MyDD :: MSM tries to annul 2006 NY governor vote

MSM tries to annul 2006 NY governor vote

by fairleft, Tue Mar 11, 2008 at 01:34:32 PM EST

Eliot Spitzer is a man. And far be it from me to say that is a good thing. We actually don't know but assume he has behaved badly toward his wife. However, on the other hand, doing the wild thing with a prostitute doesn't screw over the people of New York. Right? So why is the media demanding his head? Is any real person doing so (excluding of course TV talking heads and politicians)??

Let's get real about this: the media is demanding that the results of the 2006 New York governor's election be revoked because Eliot Spitzer had sex with a prostitute. Just like they demanded that the 1996 presidential election results be revoked because Bill Clinton got a blow job from Monica Lewinsky.

I don't get it. Is sex outside of marriage really such a bad thing in the good ol' USA? And doesn't revoking elections because of it diminish our democracy?

Tags: Eliot Spitzer, prostitution, democracy, mass media (all tags)

Permalink :: 15 Comments :: Post a Comment

Re: MSM tries to annul (none / 0)

Had voters known about this, or had this occurred prior to the 2006 election, the voters may not have voted for Spitzer as overwhelmingly as they did, if at all.

by falcon4e on Tue Mar 11, 2008 at 01:37:53 PM EST

Re: MSM tries to annul (none / 0)

So, you're voting for the people of New York?

Would you be willing to wait for a non-push public opinion poll? I propose this question: "Do you believe Eliot Spitzer's recent use of a prostitute makes him unqualified to be New York's governor?"

We can no longer afford to worship the god of hate or bow before the altar of retaliation. Martin Luther King Jr.

by fairleft on Tue Mar 11, 2008 at 02:45:23 PM EST
[ Parent ]

It clearly does show errors in judgement.. (none / 0)

In many countries, though, people couldn't care less about stuff like this.

(France, for example)

It would be nice if we had the mechanism they have in European democracies where the opposing party can call for a referendum in the event of serious improprieties, and a vote is held.

If we had that, the story of these last few years here in the US would have been far different, I suspect.

It would also make politicians much more aware that they worked for the people, and that the popular vote or the lack of it, was what gave them legitimacy - or not.

We also should consider a weighted voting system where people can pick a second choice that gets their vote if the first choice doesn't win. That would make it so that the occasional third party candidate would both get a better chance and also that a marginal or somewhat worthy independent or third party candidate would not derail the popular choices like it sort of did in 2000.

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Ep isode.aspx?sched=1242
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by architek on Tue Mar 11, 2008 at 02:56:11 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: It clearly does show errors in judgement.. (none / 0)

Politicians work for and are elected by the people, not by the mass media. The media got the Lewinsky mole hill entirely wrong, and are getting the Spitzer mole hill entirely wrong.

We can no longer afford to worship the god of hate or bow before the altar of retaliation. Martin Luther King Jr.

by fairleft on Tue Mar 11, 2008 at 03:15:58 PM EST
[ Parent ]

BUT, they would NOT have voted for a Republican (none / 0)

either..

in all probability.. Neither then, nor now.

These things are personal issues.. they don't cause people to change what they believe in.

What would be good to have in a situation like this would be some way to do an instant, online referendum.

Every registered voter could weigh in via some secure web site..

..should he resign, or not?

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Radio_Ep isode.aspx?sched=1242
Confused by the 'Bailout' Lies?
Listen to NPR's The Giant Pool of Money

by architek on Tue Mar 11, 2008 at 02:46:26 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: BUT, they would NOT have voted for a Republica (none / 0)

The public opinion polls over Bill Clinton's affair with Monica were massively "not a big deal, get off it mass media!"

We can no longer afford to worship the god of hate or bow before the altar of retaliation. Martin Luther King Jr.

by fairleft on Tue Mar 11, 2008 at 03:17:01 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: MSM tries to annul 2006 NY governor vote (none / 0)

Whew

Why all the pictures of the ladies? What does that have to do with the topic?

by Cycloptichorn on Tue Mar 11, 2008 at 01:42:41 PM EST

Re: MSM tries to annul 2006 NY governor vote (none / 0)

Subliminal stuff. Doesn't work very well at mydd.

We can no longer afford to worship the god of hate or bow before the altar of retaliation. Martin Luther King Jr.

by fairleft on Tue Mar 11, 2008 at 02:41:34 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: MSM tries to annul 2006 NY governor vote (2.00 / 1)

Isn't the woman in the top picture Cindy McCain?

by JustJennifer on Tue Mar 11, 2008 at 01:51:54 PM EST

Re: MSM tries to annul 2006 NY governor vote (none / 0)

Uh, yeah.

We can no longer afford to worship the god of hate or bow before the altar of retaliation. Martin Luther King Jr.

by fairleft on Tue Mar 11, 2008 at 02:41:44 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: MSM tries to annul 2006 NY governor vote (none / 0)

Spitzer broke federal law and should step down. We're the good guys we should act like it

Continue the discussion: http://westernfieldsreport.blogspot.com

by SheriffChris on Tue Mar 11, 2008 at 02:25:43 PM EST

Re: MSM tries to annul 2006 NY governor vote (none / 0)

I think 'good guy' means defending the 2006 election results. His private behavior -- even if it is illegal -- was and is irrelevant to Spitzer doing his job.

We should not let the scandal press overwhelm the voting public on this matter, just as we shouldn't have allowed a similar rush to impeach in the Lewinsky days.

We can no longer afford to worship the god of hate or bow before the altar of retaliation. Martin Luther King Jr.

by fairleft on Tue Mar 11, 2008 at 02:48:25 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Unless and until prostitution is legalized..... (none / 0)

This is not a "sex outside marriage" matter. This is a criminal issue, sadly.

And there's nothing wrong with people insisting that their elected officials not be guilty of felonies. That's why lots of folks (including Democrats) thought Craig and Vitter, etc. should resign....

By the way, the criminal issues involved are not just prostitution, but financial. It is a crime to structure financial transfers to avoid the $10,000 automatic trigger for banks to report transfers, and if he's prosecuted by the feds Spitzer may very well be prosecuted for that.

So, sadly, it's not just "sex outside marriage," it's "sex outside marriage for money (prostitution)," and it's not even "just" prostitution, it's potentially illegal money transfers to avoid government oversight.

by Bluebeard on Tue Mar 11, 2008 at 03:04:07 PM EST

jaywalking is also illegal (none / 0)

and a more significant crime than prostitution, since it can at times be a 'victim' crime.

Governors should resign for 'high crimes', right?

We can no longer afford to worship the god of hate or bow before the altar of retaliation. Martin Luther King Jr.

by fairleft on Tue Mar 11, 2008 at 03:18:58 PM EST
[ Parent ]

i dont think (none / 0)

it should be a big deal.

But - Larry Craig was a big deal as well.

The only difference between this and monica, is that monica was not a prostitute.

the illegality of the act is whats damning.

if it was an intern, i dont think it would be such a mess.