Weiner the Wiener

I live in the state of New York, less than 35 miles from the Brooklyn/Queens district that Congressman Anthony Weiner represents.

You think you've been hearing a lot about Weiner's wiener? Ha, you have no idea.

This latest episode in philandering got me thinking about politicians and cheating. It sure seems like more of them do than don't, and I've been wondering why this is the case. Certainly men with normal jobs don't cheat this much, do they? Athletes and movie stars are known to be horndogs, so does that mean politicians see themselves more as rockstars than as the public servants they actually are? If that's true, well, it's just sad.

Not that I really care if some local congressman--or even presidential candidate--is unable to keep it in his pants. I'm not convinced it means he will be any less good at his job than the dude who doesn't father children out of wedlock (or tweet penis pics to porn stars, solicit young men in public bathrooms, grope interns, etc., etc., etc.). My husband, however, makes a good point that this sort of behavior suggests a lack of moral character that could, in fact, affect a politician's ability to make the best decisions for his constituents. Could be.

But I'm still not sure we should care about our politicians' philandering (provided it's not illegal). I look at these "episodes" as mainly their wives' problems, not the voting public's.

The only thing that does bother me is the fact that many of these men--especially those high up the chain of command--are role models for our kids. It makes me sad to think that, back in 1998, there was surely an ambitious Arkansas boy or two who idolized President Clinton and dreamed of following in his footsteps, only to have his hopes dashed by Lewinsky-gate. I happen to LOVE Bill Clinton and believe his good qualities outweigh the bad, yet I was let down by his behavior...which is nothing compared to how alienated and betrayed countless impressionable youths must've felt. It strikes me as a missed opportunity to inspire the future generation, which is a huge bummer.

With all of these men, it's not just one isolated incident, either. A single slip-up we could more easily forgive and forget; everyone makes mistakes, after all. But with these guys, it's chronic infidelity. What's behind it? Is it a sickness? Are they drunk on power and influence? Maybe that's the case with a President, but a Representative like Anthony Weiner? Puh-lease.

I used to think the problem was the American voters' habit of electing mainly men of privilege to office. Some of the worst offenders have been guys who were just plain used to getting what they wanted when they wanted it. Whether they were born into it, like JFK, or learned to expect it due to later stardom (Arnold), many of our elected officials have hugely inflated egos that need stroking.

I also used to think the answer was to elect a geek. Get someone in office who spent his formative years questioning the ways of the world; developing his mind through endless games of Stratego and Dungeons and Dragons; and grappling with existential issues alone on a Saturday night, and we'd be all set. Former losers don't have massive egos. They don't feel entitled to marry a great woman yet still get a hot piece of ass on the side. They have moral fortitude! They fight for the little guy! Geeks unite!

And then I saw this:

High school nerd, 1981

Hmmm...maybe geeks are so used to being beaten down and treated like crap that they get even drunker on the power of their office? Because they spent their young lives being laughed at by attractive women, to suddenly have hot chicks following them on Twitter must be utterly intoxicating. Weiner was sexting a whole bunch of women, a whole bunch of times. This behavior doesn't inherently make him a less-effective legislator; however, isn't being forced to resign as ineffective as it gets for an elected official? If (when?) it happens, it'll be a huge waste of a promising career.