Anthony Weiner: Were his dreams of being mayor just Twittered away?
| New York
Democrat Rep. Anthony Weiner makes no bones about it 鈥� he wants to be mayor of New York City.
He has already run once (he lost in the primary in 2005), told the media of his interest in running again in 2013, and has raised cash for a possible run.
He鈥檚 described as brash, aggressive and fast talking 鈥� all traits that appeal to many New Yorkers.
So, what damage has he done to his political ambitions with what the media is terming 鈥淲einergate,鈥� the uproar over a lewd photo that went from his Twitter account to a coed in Seattle?
Congressman Weiner denies he sent the photo, but that鈥檚 as far as he goes. He suggests someone may have hacked into his account, but he does not want an official investigation 鈥� instead he鈥檚 hired a law firm and private investigator. He says he can鈥檛 say if the photo is his 鈥� uh, underwear. And, after a round of talk shows on Wednesday, he now says he won鈥檛 talk about it anymore.
Weiner鈥檚 problem illustrates how in politics it鈥檚 not just the possible scandal that matters but 鈥� even more importantly 鈥� how it gets handled. Do the public and media feel like they are hearing the truth? Is it the kind of scandal that might reflect on a politician鈥檚 character?
In Weiner鈥檚 case, political analysts say the congressman has muddied the waters.
鈥淲hat he has provided has been very confusing,鈥� says Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist Institute of Public Opinion in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. 鈥淲e鈥檙e back into a vocabulary of non-denial denial.鈥�
The non-denial denial is best remembered for Watergate when political figures would deny a journalist鈥檚 story was accurate but left open the possibility it might be true. President Bill Clinton was credited with a non-denial denial during the Monica Lewinsky affair.
How this shakes out for Weiner will depend on how the story develops, says Doug Muzzio, a political commentator and professor at Baruch College in New York.
鈥淚f in fact he did not send the image, and it鈥檚 not his crotch, then the impact is short term,鈥� says Mr. Muzzio. 鈥淣egative but short term.鈥�
But, if it turns out he sent the image and it is of himself, Muzzio says the affect could be 鈥渨orse than Chris Lee.鈥�
Chris Lee was a Republican congressman from upstate New York who posted a shirtless photo of himself on a dating service. He was married, and the embarrassment resulted in his resignation.
Mr. Miringoff does not think the issue will just go away if Weiner refuses to talk about it. 鈥淭his is a high visibility political figure, and it鈥檚 not just going away if he takes a hike on the Appalachian Trail 鈥� that鈥檚 been done already.鈥�
Miringoff is referring to former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, who admitted in 2009 that he had been unfaithful to his wife. As the scandal started to break, his staff said he had gone for a hike on the trail when in fact he was in Argentina with his paramour.
Why do men do these sorts of things?
Muzzio calls it the 鈥淪pitzer syndrome,鈥� for New York鈥檚 former governor, Eliot Spitzer, who resigned after it turned out he used a call-girl service on a trip to Washington.
鈥淭here is this feeling of invulnerability, and maybe they feel they can鈥檛 get caught,鈥� he says.
Although Weiner is a Democrat, in a district that has a 3-to-1 Democratic advantage, in 2010 his win against Republican Robert Turner was by only a 60-40 margin.
鈥淗e had to spend a considerable amount of money,鈥� says Mr. Turner, a retired media executive. 鈥淗e got a good scare.鈥�
One of those reasons is because of the changing nature of the district. Some 40 percent of the population is Jewish. But, within the Jewish community are conservative Russian and Orthodox Jews who voted for Turner.
Turner imagines that even if Weiner survives the brouhaha, it will provide ammunition for possible rivals in 2013 for the mayoral primary. 鈥淚 think there are a number of candidates who would take him on and would get a little ammunition with this one,鈥� he says.
At the end of the day, Muzzio says the flare-up has certainly provided some political entertainment and an endless supply of puns, ranging from Weiner Roast to Weiner鈥檚 Pickle.
Even Weiner laughed about them. 鈥淲hen you鈥檙e named Weiner it kind of goes with the territory,鈥� he said.
