In this age of technology, maintaining privacy and keeping personal information out of the public eye can be difficult. It’s hard being an ordinary person, and it’s even harder being a public figure. For former Congressman Anthony Weiner, that’s the embarrassing truth.
He ended up being the victim, and when a provocative photo of him started circulating on Twitter, he staged it. His first reaction was denial and sarcastic humor. This temporarily balanced the situation, but it didn’t last long. He evades it long enough that when the truth finally emerges, his integrity takes a hit. He had to resign.
You’d think this would be the end of the saga, but it actually continues. Just two years later, he decided to run for mayor. At the start of the mayoral campaign, he seemed aloof. However, when more photos came to light, his contest was canceled. Due to the same problem that caused him to need a second chance in the first place, what was supposed to be his second chance ended up failing.
Unlike the first incident, the women involved in the second were identified and decided to capitalize on the story. This ensures that the story doesn’t fully unfold like before.
One of the people most affected by these events was his wife, who had been in politics for many years. She has worked closely, competently, with Hilary Clinton, whose presidential campaign has had enough problems.
While the two cases seemed unrelated, Weiner’s case became a footnote that may have won her the handful of votes Hillary needed to push her campaign through. During Hillary’s campaign, Weiner’s wife announced their divorce. Somehow, this brought more emails into the public spotlight. Confidentiality issues were also raised where sharing information with employees would be an issue.
It’s an interesting speculation as to one of the possible reasons for the outcome of the 2016 presidential election.
Directed by: Matt Orchard
