Some Unkind Thoughts about Silda Spitzer

I’m listening with only half an ear to all the push-and-shove on the airwaves tonight over “the wronged woman": that would be Silda Spitzer, wife of Eliot, the ultimate stand-by-your-man girl, looking drugged and catatonic beside the notorious Eliot as he reads his grudging and unrepentant resignation statement.

Lots of commentators, mainly though not only women, are saying—my God, how does she do it? And better why does she do it—inflict on herself the humiliation of smiling through the deluge (I liked the comic—I didn’t get her name—who said, “hey, let the mistress stand up with you”).

I’ve heard no end of women who say it would never happen to me, and God bless ‘em: it shouldn’t happen to anybody. And I’ve heard the TV shrinks who say look you’ve got to understand, he’s their children’s father, they have to do something to keep continuity.

Well, maybe, I guess, but I offer a slightly different thought.

We all know that Eliot was/is a super-achiever with a perfect LSAT and a 1590 SAT, and a take-no prisoners posture as a New York prosecutor (leaving aside the inherited fortune).

A superachiever with a killer instinct—and also, by everything we know, an industrial-strength bunghole. One of the most fascinating sights in the whole drama is the great non-event—the echoing silence from just about everybody who will not speak up for him and who are, well, yes, now that you mention it, a little glad to see him go.

But Silda. Start with two principles. One, every marriage is a deal. And two, she didn’t fall of the turnip truck.

Point is, to all appearances this babe knew just exactly what she was getting into. She married him while they were both at Harvard Law. Forget about the fall, she’s been with him through every step of his spectacular rise, while he clawed the faces off opponents and stepped on the faces of adversaries. She knew what the deal was, and she bought into the deal. I’d even give odds that she knew at least something about the hookers.

Letterman cracked last night that John No. 9 will soon be looking for Wife No. 2 but I’m not so sure. Apparently Spitzer has every intention of staying in the game: of being the same greedy, vengeful, narcissistic dweeb that he has been all along. They pay is good, and the glitter is kind of fun. I bet she'll stay around.

For perspective, I have a good bit more sympathy for Dina Matos McGreevey (link), aggrieved wife of New Jersey governor James McGreevey. She grew up in a traditional, sheltered Portuguese community; my guess is that she is far less sophisticated than Silda, far more likely to have been genuinely blinded by the glitter against the facts.

Update: It's a Sildapalooza!

Update II: Phew, and I thought I was harsh!.