Eliot Spitzer celebrated Christmas with his girlfriend Lis Smith and her family just one day after he and Silda Spitzer released a statement about their upcoming divorce.
The theme for Christmas dinner at the Smith home? “Look what the cat dragged in!” Spitzer is definitely a rat who doesn’t waste time or let the dust settle. It is regrettable that he is no longer in political office, he has all the attributes – a sleaze ball, morally and ethically bankrupt, all fine attributes for office in high position. And, evidently for some folks attributes that don’t get in the way of sharing sacred holidays.
Can you tell I don’t care for Eliot Spitzer or anyone else who condones his asinine behavior? Separated isn’t divorced and it doesn’t give anyone, regardless of their status the right to parade the girlfriend in public which in reality is slapping his wife of 26 years in the face…again, disrespecting his 3 daughters and blatantly showing the rest of us just what you he is made of.
Sptizer is a defined man. We all know who this guy is at heart (by now).What has me curious is who Lis Smith is. Why has she chosen him, a married man with a sordid past? What will it mean for her in the long-run?
Who is Lis Smith?
Smith is a woman who has chosen to become romantically involved with a public figure known for shenanigans, due to that she has now become a public figure. When you become a public figure you become a target of the press or anyone else with an opinion about the choices you make.
That is good old common sense. “When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.”
Smith was the mayor-elect, Bill deBlasio’s spokeswoman during the homestretch of his campaign and for his transition to Gracie Mansion. She is a veteran Democratic operative who led the “rapid response” team for President Obama’s 2012 campaign, worked as a spokeswoman for Spitzer in the primary election for city controller that he lost in September. She also worked on the Obama campaign as director of rapid response.
Smith is 31; a Dartmouth graduate who apparently has a thing for bad boys. She dated former Missouri State Sen. Jeff Smith from 2005 to 2009, before he was locked up in a federal pen for obstruction after a probe of the state’s 2004 election.
Smith, who is a Bronx native, must be an intelligent woman, but going for the “bad boys” might not be the smartest thing she’s ever done…that whole wallow with pigs thing?
Why has she chosen another bad boy?
Only Lis Smith can answer that question. Like I said above, she has chosen to make herself a public figure so; I’m choosing to share my thoughts on why an intelligent woman would consciously behave in such a detrimental way. And detrimental it is, her reputation is at stake, her position and career are at stake, she has a lot to lose. Someone should have told her that Spitzer isn’t worth it.
I would imagine that Lis Smith is like the rest of us, she is navigating her way through a complicated life trying to do the best she can. More than likely she is kind, considerate and well mannered. I’m sure she is independent and smart as hell as and more than anything, again like the rest of us, longs for happiness and love.
She may be a dreamer, an idealist who believes in fairy-tales. She isn’t someone who is going to give up until she has created her own happy ending. In pursuit of that happy ending she has found herself the girlfriend of a married man. A media bone during a slow news Christmas?
On the other hand, she could be unethical, selfish, and immoral and attracted to the idea of taking something that doesn’t belong to her. Whoever she is, her ultimate obligation is to herself and from my perspective she has failed to do right by herself.
What could the relationship with Spitzer mean for her?
It will probably mean the end of her position asBill de Blasio’s communications director. Spitzer, due to his history is a bad memory; her romantic association with him will not reflect will on deBlasio. Her relationship with a man who still has his own public and political ambitions will lead to conflicts of interest. Is he using the mayor’s office via Smith? Is he influencing the mayor’s office via Smith?
Her association with Spitzer SHOUTS lousy professional judgment. How can deBlasio not insist she resign or, out right fire her? For those who don’t see a professional problem for her, we aren’t talking about two 7-11 employees. For Smith this is about professionalism and the scrutiny she and deBlasio will face due to negative press and public impression.
Personally? Well let’s hope she likes sharing. Because she will end up sharing him, whether she thinks she will or not because the same thing she likes about him, other women do also and Spitzer isn’t known for turning down some tail feather, not often anyway.
My final thought on Lis Smith, not only did she fail in her obligation to herself, but in her obligation to women in general. She didn’t do right by herself and when a woman can’t put her own well-being first, you can bet she doesn’t give a damn about other women’s wellbeing. It’s about gender solidarity – good woman won’t screw over another woman. That is just a fact of life, one that Smith evidently never learned.
When the Spitzer scandal came down, I was sad and mortified that Silda blamed herself for part of her husband’s shenangans. I wondered to myself how a very smart, ivy-league educated, mother of 3 daughters could have such a 1950’s viewpoint. I was upset that she, like so many political wives, “stood by her man.”
And now, the cheating scumbag ends up moving on anyway. To a 31 year old. Silda’s loyalty just prolonged the inevitable and bit her in the ass.
Spitzer belongs to that group of successful, powerful, men who feel entitled to any shiny, new, toy that catches their eye. Narcissit know how to love-bomb and their strong personalities are intriguing to many women. Especially younger, successful women who find most men their own age less motivated and unsure of themselves.
Lis Smith may think she won the game by becoming engaged to married man, but she should expect the same behavior from Spitzer that Silda experienced.
“Love” can turns us into throwbacks from another era, that is for sure. It can cause us to take responsibility for things we don’t own and make bad choices. I think Silda was just trying to make sense of it all and like most of us women took on blame that wasn’t hers.
I’ve never been in her situation so have no idea what I would do. I know I would be devastated by the betrayal and that might make me a little cuckoo. Any time any of us choose to stay in a toxic relationship we do prolong the inevitable. Very sad for all involved!
I’m of the opinion that Silda is a hell of a lot shinier than Lis Smith but evidently his fragile, narcissistic ego needed stroking and with men like him that is easy to come by. I have to chuckle at the thought of Smith thinking she is special and you know she does think that. It will be interesting to see if she stands by him when he does the same to her that he has done to his wife. I’m thinking she won’t.
She knows the kind of guy she hooked up with. She won’t change him. So when he behaves like a deuchebag to her, she will deserve every ounce of it. I won’t feel sorry for her. This story is just cringeworthy. He is disgusting and she’s with a disgusting man. Shame on her. Shame on her for being part of this man’s attempt to inflict more emotional pain and trauma on his children. Yuck for both of them.
Lizzy, some people have no shame. I’ve read more today about her and it is icky stuff. And her mother seems to be a real winner, someone who thinks her daughter’s relationship with Spitzer is good stuff. Nauseating to me. The benefit of the doubt I was willing to give her when I wrote the article is all gone.
Lizzy, some people have no shame. I’ve read more today about her and it is icky stuff. And her mother seems to be a real winner, someone who thinks her daughter’s relationship with Spitzer is good stuff. Nauseating to me. The benefit of the doubt I was willing to give her when I wrote the article is all gone.
I continue to be disgusted with the amazing lengths some women are determined to go to attach themselves to a high profile man.
These women pursue self-absorbed men who are well-off and in a position of power no matter what the consequences are and both involved are truly heartless about the relentless, nerve-crushing pain they dish up to the current spouse, their children, their families and everyone around them who sees this taking place.
I personally experienced this twice during my husband’s two long affairs during my 20 year long marriage. My husband, our 3 kids and I had relocated all over the U.S. 7 times for my husband’s career to increase our family income and move into larger homes. I dealt with all the disruptions that came from moving our entire family so many times- changing schools, docs, friends, etc. I also was fully responsible for the kids due to my husband’s constant travel schedule for work.
Both women who had affairs with my husband had visited our new large suburban home, met our 3 kids and wanted that lifestyle for themselves no matter what they had to do to get it. They had seen what they wanted and had met me and the kids even before they got physically involved with my husband.