Politician's wives: Show support or skedaddle?

How to publicly react to the news that your husband happens to have a call girl on speed dial? N.Y. Governor Eliot Spitzer's wife, Silda, looks slightly sedated and in need of a vodka gimlet as her husband tries to suck his entire face into his mouth.

L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's wife, Corina, divorced her husband after he was outed for having an affair. This photo (right) taken during the 2005 inauguration seems to point to trouble in River City.

Do these wives sacrifice self-respect when they stand by their men?

Photos: Getty Images

Comments

[emily]

I don't think so at all. You have to remain classy and dignified when in public (no matter the humiliating event). Then you kick his butt in private and take him for all he's worth in the divorce.

[kat]

I have mused and mused about this over the years. Everytime one of these bastards gets stuck with his hand in the cookie jar, some stepford-wife looking broad stands there beside him with a look of defiance, anguish or unconditional support on her face. It's the same every time.

I always feel seething contempt for these women because they are weak, and they are dormats, and they are willing to sell their souls to keep up the status quo. I suppose the women enjoy the power too and don't want to lose it. Even Hillary, queen of the ball busters, did it.

But then I wonder. What I would do if the whole world was attacking my husband. . . join in? I don't know. It must be hard for Silda Spitzer to watch people enjoying her husband's crash and burn so much. If she loves him at all it must be painful to see him be set upon by a pack of blood thirsty hyennas.

Maybe she doesn't want to be one of them. Especially with their children watching.
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[Ariana Aguilera]

Affairs in politics! Woa, seems like now we are seeing more of it than WAY back then. And to answer the question, "Do these wives sacrifice self-respect when they stand by their men? " In the case of Antonio and Corina Villaraigosa the answer is a definite NO because after the '07 affair they split. Watching the news and hearing about the phone conversations of Eliot Spitzer, just plainly disgusted me, will his wife Silda forgive him? Will have to wait for that answer, because to us its still unknown. Also the affair we now seem to have forgotten about was Bill and Hillary Clinton, they definitely were able to solve the drama that happened with Monica, so this is a YES answer.. Now the question is "Will Bill sacrifice self-respect when he stands by his wife Hillary?" I would also like to see who will be the next political couple to have sparks fly of an affair...

[oldstylewomenwithnoselfrespect]

You can love someone but not at the cost of personal and family humiliation.
These men have taken their wives and families for granted.
Love doesn't mean accepting torture in private or public.
These men need mothers and not the love and dedication of wives and families---they can therefore accept the consequences and do without and that is their choice.
Part of the reason i don't respect Hilary is that she did the old style Jesus/martyr act and she subsequently brings that attitude and baggage of a carousing husband with her if she were to again become the inhabitant of the White House---all those ugly dramas and distractions that brought us the last 8 years of the pendulum swing to massive incompence, cronyism, and corrumption as the alternative in the White House.

[cecily parseletti]

This is sad for his kids. This is sad for Hilary because when he resigns tomorrow Hilary loses a crucial super delegate. The wife and kids will have to get the moving boxes out and pack up their stuffed animals and family photos at the governor's mansion. His wife I hope got an aids test when she found out and then got her sedatives with unlimited refills. Harvard Law School degrees don't add up to all that much sometimes...I know we are suppose to be impressed by that but why really? Men who visit prostitutes seem predatory to me. I am so mad at him. The deputy governor seems like a nice man, that's a good thing. This sucks for us liberal NYers. boo hoo. I need a shot of B12 this week.

[IonaTrailer]

Spitzer has THREE teen-aged daughters, and if the news is correct, he spent something like $80K on hookers that should have gone to his children. Like for college, or to start a business, or something.

For that, I wouldn't be standing by my man. I'd let him suffer the embarrassment by himself. And then take him to court.

[easy to judge]

It is easy for all of us to sit here on the outside and judge a marriage, but we know very little about the relationship between a husband and wife. I have so much respect for those who try to stay true to the "better or worse" part of marriage. It's hard to imagine what is worse than this kind of betrayal. Maybe they won't make it. But maybe they will. Loyalty to your family and to your vows does not make you weak.