Eliot Spitzer and Sean Eldridge

I was talking with two of my coworkers today about Eliot Spitzer's return to politics this week and one of them asked if I would vote for him if he was able to get on the ballot for comptroller.  I told her I didn't think I would.  It's not that I don't think Spitzer would be a great person to handle the city's finances (since I assume that what a comptroller does), but I just don't feel that someone who broke the law should be in that position.  Although Spitzer's unlawful acts (frequenting prostitutes) didn't seem to interfere with his fiscal duties as governor, I'm just not comfortable having him in another government position like this.  Anthony Weiner, on the other hand, didn't break the law.  He lied to everyone, but I don't believe there were any laws broken by him (unless texting junk shots is against the law), so I'm fine with him running for mayor.  Granted, neither Spitzer nor Weiner are prizes by any stretch of the imagination.  I believe they're both power-hungry narcissists who crave the spotlight.  If Spitzer gathers enough signatures to get on the ballot, he may very well win.  He certainly has the money to fund a political campaign.

As for Sean Eldridge, his situation is similar to Spitzer's.  Who is Sean Eldridge, you may ask?  He's the husband of Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes and he's the subject of a story in today's New York Times.  Sean is, supposedly, considering a run for congress in New York state.  He and his husband Chris own multiple properties in the state and this 26-year-old native of Ohio apparently feels he has a shot against the current Republican incumbent even though he'd only lived in the area for a short time.  But he has a ton of money (via his hubby) and a lot of rich and powerful friends.  The problem I have with Eldridge is that he seems like a typical carpetbagger who moves to an area, sets up residence, and then runs for office.  (I'm looking at you, Hillary Clinton!)  What happened to living in an area for a while, becoming active in the community, and understanding the people who live there before deciding you want to run for office?  Eldridge, like Spitzer, seems like someone who figures he can buy his way onto the ballot.  And, given the current dysfunctional state of politics, maybe he can.