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Saturday 1 December 2007

Barring a remarkable explanation from the Giuliani campaign or a superlatively craven trad med press meltdown, Rudy’s campaign is likely to be destroyed by this story. Two things capture the American attention like no other: sex and money. Only scandals involving sex or money garner any serious public interest. Even then, a money scandal without sex leads most Americans to yawn. And dogged persistence can outlast most sex scandals (see Vitter, David). But when you combine the two — when you add adultery to misappropriation of taxpayer money — magical things happen. It’s like that beautiful chemical reaction when heat, yeast, and sugar meet. There’s an unusual smell, then lots of hot air, and then everything blows up real big. People can’t turn their eyes away from the unholy marriage of lust and lucre. And no amount of 9/11ing can distract the attention of a wild-eyed press from the shame. Dead Man Debating

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