It's been an epic summer for city tabloids.
First Anthony Weiner declared his candidacy for mayor of New York City and quickly gained the lead. He was followed by Eliot Spitzer, the former governor of New York who was disgraced by a prostitution scandal who decided to run for comptroller ("Here we ho again!" the New York Post declared.) And after weeks of raunchy pun-filled headlines, more explicit messages between Weiner and a young woman were revealed. Even for thick-skinned New Yorkers, this is embarrassing. (Or as the New York Daily news dubbed it, "the same old schlong and dance.")
"New York is on the verge of turning into a laughing stock politically," Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough said. "With more Anthony Weiner revelations, you have Mayor Bloomberg now striking out against Spitzer, this seems to be a political campaign that could turn New York City into a laughing stock."
"Could?" co-host Mika Brzezinski shot back.
"It’s New York City, home of 8 million people. Most populous city in the United States, the economy leads the country," Brzezinski continued. "The person who leads this city will wield global power. Could that person be—should that person be even considered, Anthony Weiner? On Monday, he was the front-runner to become mayor of the Big Apple. One more sexting scandal later, he has apparently blown his lead. Christine Quinn now leads the former congressmen 25-to-16."
Indeed, Weiner has lost the lead—for now.
Do you think these sex scandals hurt the political conversation? Tell us in the comments below.