Wiener's wiener

[BigV]

Originally Posted by glatt

I give this as much weight as Arnold cheating on his wife.

Who gives a shit?

If I was the wife, I'd be pissed. If he was running for reelection, and I could vote in that election, I'd consider it along with everything else, and it would count against him. But I really don't care. If I were a woman who received one of these pictures, and I didn't want to receive it, then I'd also be pissed.

But I'm not any of those things, so I don't care.

I don't care if a politician lies to me about their personal life. It's none of my damn business. John Edwards had a love child? I don't care. He illegally used campaign contributions to pay the woman off, or something like that? Then I care.

If they lie about something related to their job, then it matters.

Amen brother. Well said.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by glatt

I give this as much weight as Arnold cheating on his wife.

Who gives a shit?

If I was the wife, I'd be pissed. If he was running for reelection, and I could vote in that election, I'd consider it along with everything else, and it would count against him. But I really don't care. If I were a woman who received one of these pictures, and I didn't want to receive it, then I'd also be pissed.

But I'm not any of those things, so I don't care.

I don't care if a politician lies to me about their personal life. It's none of my damn business. John Edwards had a love child? I don't care. He illegally used campaign contributions to pay the woman off, or something like that? Then I care.

If they lie about something related to their job, then it matters.

They are trusted representatives of the people. They stood in front of the people who elected them and lied to them, completely, utterly, and knowingly. That should stand for something. If they are going to lie to everyone in public about something hard and controversial, they will lie about other hard and controversial issues that deal with public trust. At least Arnold stood up and told everyone the truth before he fell on his sword of lies like The Weiner did...

[glatt]

Originally Posted by TheMercenary

At least Arnold stood up and told everyone the truth before he fell on his sword of lies like The Weiner did...

Covering up an affair for like ten years is telling the truth?

Yes. They shouldn't lie. I agree. I'm not saying what they have done is OK. I'm saying I don't care. It isn't important enough to worry about. No crime, no foul. No professional ethical breach, no foul. No screwing over the constituents, no foul. No abuse of power, no foul.

Wiener betrayed his wife. I don't respect him for that. But it's none of my business.

Lance Armstrong cheated on his wife, but I don't see anyone asking him to return his medals for that. Tiger Woods too.

[Fair&Balanced]

Originally Posted by glatt

Covering up an affair for like ten years is telling the truth?

Yes. They shouldn't lie. I agree. I'm not saying what they have done is OK. I'm saying I don't care. It isn't important enough to worry about. No crime, no foul. No professional ethical breach, no foul. No screwing over the constituents, no foul. No abuse of power, no foul.

Wiener betrayed his wife. I don't respect him for that. But it's none of my business.

Lance Armstrong cheated on his wife, but I don't see anyone asking him to return his medals for that. Tiger Woods too.

My sentiments as well.

These kind of affairs are of no particular interest to me, whether its Weiner, Christopher Lee, who resigned last year after his pic on craigs list, Mark Sourder, who had an affair with a staffer with whom he made an abstinence video, or Senator David Vitter, who was involved in a DC escort service scandal. If their constituents want to re-elect them, as in the case of Vitter, it is their choice.

Cases like John Edwards and former Nevada Senator John Ensign, who paid hush money and got a lobbying job for the husband of the staffer he messed around with, are different. These involve criminal violations of campaign finance laws.

In the end, I recall a famous quote from Huey Long -- "the only way I can be brought down is to be caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by glatt

Covering up an affair for like ten years is telling the truth?

Yes. They shouldn't lie. I agree. I'm not saying what they have done is OK. I'm saying I don't care. It isn't important enough to worry about. No crime, no foul. No professional ethical breach, no foul. No screwing over the constituents, no foul. No abuse of power, no foul.

Wiener betrayed his wife. I don't respect him for that. But it's none of my business.

Lance Armstrong cheated on his wife, but I don't see anyone asking him to return his medals for that. Tiger Woods too.

Yea, I generally agree. In fact I would go so far as to say that he should not step down. Wait for the next election and let the chips fall. He did lie directly to his peeps over the event, I would see that as a breech of trust, but I don't have to vote for him.

As for Arnold, yea he kept is a secret. Not giving him a pass, only that when the time came to own up he did so, certainly because it was going to make the press one way or another. Not different circumstances, just a different form, an IMHO, a more honest and direct way to damage control.

[infinite monkey]

Originally Posted by glatt

Covering up an affair for like ten years is telling the truth?

Yes. They shouldn't lie. I agree. I'm not saying what they have done is OK. I'm saying I don't care. It isn't important enough to worry about. No crime, no foul. No professional ethical breach, no foul. No screwing over the constituents, no foul. No abuse of power, no foul.

Wiener betrayed his wife. I don't respect him for that. But it's none of my business.

Lance Armstrong cheated on his wife, but I don't see anyone asking him to return his medals for that. Tiger Woods too.

No, but he cheated on his sport too and should have to return his medals for doping. That man's a well-rounded cheater.

[Nirvana]

Apples and oranges. A wife maybe be able to forgive an underwear photo on the internet that's nothing, but a child with someone else? That's harsh! That is a man on a power trip and I don't care to have that kind of a person in office. >[ see megalomania]

[Spexxvet]

Originally Posted by Nirvana

Apples and oranges. A wife maybe be able to forgive an underwear photo on the internet that's nothing, but a child with someone else? That's harsh! That is a man on a power trip and I don't care to have that kind of a person in office. >[ see megalomania]

They're ALL megalomaniacs. If they weren't they wouldn't put themselves in the spotlight. I agree with Glatt. Lying about an affair probably doesn't impact your ability to serve the people. Lying about your knowledge of a break-in at your opponents headquarters or your knowledge of exchanging arms for hostages probably does.

[Nirvana]

I don't agree they are all megalomaniacs.

[infinite monkey]

Originally Posted by Spexxvet

They're ALL megalomaniacs. If they weren't they wouldn't put themselves in the spotlight. I agree with Glatt. Lying about an affair probably doesn't impact your ability to serve the people. Lying about your knowledge of a break-in at your opponents headquarters or your knowledge of exchanging arms for hostages probably does.

At the very least "hey, look at my wiener..hehheh" like some Beavis and Butthead dumbasses makes me think "Could we get a GROWN-UP in office?"

Then I look around and think...

Yeah. Right.

[glatt]

exactly.

I'd prefer my leaders to act with some dignity, but have they ever? The job draws people with huge egos. And voters love them that way.

[BigV]

Originally Posted by glatt

exactly.

I'd prefer my leaders to act with some dignity, but have they ever? The job draws people with huge egos. And voters love them that way.

....

to lead you must first get elected. to get elected you have to get the votes. to get the votes you have to get the attention of the voters. to get the attention of the voters you have to get the attention of the media. to get the attention of the media you have to be more dramatic/outlandish/daring/compelling/unusual than the others --OR-- have enough money to buy your own airtime. Both of these last two are very strong indicators of huge egos.

But.

Despite my airtight analysis above, there are leaders who are not media grabbing showboating attention whores. But they don't make the front page or the crawl to keep you tuned in through the commercials. And they get stuff done too. That we're still a viable society (don't believe the doomsayers, they're wrong again) is a sign of our functioning government. It's not all over. And we do still have people working for the greater good, a good greater than their own individual self.

[Trilby]

Isn't it Weiner's weiner?

[Nirvana]

Originally Posted by Brianna

Isn't it Weiner's weiner?

Not according to spellcheck

[infinite monkey]

Wiener probably used a stunt weiner, you know, like Marky Mark at the end of Boogie Nights.