiner is that he has lousy judgment, no impulse control and an inability to put others needs above his own desires.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

1. if his wife doesn't want me to reject him, why should i assume i know better than her?

its really presumptuous to assume i know whats better for her than she does

[cali]

4. We don't know that. What we do know is his behavior caused her real pain

She's said so.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

20. she also endorsed him for mayor. apparantly whatever her pain is, she doesnt want us to not vote for

her husband

so again, why should i assume i know better than her?

[cali]

27. you don't need to. You can make your independent judgment of

Weiner just as I've made mine. A spousal endorsement doesn't mean much to me in any case. I looked at his behavior, found it revealed character flaws that I don't think are irrelevant and made a judgment. Why do YOU have such a problem with that? I'm not telling you or anyone else what to think or do. My op is quite clear on that.

[cthulu2016]

32. She endorsed her son having a successful father? She endorsed herself being first lady of NYC?

Of course she endorsed him.

Her son has a laughing-stock perv for a father in all scenarios.

Better to have a laughing stock perv Mayor of New York father than a laughing stock perv failure.

The idea that any wife endorsing any husband is a clear-eyed assessment of what is best for a city or nation is absurd.

She MARRIED him. She is hardly a dispassionate observer.

[cthulu2016]

15. Jeepers, why vote at all. Just make her Queen.

It is NOT HER DECISION to make.

The reason for condemning Weiner is not tied to his wife's feelings.

Wives have personal and emotional reasons for feeling one thing or another toward the father of their children, and that's personal... and emotional. They can feel however they want.

(Would people be obliged to vote against Weiner if his wife was angrier? Again, not her decision to make, It isn't about her.)

Elizabeth Edwards, despite being devestated, wounded beyond endurance, wanted to be first lady so much that she knowingly foisted a ticking time-bomb on the Democratic Party in 2008 that, fortunately, we rejected.

It isn't the wife's call to make.

[LadyHawkAZ]

56. If that's the case,

then people need to stop using her and the supposed harm to his marriage/ humiliation to his wife/ "abusive behavior" as a springboard for their outrage. They can't have it both ways. Folks don't get to cry about her hurt feelings, like this from the OP,

For me, the needless, selfish cruelty of how he treated his wife is a valid reason to reject him. He made decisions to engage in crap that he knew could become public and cause real pain to her. His behavior reveals a man who places every fleeting desire of his own over everyone else. His wife was pregnant and he engaged in this shit, spending hours and hours on it. Who the fuck does that but a total asshole?

and then claim that her feelings are irrelevant at the same time.

Or, well, I guess in theory you CAN, since people ARE. But it's contradictory, and does make me question those people's actual motive for their distaste. Just sayin'.

[cthulu2016]

65. There is a slight asymmetry, but generally agree

[cali]

70. except I didn't cry about her hurt feeling

I criticized his behavior, and using the "reasonable person" standard, stated that it was cruel, heedless behavior. Using that standard and HER OWN WORDS, it's reasonable to assume that he did cause her real pain. It's his behavior that I find abhorrent. Her pain, what they do in their marriage regarding their problems is their business. How he acted goes to his character in my eyes. that simple.

[chimpymustgo]

21. And Huma can KEEP him. The voters don't have to elect the lying, arrogant weasel.

The Weiners need to get off the "blind ambition" tour - and go home and work on their "issues."

[La Lioness Priyanka]

24. thats fine but lets pretend we are not voting for him to keep his wife happy

[cali]

30. I really have a detestation of that kind of bullshit.

Not one person said anything fucking remotely like that. Why make up duplicitous crap to further an argument?

[La Lioness Priyanka]

34. this sentence of yours sounds exactly like that

"For me, the needless, selfish cruelty of how he treated his wife is a valid reason to reject him"

you can reject him for whatever reason, but dont use his wife as an excuse. she didn't ask this of you, and you don't know what is better for her than she does.

[cali]

39. this really isn't difficult. Do I really need to parse that sentence?

I was fucking clear so stop being deliberately obtuse. I refuse to believe you're not smart enough to grasp what I siad.

His behavior was indeed needlessly cruel and selfish. He exposed her to public humiliation. It's about his behavior and what it says about him. This isn't rocket science.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

46. no you need to quit pretending that this is about her. nt

[cali]

48. OK, maybe you really don't have the capacity to grasp what I so clearly said.

how sad for you.

[Mike Daniels]

42. This election isn't about her although perhaps maybe she thinks it is.

It's about what is best for the people of NYC.

Maybe I'm just nuts but someone who has bad judgement, no problems hanging his problems on others (such as when he accused Breitbart as being behind the first tweets) and apparently ZERO impulse control isn't someone I would want running the city I live in.

[Carnage251]

49. Because of his actions

Because he continued to flirt and trade pics with women half his age after being shamed by the media and forced out of congress.

Carlos Danger supporters act as if New York City is screwed without him.

[GeorgeGist]

72. her endorsement is irrelevant ...

but you know that.

Orville Redenbacher thanks you for your support.

[dionysus]

2. spot on. how can you trust a lying narcissist?

[lapislzi]

58. Can you be in politics and *not* be something of a narcissist?

I doubt it. But I think you can be in politics and not tell lies.

That being said, I'm glad I don't have a say in this matter.

[monmouth3]

3. Everything you said is spot on. I would add that Huma is starting to look like an enabling tool.

She needs to stop "forgiving him 'cause I love him" shite and get him to a good doctor. His days of wanting to be an elected official are over. He needs to face reality but mostly so does she.

[bettyellen]

5. Prude. Judgie judgie prude.

you're welcome.

[cali]

6. yeah, yeah. I know. You'll be here all week and don't eat the chicken.

[RobertEarl]

7. Just sex, ya prude

Jurors note: She said call her a prude

There is a dragon in every one of us. With a name like weiner, you have to be good at beating it down. He's not. But he is a good politician and we know he is fighting the dragon, so that can't come back to bite him too hard.

Besides, it's just sex. Everyone loves sex, except maybe for prudes? IDK.

[frylock]

60. what makes him a good politician, in your estimation?

[RobertEarl]

62. Last he was doing was

Going after SCJ Thomas for some money fakery. Then BOOM, he's taken down.

Really, he didn't even get busted for sex, just talking about sex.

[frylock]

66. but that's ALL he did..

he got up on teevee and talked. this guy is a shameless self promoter. what legislation has his name attached to it?

[Bunnahabhain]

8. Bill Clinton did worse

and look at what an excellent president he was. Just because a man like some strange trim does not mean he can't be a great politician.

[cali]

14. That's arguable. Both th claim that he did worse

and the claim that he was an excellent President.

And this isn't about liking "strange trim"- I thought I explained that pretty thoroughly in the OP.

[frylock]

61. what contributions did weiner make during his tenure in congress?

[Boomerproud]

71. I've heard that over and over again.

It will take years to find out what ball was dropped while Clinton and his lawyers were huddling all day long fending off impeachment. Any bullshit artist can be a great politician-I want a person of character and ideas (not ideology). Clinton accomplished nothing in his second term.

[MrSlayer]

9. I don't think it makes you a prude.

Many people find his behavior to be offputting. Just because it really doesn't matter to me doesn't mean that I can't see where it would matter to others.

Judge away, it's what we do.

[MineralMan]

10. I would not vote for him, either.

A man who will cheat on his spouse will cheat on anyone. That's my reason. If he can't honor his wedding vows, why should I believe that he will honor any trust bestowed on him by the public.

Judge politicians by their actions. If they can't be trusted, don't vote for them.

[geek tragedy]

11. He sent them unsolicited. That's sexual harassment, not just being unprudish.

In addition to his pathological compulsions and inability to be honest.

[Rex]

12. If I was a NYC voter, I wouldn't vote for him either.

nt.

[Puzzledtraveller]

13. I'm with you Cali.

[frazzled]

16. It's not about his wife; it's about his public judgment and abuse of power

What disturbs me is how he used his political position to lure young women, who were merely writing to his public site either in praise or in disappointment , into prurient encounters. To me, that is sexual harassment, writ large.

And it doesn't even have anything to do with sex, or his wife, or his family. It's about an abuse of his public position. It is possibly a crime.

[cali]

19. yeah, it's partly about how he treated his wife to me

I just said so, but yes, it's also about his abuse of his public position.

[Tien1985]

52. +100

This. Honestly, the rest doesn't matter to me. I don't know the situation he has going on with his family/wife and I don't really trust them to tell us plain. However, he abused his power and sent these unsolicited to boot.

I am by no means a prude, I'm somewhat surprised by some folk's reaction to someone sending naked pictures on the net. I don't see that, in and of it self to be a character flaw, even in a public figure. Sending UNWANTED naked pictures, to people you barely know, and promising to give them perks from your position IS a character flaw, IMO.

[forestpath]

17. I agree. He's creepy.

[RevStPatrick]

18. I'm a New York City voter.

I'll be voting for Bill Thompson.

We don't know the nature of Weiner's relationship with his wife.
For all we know, she's driving the kink in their relationship, and only said that she was "hurt" because that's what society expects of her. We simply don't know. If she had filed for divorce, I would then be certain that she wasn't enabling, or the kinkmeister in the relationship.

However, we do know, that he has really bad judgement! And that's more important when picking people who will have power. Will he open himself up to extortion? Will he be forced to give concessions for something or else be "exposed"? What other bad judgement does he show? Or what don't we know about?

I'm not a prude, and I think that people have been kinky since we swapped partners back in our cave days. Or the veldt. Actually, I think it would be better if all our kinks were out in the open, so that we couldn't be judged and/or blackmailed over them.

But yes... he's an asshole, and won't be getting my vote.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

22. i am voting for bill de blasio but the reason i am not voting for weiner has nothing to do

with his wife or his stupid scandal

[cali]

23. Uh no. The vast majority of women would be hurt and humiliated with what he did

we can extrapolate from that.

[chimpymustgo]

29. Great post. Great decision. Bill Thompson for Mayor!

[deurbano]

63. That's pretty much how I see it: the lack of judgment and the lack of discretion.

Why don't these public people cheat (or sext.. or whatever) with people who have as much to lose as they do?

I haven't followed this new situation (it's too pathetic ), but if it is all online or by phone, couldn't he do this more anonymously? It all seems so reckless...

[PowerToThePeople]

25. It saddens me

There are much bigger issues than Weiner's weener to be addressed. Why so so much energy on this?

[cali]

36. I don't know. I find it oddly compelling

it touches on a lot of things that interest me, from shifting social mores, to what remains the same, to whether men see this differently from women, to "new" media, the politics of perception, etc.

I've posted scores of ops about drones, the TPP, foreign policy, the DoJ, the war on drugs, the prison system and more "serious" topics, but yeah, this interests me. Sorry it makes you sad.

[PowerToThePeople]

43. I know you have

It saddened me when so much energy was spent on President Clinton's issue as well.

There are a lot of things at play here, as you just stated. I just see more responses to these weiner posts than other posts that will impact more people more profoundly than this.

[cali]

45. oh, that's been the case here as long as I've been here

ops about abortion? 8 out of 10 times they sink straight away. Same goes for posts about energy or any number of serious issues. Just the way it is.

[redgreenandblue]

26. I have to agree, and I am by no means a prude...

[Just Saying]

28. I do think fidelity is an issue between them.

But it's offensive for him to come out and lie while he continues to act like an ass.

If I lived in NYC I wouldn't vote for Weiner because I think he's dishonest and makes very bad choices but even more than that, because he wasn't anything special when he previously held office. There have got to be better candidates in NYC!

And I don't see his wife supporting him as a reason to vote for him. Laura supported George, Ann supported Mitt, Todd supported Sarah...

[kentuck]

31. I would agree...

[Skidmore]

33. I agree with you.

Weiner is beyond someone who dabbled in an indiscretion. He creepy. If he were sending pictures to my young granddaughter--and lots of these women were strangers to him, I would really be encouraging that she and her parents press charges. He is an exhibitionist who used the electronic media.

[matthews]

35. It's the continual lies that get me. Plus what if he would win and then get caught doing

this again, or maybe something even worse. That would be a big pain in the ass for the people of NYC no matter what you feel about what he's done.

[tblue]

37. Well, he didn't start a war based on lies, or make ALEC deals,

or support NSA rampant surveillance. When we kick that kind of pol out of politics, then ask me to join you in condemning Anthony Weiner. He hasn't killed or raped anybody, as far as we know. He's also one of the few to go right at Clarence Thomas and the like.

I can't excuse the STUPID, perverted, sick, ugly crap that Weiner did. But that other stuff is far more noxious to me. But that's me.

[cali]

40. I've never understood this compulsion to make pointless out of the blue comparisons

no one said he did any of that, but that has nothing to do with this. Yes, war is worse than infidelity, but the comparison is just silly.

[truedelphi]

50. He is all for some notorious and heinous state policy.

Look to the orgs he belongs to.

[LostOne4Ever]

38. Im not a new yorker so what I know about the other candidates is minimal

However, I honestly don't care how sleazy he is in his personal life, so long as he has not broken any laws and he is able to be the one that does the most to promote liberal reform I would vote for him.

But again, i am not a new yorker, and for as much as I know Quinn or one of the other candidates is just as likely to get that type of reform passed or better.

[cali]

41. So you flat out never consider character or whether a candidate has good judgment?

[LostOne4Ever]

44. Good Judgment? Yes, that is important.

But I don't think a person's character in their personal life is relevant.

What does concern me is their ability to get liberal legislation through. What good is it to have a perfect saint in office if the end result is that they can't convince anyone of anything and it leads us to more poverty, intolerance, war, pain and oppression?

[cali]

47. sure, I understand that. I don't completely agree but I get what you think

of course, no one is talking about perfect saints. And anytime there's a sideshow, that ability to work effectively evaporates.

In any case as far as weiner goes he never got any legislation passed. he was a terrible legislator. And he for sure exhibited poor judgment in doing what he lost his Congressional gig for again when he knew he wanted to run for mayor.

[LostOne4Ever]

51. And I understand that and can agree with that

Im not too familiar with Weiner. If he was that ineffective then that would definitely be fatal strike against him in my mind.

But as for losing his old gig, I was under the impression he did not break any laws, and felt he never should have been forced to resign. I was also under the impression he was a fairly liberal congressman during his tenure.

[MotherPetrie]

53. K&R. Totally agree.

[jeff47]

54. You're free to vote or not vote for someone for any reason

But you shouldn't interject yourself into someone else's relationship.

If you don't want to vote for him because these actions show poor judgement, go right ahead. And I agree - if the guy kept doing it even after it fucked over his career, that's not a good sign.

If you don't want to vote for him because you want to punish him on behalf of his wife, that isn't appropriate IMO. It's up to her to do whatever she feels is the appropriate punishment, not us.

[aquart]

55. It's totally your right to do so.

Just as it's my right to ignore salacious garbage on the internet when deciding if a candidate will be of benefit to ME.

If you discover that good friends are converting their garage to a dungeon, do you shun them?

How about if they make love dressed as furry woodland creatures?

Do people have to sign vanilla sex contracts before they have your approval?

Then why is what a middle-aged man babbles online of any more interest? And why should he have to pledge to reform in the first place? What horrible thing is he doing?

Is he the one humiliating his wife, or the rest of you?

[Nye Bevan]

57. I'll be sad if he drops out. Since I don't live in NYC, I don't care if he becomes mayor.

And if he drops out I will miss the non-stop hilarity and double entendres. And the NY Post headlines.

[malaise]

59. I discussed this with hubby the other night

I would be less upset if he was unfaithful than if he were a flasher. I'd be pissed but men and women cheat - flashers are perverts - sick, sick people.

[Whisp]

64. yes, that is the difference, like you said.

I wish Huma gets into a wild and crazy sex affair or get caught sending her 'good girl' pics over the internet and then have the Frankfurter 'stand by your woman' speech all at the ready...

yeh, sure.

[malaise]

68. A female politician doesn't have to flash anything to be destroyed

If they find one naked picture anywhere she is history. It won't take a flashing pervert. She would be history.

[KG]

67. it's all about the poor judgement of a guy who want to lead america premier city

[derby378]

69. It's called "impulse control"

People who are hooked on various illegal drugs or suffer from certain psychological ailments tend to have poor impulse control. The candidates whom I would vote for would actually take time to weigh all the options instead of just doing something on the fly.

I'm fairly certain that Weiner didn't wake up one morning and say, "You know, self, my wife hasn't gone through enough mental hell as a result of my prior indiscretions, so let's go ahead and up the ante with more Little Tony pics to hot girls." This would make him a right dishonorable bastard worthy of universal contempt. Instead, this recent activity seems to indicate a lack of ability to govern his own actions, and that's not what I want to see in a dogcatcher, let alone a mayor.

[DonCoquixote]

73. Here is the thing

It does not matter what his wife thinks, period.

It matters that he KNEW that his failures were used to dampen the liberal agenda, and that the GOP was ready to use him again.

He knew that they would expose any lapses in judgment, especially when he got the rare second chance.

He upped the ante by using coercion and bribery this time, by using his office to get laid.

And I do not care if some privileged lady sticks by her man so that she can stay privileged. Yeah, it worked for a certain Senator from New York, that let Bill smoke cigars with interns and spun it into a senatorship.

[S.A.M]

74. Maybe all politicians should make a vow of monogamy?

Geeeeze! That is kind of unconstitutional? But hey! It makes a damn good political weapon! This tacit has been employed in the USA for 3 centuries now? I wonder how many in congress masterbate?


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