Five things Adam Giambrone can learn from Eliot Spitzer

Five things Adam Giambrone can learn from Eliot Spitzer

Spitzer lends Giambrone a hand (Images: Tsar Kasim, from the Toronto Life Flickr pool; Center for American Progress)

Last week, the New York Times ran a profile of Eliot Spitzer—former New York governor and connoisseur of high-class prostitutes—that details his recent comeback. He’s on TV again, in magazines and papers and classrooms, making his redemption as public as his fall from grace. It seems to be working for him. Of course, he’s not the only public servant to give up political dreams due to sexual indiscretions. Adam Giambrone just announced that he’s stepping out of politics for a while, but has already hinted that he’ll be back one day. Hey, if Spitzer can do it, why not Giambrone? Here’s how:

1. Get a forgiving base
The first secret is that there’s really no secret. Look at the list of people who have had successful post–sex scandal careers: Bill Clinton, Rob Lowe and Ted Kennedy all did way worse things than misuse a city taxi chit. “You can be rehabilitated and make a comeback and get away with really bad behaviour,” Doug Muzzio, a professor of public affairs, told the Times. “It depends on your base.” Great advice, but it makes us wonder: who is Giambrone’s base? He’d better hope it’s not TTC riders.

2. Be patient—there’s always another, even worse, scandal around the corner
Spitzer was lucky that Rod Blagojevich and his incredible hair were recorded by federal agents discussing how best to sell President Obama’s Senate seat. With former Conservative cabinet minister Helena Guergis presently suffering the slings and arrows of being booted from caucus, maybe things are starting to turn around for young Giambrone.

3. After some time apart, reunite with the media
The Times article lists Spitzer’s appearances on MSNBC and Fox News, as well as giving luncheon interviews, writing columns for slate.com and, of course, getting smacked around a little by Stephen Colbert. Lord knows what Rick Mercer would do to Giambrone given the opportunity, though a twice-monthly column might work—say, advice on how to balance a busy social calendar?

4. The ladies can bounce back, too
Ashley Dupré, the call girl to whom Spitzer was linked, now has a sex column in the New York Post. We heard that Kristen Lucas wants to be a model. Now that everyone in Toronto knows what she looks like, her career is just waiting to take off.

5. Listen to that voice that says “Don’t do it”
This line from the Times piece speaks for itself: “He wrought his achievements, he said, by thinking outside of the box, by ignoring conventional wisdom that said, ‘You can’t do that.’” Needless to say, ignoring that little voice of restraint can sometimes take you too far.

• Spitzer’s Long Road to Redemption [New York Times]

This was updated on April 12 at 11.39 a.m.