SHOULD SPITZER SWALLOW A JAGGED PILL

BY: DONNELL DIKE-ANUKAM

Should Eliot Spitzer resign or fight? This is the million dollar question that many across Albany and all over New York are asking themselves tonight. His brilliant and darling of 20 years wife stands angered, brokenhearted, and shamed by his side in their Manhattan apartment. He the “Sheriff of Wall Street” the one most feared men in the concrete jungle of New York City politics and in the board rooms of Corporate America. Is now himself is fearing and contemplating the next step of what’s left of his political and (more importantly) his personal future. In this fall from grace that as wide ranging as this sex scandal and political crises: (Troopergate (http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/013/980cljul.asp) , the Illegal Driver’s Licenses flap on the campaign trail (http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/11/14/ny.licenses/index.html) , ect) that is of almost Hollywood proportions the kind that you would see as plot for an upcoming blockbuster political drama.

The setting: the Republican Majority leader in the Senate is pushing a 24hr deadline for Spitzer to resign or face an almost assured impeachment. His Democratic Caucus from Albany to Washington D.C. dares not to back him or even seem sympathetic in anyway, shape, or form and currently speak about the matter under the protection of anonymity. If the political dramatics isn’t thick enough he faces almost certain criminal prosecution for his interstate act of filling his sexual appetite (http://www.nysun.com/article/72722). The possibility of not just criminal action but a possible disbarment is defiantly in the pipeline. History could be made shortly in Albany as the first African American Governor in the state’s history could sworn in at a moments notice. If this couldn’t ensnare more people’s attention as this crisis has the ramification on the current national political stage. Where an embattled Hillary Clinton could very well lose more than Mississippi in 24 hours or more but; an all important Superdelegate in a very publicly humiliating way (Just as the fight in neighboring Pennsylvania begins). This is the Eliot Spitzer’s world tonight and tomorrow morning maybe more damning than it is right now!

If he was anyone else or a different kind of politician my answer would be a resounding NO, that he could survive this and its not a terminal event. Unfortunately he’s not JUST any other politician he is the “The Enforcer”, the man who stuck fear into the hearts of many criminals, executives, and politicians. Who now stands guilty in the court of public opinion of the very crimes he himself prosecuted and had to publicly admit to(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_0cQomACLg&feature=related) . A man who made a point of being the valiant arbiter of right and wrong in the eyes of the press (in the age when Enron and the like and investors were being run through the mill Spitzer was the knight of righteousness riding into to save the day) and the public who took the high road and heavy hand in court and steamrolled his opposition at every turn.

This is a man who has in effect gained the trust and faith of many who had lost faith in their public servants in the State of New York and nationwide. He was even considered to be a presidential candidate in 2012 and had a hell of a chance in time (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/mar/10/usa2?gusrc=rss&feed=worldnews). The man who ran on the mantra of “Fixing Albany” and was sent in on a 69% mandate to do it, now stands at a dismal 35% approval rating (http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReport.aspx?g=a5ad45f1-9ee4-442b-b0f7-ce31da9ea13f)

Now it seems the man holding others accountable could not even hold himself accountable to the same laws he relentlessly prosecuted other on. Who’s remarkable act of folly and plain sloppiness is only beginning to come to light (I personally think the government’s wiretaps and information in this matter will make the Starr report look like Dr. Seuss in content). I don’t mean to sound like hypocrite or trouncing on the man’s name but, as man on the street Eliot Spitzer is not just any politician but, a man who claimed to be above common politics who believed and was believed that ALL should be accountable to the same law. What made the whole thing that much more compelling was that he had the moral ground (or appeared to have) to back it up.

Unfortunately he did have less common than most state politicians and officials, he was WORSE one who had the kind of hubris to think that they themselves above the law and that the press that surrounded and adored him wouldn’t hurt him or act against his interests (i.e. reporting this story and holding him to account on other scandals in the last year). This whole episode is almost emblematic of Spitzer’s troubles since arriving into the governor’s mansion. Embattled, and almost politically crippled to pass a major bill or budget, scandal ridden and politically isolated from even many is his own party at the state level.

He is effectively reaping what he has sown from making many of his political, and business enemies fear him and pushing them around (who would later in his gubernatorial campaign donate to him (http://www.minnpost.com/stories/2008/03/11/1126/history_of_missteps_preceded_spitzers_stunning_fall)  to now those same companies and politicians who he threatened to take down and financially ruin, they now look with glee at the state of his image and public affairs.

Given the current state of affairs that I have currently stated in the previously mentioned. He could survive this but, the chances of a 2^nd term or even survival to this November is slim at best at the moment. So faced with this bleak prospect and public humiliation should Spitzer hang on and fight. No, he shouldn’t because he could survive the political onslaught that is coming (Plus is David Vitter and Bill Clinton could survive what they went through) its not outside the realm of possibility but, in time the public joined their side but, what makes this different is that Spitzer publicly went after this kind of behavior in public and is not likely to gain or garner any public support in the near future from this and maybe this death nail in the sad tragedy that is Spitzer’s run in Albany plus he is kind of already disliked greatly by many statewide).

More importantly he and his family will possibly suffer a kind of PUBLIC RELATIONS HELL (and I mean the kind that only a disgraced televangelist who is publicly known to be a harsh homophobic, anti-drug/alcohol, fire and brimstone orator gets after being caught with massive amounts of cocaine, alcohol, and a hotel room full of underage sex-slaves from Asia and the funds paying for all it coming illegally from the same bank accounts that funds that same churches’ food relief operations in Africa would earn (that is the closest I can think of to compare to this!!)).

Again that is my personal opinion due in fact that Spitzer has made a lot a prominent enemies who would love a slow roast of Spitzer’s name in the press until Hell froze over. I feel this is the most likely of scenarios occurring to him in a long drawn out scandal. It starts out with a press conference being held every week and the governor being constantly heckled by a every growing and aggressive press corps. Even if tries to stay away from it in public it will be the talk of the town from the Greenwich Village to upstate in Buffalo. Then the case that either gets turned into a misdemeanor trial of a very public john that turns into an embarrassing public spectacle where the prostitutes the Spitzer has met with are one by one telling their lurid details in court. This will in turn into a nice NYT or NYP cover story of “SEX WITH Governor ” and some major tabloid or magazine paying top dollar for every dirty, disgusting, and publicly fascinating detail of Spitzer sex habits and acts (mainly of the now fames “Unsafe Sex Acts” (http://www.newsday.com/news/local/state/ny-stspit125610532mar12,0,935961.story) ).

Even to the point where Mrs. Spitzer’s every move will be painted in a light that show her moving to a public and messy divorce even if that’s not on the table or occurring. Not to mention the toll this will have on the young 3 Spitzer female teens and that onslaught that the New York Press and Paparazzi will impress on them. This being said that is my personal assessment of this situation whether you agree with me or not you have to accept that this one really tough dilemma that Spitzer faces and that should he survive or not it’s part of the discussion in this year’s presidential election and Spitzer’s public career. I personally hope for his sake he takes a road that avoids a very public and personally destructive end.