I suppose I should link to the official Elliot Spitzer resignation story. It's too bad. He was a very promising, very solid political leader. What's more, as we watch the would-be first woman president square off against the would-be first black president, I won't deny having hoped on some level that Spitzer could be the first Jewish president someday. But most indications are that David Paterson will be a good governor and a good leader for New York state liberals, so given the damage already done to Spitzer's resignation it's hard not to see this move as for the best.
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Calling it Quits
12 Mar 2008 12:20 pm
Comments (44)
Spitzer is too ugly to have had a real shot at being president.
MY -
I'd be curious as to your take on Spitzer's political future. I know most folks have seen this incident as a career ender, but with guys like Larry Craig and David Vitter still kicking, it's hard to believe that there is no chance for a Spitzer comeback.
Sure, he will never be president. But I can't believe his career is over because of this.
Thoughts?
Spitzer is too ugly to have had a real shot at being president. - MS
IMHO, if you look like someone on the TeeVee, as long as the TeeVee character ain't supposed to be ugly, you are not too ugly to have a real shot at being president (as opposed to, e.g., Lincoln, who would never get elected in today's environment).
Spitzer looks, IMHO, a lot like Law & Order's Elliot Stabler (coincidence that they have the same first name/initials? ... I think they cast Meloni (sp?) on purpose ...).
He's not too ugly even for today's shallow presidency.
MSNBC just had Jim McGreevy's wife in the studio to ask her about the wife's perspective. Anyone have any idea why she would bother to get dressed up and drive to the studio in order to relive her all-time worst memory? Wouldn't a phone interview have sufficed?
Why in God's name does he have to drag his poor wife on stage with him?
Spitzer was a bright, sanctimonious, thug. He used his brains, but he also used the tactics of a bully and he made real enemies, some of whom may have had something to do with his predicament. I don't know if Vitter or Craig will win their next election but it will be a long time before Spitzer wins one.
Especially, given the damage already done to Spitzer's resignation. Resignation? Geez, Matt, try reading the text out loud before you post. It just takes a minute. You have got to do something about these finger farts or whatever they are.
Eliot is uglier on the inside than he is on the outside--and that ain't easy. He's the kind of guy who pays to have sex with young women closer in age to his daughters than his wife. He's a hypocrite. He's a liar. He's a snake.
"Very promising, very solid political leader"?
On what planet Matt. Talk about a guy who subverts the rule of law and prosecutes/governs by fear. Maybe you should should come up to NY or at least read the paper about his "I'm going to come after you" John Whitehead remarks, his "I'm going to drive a stake through your heart" Ken Langone remarks or trying to get Charles Gasparino fired from Newsweek, or his completely failed prosecutions, or troopergate or his drivers license for illegal alients plan.
Matt -- you've gone from just being a bad blogger to being an idiot. And far from the first Jewish president, he's a disgrace to our people.
Why in God's name does he have to drag his poor wife on stage with him?
I'm sure it was her decision.
Lieberman 2012!
Know hope, Matt!
Spitzer was an asshole. But he was Matt's asshole, so all's forgiven.
I call on The Atlantic staff to delete the uncalled-for comments impugning Spitzer's personal appearance! Especially since they are apparently serious!!
What a tragedy: A man born with nothing achieves high government office through hard work, discipline, and, yes, good old fashioned grit, only to be brought low by an utterly trivial offense. Ye gods are cruel.
I wonder what would happen if a politician just came out and said, "yeah, I paid money for sex. So what?" Spitzer clearly wasn't the guy to do it, but it does make me wonder.
jay, I'll give you hypocrite but I wouldn't be too hasty with judging his sexual behavior.
Spitzer was a legal bully, he merely prefered bullying people Democrats disapprove of. There's little about him to admire.
Ironic that you should support someone seemingly sincere like Obama on the one hand while hoping that this politician-from-the-classic-mold would have been president. His resignation speech just amazes me with its ugly contortions and fake remorse. He apologizes for what he has put his wife and the people of NY through. Nice. It is a mistake only because it was out in the papers, never while he was doing it over a decade while prosecuting others in the same situation. The unethical, sleazy aspect of it was only made aware to him recently I guess. Also, he only resigned after finding out how many of the state democrats would abandon him in the wake of impeachment proceedings. So, even his last chance at a public display of genuine remorse was glibly fake. So yes, by some measures that makes him the perfect rascal to sidle into the shoes of a politician, and by the same measure you should be supporting Hillary if you supported this fine specimen.
"First Jewish president", "First female president," First black president" - Matt, why the religious/racial/sex bean counting? Why are you so hung up on externalities that have no bearing on a person's fitness, character, or competence? Or could it be that you define people by what they are, and not who they are? Weren't we supposed to get beyond that kind of simple-minded stupidity? And, btw, Spitzer (a Jew only because he happened to be born to a Jewish mother, not because he ever practiced the religion or lived its tenants) is, and always has been, a power hungry, self-rightous, disgrace.
Spitzer looks, IMHO, a lot like Law & Order's Elliot Stabler
To me, there's a much stronger resemblance to Bruce Cowher, (former?) coach of the Steelers. I think its the nose and the pugnacity. I think they're both reasonably good looking, although in one of the recent headline photo of Spitzer he did look really weird.
Jodi Rell rose to governor after Rowland's scandals forced his resignation. Nobody seemed to expect much from her at the time, but today she's one of Connecticut's most popular politicians.
I'm sure counterexamples abound, but I'm hopeful about Paterson's chances.
Why are you so hung up on externalities that have no bearing on a person's fitness, character, or competence? ... Weren't we supposed to get beyond that kind of simple-minded stupidity?
And what better way to prove it than to elect the first female, black or Jew?
Spitzer was a legal bully, he merely prefered bullying people Democrats disapprove of. There's little about him to admire.
I'd say you've stated a big reason to admire him, given the times we're living in. I haven't followed his career too closely, but from a distance he has (until the last couple days of course) exactly the political persona of being smart and ruthless that appeals to me in a Democrat.
1) Spitzer had made a lot of political points with women's groups by severely prosecuting prostitution rings -- and from pushing through a law increasing the penalties for prostitution and making it easier to prosecute.
Spitzer should do time --under the same law that he imposed on others. See
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/12/nyregion/12prostitute.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
2) Again, the worst thing against Spitzer is that he deliberately exposed his wife to the threat of AIDS -- by insisting on unprotected sex with prostitutes. What kind of person does that to someone who has loved him, who has borne three children, and who has given up a high-paying legal career in order to support Spitzer's career?
A man born with nothing
Only if by "nothing" you mean piles of money and a prep school education.
Don't worry about Spitzer. He will continue steamrolling at some high-powered law firm. That's more suited to his talents anyway.
As attorney general, Spitzer made Rudy Giuliani look like a model of restraint and modesty. I can only hope that Spitzer is prosecuted by someone who shares his lack of respect for due process and the presumption of innocence.
How does going after the powerful make you a bully.
Rudy Giuliani -- there's a bully.
The fact that Spitzer was corrupt was revealed by his scheme to give DLs - and MotorVoter forms - to IllegalAliens. He even changed the MotorVoter rules. Yet, that's the type of person MattY considers to be "a very promising, very solid political leader".
Some people just talk about a Culture of Corruption, some people enable it.
Don't worry about Spitzer. He will continue steamrolling at some high-powered law firm.
If he keeps his license to practice law
Yeah Matt, he was promising in exactly the same way Jimmy Swaggert was promising. He was a secular holy roller, with a very "holier than thou" outlook. You should dislike the secular version of that mindset every bit as much as you dislike the religious version.
Matt is big with "liberal" Wall Streeters.
Who knew?
not because he ever....lived its tenants)
I guess you think he'd be a more authentic Jew if he was a landlord, then? Oy, again with the stereotypes!
What Big A said:
"Very promising, very solid political leader"?
On what planet Matt. Talk about a guy who subverts the rule of law and prosecutes/governs by fear. Maybe you should should come up to NY or at least read the paper about his "I'm going to come after you" John Whitehead remarks, his "I'm going to drive a stake through your heart" Ken Langone remarks or trying to get Charles Gasparino fired from Newsweek, or his completely failed prosecutions, or troopergate or his drivers license for illegal aliens plan.
Matt -- you've gone from just being a bad blogger to being an idiot. And far from the first Jewish president, he's a disgrace to our people.
"I won't deny having hoped on some level that Spitzer could be the first Jewish president someday."
I'm guessing it's more personal than that. Not only is Spitzer Jewish, like Matt, but also like Matt he has rich daddy, went to an elite prep school, and then on to the Ivy League. In defense of Matt though, he isn't a complete a$$hole and hypocrite like Spitzer was.
MSNBC just had Jim McGreevy's wife in the studio to ask her about the wife's perspective. Anyone have any idea why she would bother to get dressed up and drive to the studio in order to relive her all-time worst memory?
According to her NY Times editorial, she has a book out about the experience. So at least someone has found a silver lining in all this.
And, btw, Spitzer (a Jew only because he happened to be born to a Jewish mother, not because he ever practiced the religion or lived its tenants) is, and always has been, a power hungry, self-rightous, disgrace. - Eagle613
Nu? I'm sure that you (as well as me) is happy to count the lovely Scarlett J. as a member of the tribe because her mother is Jewish even if she doesn't follow the Big 613.
Anyway, what does it mean to "live its tenants"? If you'll pardon the stereotyping, y'all know that kind of Jew who thinks he's OK 'cause he's gonna get a gold medal in the frum olympics but doesn't care how he acts toward other people outside of his community because "well, the gentiles'll hate us anyway, so why bother to treat them well" and "those Reform/Conservative/Reconstructionist Jews are practically goyim anyway, so c.f. me previous remark". If that person maximally observes the ritual mitzvoth but minimally observes mussar, is that person really living the tenents of Judaism? OTOH, what of someone who does the maximum of mussar and gimilus hassadim but is kind of lax in t'fillo?
As you know, this is a big debate, and has been since the dawn of Judaism, within the Jewish community (and a note to our Christian friends -- sorry to say, but your New Testament misrepresents on which side the Pharisees were on: the Pharisees were not solely on the minimum of ethics, maximum of rituals side ... they had views across the whole spectrum!).
I don't think it's too hard to understand what Matt is saying here. Eliot Spitzer was extremely popular when he took office. Democrats like myself thought he'd be a great asset to New York's Democratic party, maybe even helping us win the Senate. (Full disclosure: I work for the Senate Democrats.) Two years ago it would've been easy to see Spitzer going on to the Presidency. A scant two years later and we know that's all BS.
Does this mean that Mrs. Spitzer is most qualified to be governor now? Or would he have had to complete his term for her to have executive experience?
"He was a very promising, very solid political leader."
Clearly You say that in jest!
Matt-
He was a very promising, very solid political leader.
What?
He was merely "the ideal" of a "authoritarian Democrat" made flesh!
Spitzer was nothing but a self-righteous, overbearing 'fascist'-
BTW, can we now refer to "anal froth" as "Spitzorum"?
Does this mean that David Paterson will be a superdelegate?
Spitzer was the Jewish Rudy Giuliani. On the plus side, he has a lot of the right enemies (i.e., people whose business practices I regard as corrupt).
On the much greater down side, even as AG he displayed an overly righteous approach to law enforcement, and as governor it took about a nanosecond for him to reveal a petty, mean, vindictive personality and a great willingness to abuse his power and office to gratify it (the pmv personality).
If he acts like that in public, I can only imagine what a shit he is in private.
Spitzer = Clinton
Clinton = Spitzer
Comments closed March 26, 2008.
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Heads in the Sand
I won't deny having hoped on some level that Spitzer could be the first Jewish president someday.
I won't deny it either.
But then again, IMHO, we should have elected Nell Carter while she was still alive, and got first Jewish, Black, homosexual and woman president all out of the way at once ;)
Posted by DAS | March 12, 2008 12:25 PM