Following a sexting scandal, Anthony Weiner was forced to resign from the House of Representatives in disgrace.
A rising leader in the Democratic Party and a potential candidate for mayor of New York City, Weiner watched his career dissipate along with a host of hopes and possibilities for the future.
The man who has been removed from public life for two years now has decided to attempt and stage a comeback.
He is weighing a potential 2013 run for mayor.
In a lengthy profile in The New York Times Magazine, published online on April 10, Weiner expressed that "it's now or maybe never for me." He indicated that he would like to ask for a second chance as he has begun mounting the opportunity for a Clintonian comeback.
The question remains, however: Can he do it?
We've seen resurgence in politics before. We've seen Bill Clinton recover from accusations of marital misconduct in 1992 and then watched him continue to thrive in public life following the Lewinsky scandal and its subsequent impeachment proceedings. The linkage is obvious, too - his wife, Huma, is a longtime aide and friend of Hillary.
We've seen attempts at resurgence fail, too.
The distinction between Clinton and Weiner is simple, however: Weiner has not the skills or prowess Clinton did, nor an entire party relying on him as its national leader and largest fundraiser. The president had mountains of mainstream support.
What the president also had was a formative resilience. An overarching theme throughout his life of loss and recovery - and by the time the Lewinsky scandal surfaced, he had been well practiced at bouncing back.
This is the first scandal for Weiner and it has become a signature element of his public identity. Worse than the deed itself, his manner of response damaged him more. He tweaked during a press conference. He was unable to answer the question directly: Was the picture of a bulging erection his? And he endured weeks of scrutiny and ridicule before being propelled by public influence to step down.
Clinton understood the most important factor in dealing with any kind of accusation is to remain unruffled and collected. Clinton communicated allegations are part of the political game and they are designed to distract you from the issues.
And that is where Weiner will need to direct his focus if he wants to have a chance presenting himself as a viable candidate. He will need to run a campaign on the issues and demonstrate what Clinton did - that he's a force of action and an agent of change.
People like redemption stories. They dominate our cultural outlets - film, literature, theater. They also remain prevalent in our political mindset. Weiner is a familiar figure to the city, but he has been out of the limelight for two years acting as a stay-at-home dad. Now, as he is reentering public life, he needs to reinvent his image.
Weiner made a personal mistake. There is no doubt he has paid a heavy cost. He should be given the chance to present himself and his candidacy. The City of New York should forgive his past transgressions and allow him to be judged on the merits of his message and his capacity to carry it out.
There are many UB students from the city. Registered Democrats will have a chance to embrace him in a primary should he choose to run. The hope for him would be to secure a nomination in order to contend for the big seat.
If he does decide to challenge Michael Bloomberg's third term, residents of the city should give themselves a chance to learn what kind of mayor he claims he could be.
He should not be held forever to the demons of his past.
Email: editorial@ubspectrum.com
