Anthony Weiner has been grilled for about two weeks now. Last night he decided that he can’t take anymore heat.
For me, the story about Weiner isn’t so much about his hot-dogging around on Twitter as much as it was about the use of Twitter itself. When the Internet became a publicly accessible network some 20 years ago no one could predict that applications like Twitter, YouTube or Facebook would exist. What’s even more interesting is that it’s only just beginning. Ten, 20 and 30 years from now when a person runs for office, their Facebook pages and YouTube videos will be examined in exhausting detail.
Would we still have voted for Clinton or lil’ Bush if we had seen either of them doing a line, hitting a bong or chasing a half-naked coed through a frat house? I can envision a future where egomaniacal demigods will not be able to hoodwink their way into office, and the folks who do get elected will at least start out honest.
For me, Anthony Weiner will go not go down in history as the former U.S. Representative for New York’s 9th congressional district, but instead as the first politician to truly expose himself on Twitter.
