The Weiner Comps. 2.

Starting today, I'm going to attempt to take on two challengers at a time.
In this instance, two candidates who bring very similar traits to the table:
Former Democratic Governor of New York Eliot Spitzer, and current Republican Senator from Louisiana, David Vitter.
How do they compare to each other and to Weiner?

1) Seriousness of the scandal--They were virtually the same as each other.
Both involved cheating on their wives with hookers.
Spitzer seemed a little more culpable, because he had built a reputation for prosecuting hookers.
Vitter just did general moral railing against the idea of them.
Weiner, as far as we know, had nothing to do with hookers, or perhaps touching any women of any kind.
D.

2) Degree of embarrassment they caused to themselves and others--
Both seem to have survived their marriages
They both had their wives standing next to them when they made their public apologies.
And again, it was just hookers. How embarrassing can it be?
Both far less creepy than sending pictures of your privates out over the Internet.
Weiner has survived his marriage as well, so there's a limit to how low a grade I can give.
C.

3) Whether or not an actual crime was committed--
Soliciting prositutes is in fact a crime.
Weiner didn't do that, and as far as we know, didn't commit any other crime.
D.

4) Whether or not the scandal caused him to resign from his job--
In Spitzer's case, yes.
In Vitter's case, no.
Weiner resigned.
It seems to be the difference between Democrats and Republicans.
Spitzer, A.
Vitter, D.

5) Nature of the creepiness of the sexual indiscretion--
There's nothing perverse about the need for hookers in a marriage that has gone on for quite a while.
What Weiner has admitted to seems pretty perverse, and he's practically a newlywed.
D.

6) The extent to which lying was involved:
They all lied, but Weiner's lying has been a lot louder and more prolonged before he caved.
B-.

7) The likelihood of his recovering from the effects of the scandal:
Vitter's still in the Senate. Even got re-elected.
Spitzer had his own series on CNN, and there are already rumors about him jumping back into politics
With Weiner, too early to tell.

Overall Grade: C.

That they're all politicians indicate that I can't give it a lower grade than a C.

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