Filner v. Weiner: Why one is an above the fold story and the other isn't

[cali]

and is unlikely to be:

As someone pointed out, they're both essentially local stories, but one is happening in the media center of the Universe and the other is happening in a mid size city. But there's more to it than that. Neither men was powerful while in the House or known for getting much done legislatively, but Weiner had a talent for getting his face on camera that Filner lacked. Add to that that Weiner married a woman who is very close to power and who has, in her own right, received a fair amount of media attention such as a Vogue Magazine spread, articles in VF and other glossies, and who is quite beautiful. Filner was never of any importance in the House. He was never in the House leadership and in his 20 cumulative years, he had one committee chairmanship and that toward the end of his tenure.

Filner has evidently committed old fashioned sexual harassment. Weiner went hi tech and there were visuals as well as straight from the horse's mouth texts that were quite explicit in nature.

Weiner went through a very public lying/confession/redemption cycle. Then he rinsed and repeated after declaring himself a repentant new man. His fall came while he was busy declaring himself redeemed. His narcissism is awe inspiring.

Those are the reasons he's catnip to the NY media- and that means all the media. There's no insidious plan to take him down and there's no insidious reason why he receives a lot more coverage than Filner.

[FreeState]

1. Mid sized city?

San Diego it the 8th largest city in the US and the second largest in CA. I would not call that mid-sized. (Although the media tends to ignore San Diego in general, not just this instance.)

Filner has ducked the media mostly unlike Weiner, I think that has more to do with it than anything else.

[cali]

3. Fair enough. Let's just say, it's not a city that looms large in the national psyche the

way NY or Philly or LA or Chicago or SF, does.

I don't think it has nearly as much to do with Filner ducking the media as it does the elements I listed in the OP

[FreeState]

9. There are also some local issues not covered at all that people don't know

There are also some local issues not covered at all that people don't know, so obviously were not addressed in your OP. Just for beginners many of the local political party players (both sides, from grass routes to city council members) feel Filner is suffering from diminished capacity do to illness (stroke or some other illness).

I think if Filner had talked to the media it would be a much bigger story, and it still may be if he doesn't resign soon (its only a matter of time, however the local media who has been pushing for it and apparently have finally realized it won't bring another GOP Mayor - it will either be Todd Gloria (gay Democrat) or former republican, now independent, Nathan Fletcher).

[cali]

10. I didn't know about the diminished capacity guesswork going on but

I can't say it shocked me.

Are either of the possible replacements any good?

[FreeState]

11. Gloria is good but young

I didn't vote for him, there were two democrats running. However, outside of a disappointing vote on the Balboa Park parking structure, he has been excellent. He is very involved with the local community, I see him at the gym and he always says hi and asks if there is anything he could do for the area. He is about 40 I think on his second term.

[madinmaryland]

15. Heh! I thought San Diego was a back-country suburb of LA!!

[FreeState]

23. LOL n/t

[dionysus]

2. +1. but i read somewhere Filner will take down the whole Dem party in California!1!11

[cali]

4. I read that it could damage the Clintons!!!

I read that it could damage numerous dems in Congress!!!

[dionysus]

6. he'll cost us the senate....

[madinmaryland]

16. Really. You mention the name filner and this is Bill Clinton thinks of the former

coach of the Tennessee Volunteers football team (Phil Fulmer). As to both Weiner and Filner, this is Bill Clinton's thought (Hillary is texting Bill to stop laughing)...

[cthulu2016]

5. Because Weiner is a Democrat and Filner is... D'oh!

Seriously, though. Weiner is a bigger story because New York is a bigger deal and because going into it I knew a lot about Weiner and the background of the scandal and his family... I was already in the story.

People magazine didn't profile Filner a year ago to talk about how he doesn't sexually molest people.

Weiner was already a famous scandal-guy.

Think of it like the OJ Simpson robbery trial. It was just another Nevada robbery trial, but we all knew why it was covered.

[KamaAina]

7. Because there's no such thing as a "filner".

[pinboy3niner]

12. Or a 'Filnermobile'

[madinmaryland]

17. SHIT! I thought the former coach of the Tennessee Volunteers football team was

harassing women.

Oh wait, that would have been cboy4 the admitted graduate of Tennessee!!

[AnotherMcIntosh]

8. Filner upset the Bank of America. Weiner did not.

"Chalkgate and Yoga Controversies
The City Attorney’s prosecution of Jeff Olson on 13 counts of vandalism for writing in water-soluble chalk on a Bank of America sidewalk and parking lot has been washed away.

"The jury acquitted Olson on all counts in spite of Judge Howard Shore's refusal to allow a first amendment defense. After it lost the case, the City Attorney’s office blamed Olson for going to trial instead of accepting the pre-trial offer.

"The offer included 32-hours of community service, attending an 8-hour seminar by the "Corrective Behavior Institute," paying Bank of America $6,299 for having to wash off the chalk, waiving all Fourth Amendment rights against search and seizure and surrendering his driver's license for a three-year period.

"Olson’s attorney, Tom Tosdal, said on KPBS Midday Edition that Goldsmith’s office prosecuted the misdemeanor because Goldsmith was doing the bidding of Bank of America. Goldsmith's office said chalk drawing was graffiti and graffiti is vandalism, even if it washes off.

"The failed prosecution also fanned the flames of the feud between Mayor Filner, who derided the prosecution as a waste of time and money, and the city attorney.

http://www.kpbs.org/news/2013/jul/05/filner-goldsmith-chalk-yoga/

[Throd]

13. Because the only news that matters comes out of Manhattan or the Beltway.

The entire state of Indiana could disappear into a sinkhole and the story would still come after the Lincoln Tunnel having a lane closed for two hours.

[msongs]

14. one is fact and the other is allegation nt

[Bonobo]

18. Amazing the amount of times I see "narcissism" pop up on DU.

What is it about Americans that they seem to find "narcissism" to be such a powerful and important source of evil?

[pintobean]

19. This message was hidden by Jury decision.

[Bonobo]

20. You're a real gem, man. nt

[Brickbat]

21. Nailed it.

[DirkGently]

22. Weiner's famous. He was red-hot at one point.

Bottom line is "the media" writ large doesn't all get together and decide who's interesting, or who's more newsworthy.

Might be reasonable to suggest, as Rachel Maddow did, that some in the press feel tricked, as he made such a big deal out of his "new man" ness, apparently at the exact same time "Carlos Danger" was plying the cyber-waves in search of virtual kinky.

[GiaGiovanni]

24. Filner committed sexual assault; Weiner was just indiscreet

THAT's the real difference.

[cali]

25. uh no. We don't know if he committed sexual assault.

those are allegations. They may well be true, but at this point they're allegations and no criminal charges have been made. Not to mention that Weiner's behavior was indeed indiscreet but it extended quite a bit beyond that.

[GiaGiovanni]

26. OK, then. Filner committed alleged sexual assaults. Weiner just assaulted his phone.

.

[WinkyDink]

28. Because NYC rules, and I mean that in a positive way.