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Why Anthony Weiner Wanted to Get Caught

Some thoughts on why the caged politician Tweets.

By Adam Bloom

Anthony Weiner wanted to get caught.

To understand why, let's imagine you're a hard-driving, media-savvy, up-and-coming congressman. We pick up your daily routine in a mid-day press interview, as you display the intelligence and personal rectitude that are the hallmarks of your budding career:

"We need to cut down on soft drinks in schools, invest in alternative energy, take a hard look at Medicare, revitalize our national infrastructure, negotiate a cease-fire to whatever civil war is happening in Africa [unspoken thought: then table the Africa issue because it's too complicated and dangerous], and pass a campaign-finance law [unspoken thought: that will be inevitably be rejected by the goons on the Supreme Court]. So, that's where I stand, Bob, and that's where the people in my district stand, and we're workin' real hard down here to try and get this stuff done... Oh, my pleasure..."

Then you race back to the office, get a briefing in the car about some bill, navigate the House office building without being shanghaied by a reporter or another member or, God forbid, a constituent, get to the office, read the bill, get bored of reading the bill, ask an aide what it says, debate whether to support it, maybe go to the floor for a vote, race to a fundraiser, stay late to glad-hand the donors, tape another press piece, catch the late flight to New York, review polling numbers on the plane, get home late, jerk off if you're not too tired, wake up at 7:00 the next morning and do it again.

Oh, and for God's sake: don't appear in public without your red necktie on straight and your flag pin, because if Fox doesn't catch you then C-SPAN will, and if they miss it, you still won't escape TMZ.

Wash, rinse, and repeat. Every day. Forever.

There is a side to human nature that is simply antithetical to this kind of impossibly peevish, uptight routine. There is an id, a base impulse, that makes Anthony Weiner and every other male would-be paragon of public virtue want to run down the hallways of congress screaming with his cock out. It's not the most admirable part of human nature, but it's in there, and when you don't find some way to express it, it breaks out. And that's when you get a stupid, incomprehensible episode like this Twitter-gate nonsense.

That's what Hunter Thompson was talking about when he wrote about jackrabbits in the seminal Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72:

"People who claim to know jackrabbits will tell you they are primarily motivated by Fear, Stupidity, and Craziness. But I have spent enough time in jackrabbit country to know that most of them lead pretty dull lives; they are bored with their daily routines: eat, fuck, sleep, hop around a bush now and then… No wonder some of them drift over the line into cheap thrills once in a while; there has to be a powerful adrenalin rush in crouching by the side of a road, waiting for the next set of headlights to come along, then streaking out of the bushes with split-second timing and making it across to the other side just inches in front of the speeding front tires."

The thrill Weiner gets from Twittering girls is the same thrill that the jackrabbit gets from running across the highway: they're both toying with their fear of death. When you talk to people about a political sex scandal, they all say the same thing: "He had so much — a career, a family, a bright future. Why would he risk all of that?" But the risk is the whole point. The risk is what makes it thrilling — that's the fun of the game. It's a death wish. And you push it further and further towards the edge until getting caught is the only thrill left.

Anthony Weiner sent pictures of his genitals — from his official Twitter account? Why? He could have set up a second account in two minutes at a cost of zero dollars. That way, when he inevitably made the mistake he made — sending a picture as a public message instead of a private one — it wouldn't have been seen by a million people! Why wouldn't he set up a separate, extra-curricular Twitter account? Because, on some level, he wanted to get caught.

Consider a few other famous examples from recent history.

Eliot Spitzer cracked down on prostitution and prosecuted banks as attorney general, and toughened prostitution laws as governor. Then he got busted for having sex with prostitutes by running afoul of federal banking laws. And not just having sex with prostitutes, but having sex with prostitutes, without wearing a condom. That's a death wish.

Likewise, Jerry Springer. In his younger days, Springer, as a Cincinnati City Councilman, was busted for having sex with a prostitute. How did he get caught? He paid with a personal check. Let's imagine Councilman Springer accepting the services in question, putting his pants on, opening his wallet, and realizing — oops! — he's got no cash. How hard could it have been for him to talk his way out of that? He'd never eaten at a cash-only restaurant and then realized that he had no cash? How about: "For God's sake, I'm a City Councilman — it's not like I'm going to disappear. I'll bring you the money tomorrow." (In fairness, the Talmud says that all workers must be paid by sunset on the day when the work was performed, and in general, I agree with that. But maybe there was room for an exception in this case.)

But no, Springer decided that the prudent course of action was to pay with a personal check: full name in block letters at the top, signature at the bottom.

We hear these stories, and it's always the same chorus: "How could he be so stupid?" The answer is: he's not. Jerry Springer has a B.A. from Tulane and a law degree from Northwestern. Eliot Spitzer went to Princeton for undergrad and then Harvard law. Anthony Weiner graduated from SUNY Plattsburgh... all right, well, he's still, by all accounts, a bright guy. The point is, these men aren't stupid. There's something else going on. The jackrabbit keeps racing in front of cars, getting closer and closer to the wheels, until once, just once, the jackrabbit doesn't make it. And once is all it takes.

So, I don't condone what Anthony Weiner (or Eliot Spitzer or Jerry Springer) did, but, as Chris Rock put it: I understand.

Adam Bloom is a writer and lives in New York City. He is online at www.kadambloom.com and on twitter at @ZakAlroy. 

Commentarium (15 Comments)

Jun 15 11 - 12:00pm
c

Fairly narrow view of intelligence you've got there .

Jun 15 11 - 12:41pm
SassyGay89

Mmmm yeah I could support your argument, but no one was forcing him to be a congressman he choose to get into that profession.

Tough shit, the rest of us have to do mundane things our whole lives. What it proves is that he is insensitive to his family that he would risk it all and even his wives feelings/reputation just for a quick thrill (even if it was on a subconscious level). Sounds like a shitty guy to me.

To be honest I really don't care that he tweets his meat to anyone, its that he lied his way through it at the start even though he must have known in his mind that it would all come out.

Jun 15 11 - 3:36pm
hmmm

I give these guys one free shot at a lie.

You're in public, a camera is shoved in your face and some one is waving a microphone in one had and a crotch shot in the other, demanding to know if it's your junk. Flight or fright response says you're going to deny it all.

But turn around an organize a press conference to perpetuate that lie, then invite the networks to your office for one on one interviews to perpetuate the lie, well you've lost me at that point.

It's not that he wanted to get caught, it's that he's a sociopath.
Look at the following list and tell me how many apply to Weiner?

# Glibness and Superficial Charm

# Manipulative and Conning
They never recognize the rights of others and see their self-serving behaviors as permissible. They appear to be charming, yet are covertly hostile and domineering, seeing their victim as merely an instrument to be used. They may dominate and humiliate their victims.

# Grandiose Sense of Self
Feels entitled to certain things as "their right."

# Pathological Lying
Has no problem lying coolly and easily and it is almost impossible for them to be truthful on a consistent basis. Can create, and get caught up in, a complex belief about their own powers and abilities. Extremely convincing and even able to pass lie detector tests.

# Lack of Remorse, Shame or Guilt
A deep seated rage, which is split off and repressed, is at their core. Does not see others around them as people, but only as targets and opportunities. Instead of friends, they have victims and accomplices who end up as victims. The end always justifies the means and they let nothing stand in their way.

# Shallow Emotions
When they show what seems to be warmth, joy, love and compassion it is more feigned than experienced and serves an ulterior motive. Outraged by insignificant matters, yet remaining unmoved and cold by what would upset a normal person. Since they are not genuine, neither are their promises.

# Incapacity for Love

# Need for Stimulation
Living on the edge. Verbal outbursts and physical punishments are normal. Promiscuity and gambling are common.

# Callousness/Lack of Empathy
Unable to empathize with the pain of their victims, having only contempt for others' feelings of distress and readily taking advantage of them.

# Poor Behavioral Controls/Impulsive Nature
Rage and abuse, alternating with small expressions of love and approval produce an addictive cycle for abuser and abused, as well as creating hopelessness in the victim. Believe they are all-powerful, all-knowing, entitled to every wish, no sense of personal boundaries, no concern for their impact on others.

# Early Behavior Problems/Juvenile Delinquency
Usually has a history of behavioral and academic difficulties, yet "gets by" by conning others. Problems in making and keeping friends; aberrant behaviors such as cruelty to people or animals, stealing, etc.

# Irresponsibility/Unreliability
Not concerned about wrecking others' lives and dreams. Oblivious or indifferent to the devastation they cause. Does not accept blame themselves, but blames others, even for acts they obviously committed.

# Promiscuous Sexual Behavior/Infidelity
Promiscuity, child sexual abuse, rape and sexual acting out of all sorts.

# Lack of Realistic Life Plan/Parasitic Lifestyle
Tends to move around a lot or makes all encompassing promises for the future, poor work ethic but exploits others effectively.

# Criminal or Entrepreneurial Versatility
Changes their image as needed to avoid prosecution. Changes life story readily.

Jun 15 11 - 3:51pm
KA Bloom

Superficial charm? Irresponsibility? Lack of realistic life plan? Forget Anthony Weiner -- I think I'M a sociopath!

Jun 15 11 - 4:56pm
A.

God, seriously. According to that list, anyone who likes to travel and have a lot of sex is.

Jun 15 11 - 7:18pm
Darlimay

SOOOOOOOO true...

Jun 16 11 - 4:32pm
Button

KA Bloom--
You took the words right out of my mouth!!! Ha ha

Jun 17 11 - 7:09am
Purrrsephone

I think you're greatly overestimating the malice and evil of Weiner's...well...weiner.
And I also think we're all overlooking two very basic and fundamental truths: (1) Human beings are sick, sexual creatures, and that goes for the entire lot of them, and (2) The more powerful a person becomes, the less vulnerable they become, or at least they like to think so.

Weiner didn't do anything that you, your significant other, your boss, your next-door-neighbour, or your best friend from high school hasn't already done 100 times since the advent of the Internet. You're in denial of the awesome power of free reign and anonymity that come with the ability to use such a thing. The problem isn't in what he did, how he did it, or why he did it...the problem is that unlike Joe Blow across the street or your spouse, Mr. Commentreader, he is in a high-profile profession and made the bonehead decision to go ahead and assume that meant LESS likelihood of him having to be accountable for his personal smut habits, instead of thinking with the proper organ and realizing that no matter how much power he had at his fingertips, the media had just a *wee* bit more.

Jun 16 11 - 10:25am
meola

I wonder what would have happened if, when first confronted with the first crotch shot, Weiner had just laughed and said, "Yes, that's me, I sent it, and it's absolutely none of your business. I have a right to consensual communication with whomever I please."

Instead of dissembling arrogant prick, he'd be a defiant hero. Still arrogant, though.

Jun 16 11 - 9:26pm
Spindoc

Good point. It's not the crime, or the error in judgement, but the cover-up.

Jun 18 11 - 5:26am
Sir Alfred

It is possible he wanted to prove that he is a bit bigger than a Weiner

Jun 18 11 - 8:44pm
CJM

@hmmm A sociopath would have lied better. I accept that the id wanted out. And I empathise with public figures who have to contain their personalities and vices to such an unnatural degree that they start behaving in odd ways. Wouldn't want that gig.

Jun 21 11 - 3:10pm
nope

Psychopath. Recent articles/books suggest that psychopaths compose a pretty stable percentage of the populace but are over-represented among politicians & criminals.

Jun 25 11 - 10:52am
offline009

you got to love a little h.s.t. and i bet you if hunter was still with us to day and if he was ask about the state of d.c. he would just look at you chewing on his cigar holder and say "step on their necks and pull the trigger" and when washing down his words with what ever drink he was holding in say hand...anyway one of hunters last good politically columns https://proxy.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?id=1250751

Jul 21 11 - 10:33pm
Constance

Heck yeah this is eaxtlcy what I needed.

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