Alec Baldwin may use the scandal over Congressman Anthony Weiner's online habits to thrust himself into the New York mayoralty race.
Photograph by: Mario Anzuoni / Reuters, National Post
NEW YORK — The Facebook and Twitter indiscretions of U.S. Congressman Anthony Weiner appear set to scuttle his ambition of becoming mayor of New York — but actor Alec Baldwin appears ready to fill the embattled politician's shoes as a candidate to run the City that Never Sleeps.
The star of 30 Rock has mused since the 1990s about entering politics, and was an active commentator on civic issues a decade ago when he lived with former wife Kim Basinger and their daughter Ireland in the exclusive Long Island community of East Hampton.
But he also has his own past scandals — such as the one that erupted over his angry 2007 voice mail to Ireland, then 11, calling her a "rude, thoughtless little pig" for not picking up the phone when she knew he'd be calling.
Indeed, some might argue that just about the only time Baldwin's been seen to be consistently diplomatic was when he played the part of Mr. Conductor in the children's movie Thomas and the Magic Railroad in 2000.
None of which stopped Baldwin's representative, Matthew Hiltzik, from tweeting Wednesday about a possible mayoral run for Baldwin, saying he — the rep — "wouldn't rule it out."
Baldwin himself muddied the waters with a series of tweets. One contained the YouTube address of a clip from the 1949 musical On the Town showing Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly and Jules Munshin performing the song New York, New York.
In another, he said it was a "long way 'til November of 2013" — the month the next mayoral election will take place to choose a successor to current Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
In yet another, Baldwin said that Weiner, who sits as a Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives for a constituency that straddles the New York boroughs of Queens and Brooklyn, should not resign over the current scandal. But whether he steps down after admitting Monday to having had inappropriate online exchanges with at least six women, opinion polls since the scandal broke show that he is now virtually unelectable as mayor after being a favourite to win.
With other likely candidates in the race having far less name recognition beyond the people who track civic politics, word emerged Wednesday that Baldwin fancied his chances at being elected on a Democratic ticket.
"Alec said, 'Hey, maybe this changes the race. The dynamics have shifted,'" according to an unidentified Baldwin friend cited by the online news outlet The Daily.
"The Democrats need a high-profile candidate, and Alec can fill that bill."
Stars who've gone on to politics include, just to cite the higher-profile examples, Ronald Reagan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Clint Eastwood and Sonny Bono.
By contrast, other likely mayoral candidates for New York's 2013 race include city council Speaker Christine Quinn, councilman Bill de Blasio and former New York comptroller Bill Thompson, who lost to Bloomberg after the mayor had New York City's term limit withdrawn and stood for a third term in 2009.
But experts say Baldwin's name recognition and fame may not be enough.
"The rule is you have to have done something executive-like to be considered a candidate for office," said David Epstein, a political-science professor at Columbia University.
"That's what Bloomberg had, obviously. It's even what Schwarzenegger had, because he was a businessman as well as an actor. When it comes down to it, people are going to wonder about his knowledge and ability to run a large organization."
Baldwin noted during a 1997 interview with The New Yorker, when he was 39, that the "men and women who run the world are in their 50s." Now 53, he told CNN in January that he is "very very interested" in running for political office. While he admitted that to leave acting would be "extremely painful," he has already said 2012 will be his last year on 30 Rock.
Baldwin is sufficiently left-leaning that even New York's far-left Working Families Party considered him for its gubernatorial ticket last year.
As for Baldwin's political skills, he spurred many of his East Hampton neighbours to call for him to leave the country after he said he would move overseas if George W. Bush entered the White House.
"I decided to stay around to fight with you ignorant people," he snapped at a town meeting during which he'd been railing against plans over a building project.
A little more than a year later, newspaper columnists were raging after he said in Florida and New York that Bush's disputed presidential victory in 2000 was a tragedy equalling the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
The star of 30 Rock has mused since the 1990s about entering politics, and was an active commentator on civic issues a decade ago when he lived with former wife Kim Basinger and their daughter Ireland in the exclusive Long Island community of East Hampton.
But he also has his own past scandals — such as the one that erupted over his angry 2007 voice mail to Ireland, then 11, calling her a "rude, thoughtless little pig" for not picking up the phone when she knew he'd be calling.
Indeed, some might argue that just about the only time Baldwin's been seen to be consistently diplomatic was when he played the part of Mr. Conductor in the children's movie Thomas and the Magic Railroad in 2000.
None of which stopped Baldwin's representative, Matthew Hiltzik, from tweeting Wednesday about a possible mayoral run for Baldwin, saying he — the rep — "wouldn't rule it out."
Baldwin himself muddied the waters with a series of tweets. One contained the YouTube address of a clip from the 1949 musical On the Town showing Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly and Jules Munshin performing the song New York, New York.
In another, he said it was a "long way 'til November of 2013" — the month the next mayoral election will take place to choose a successor to current Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
In yet another, Baldwin said that Weiner, who sits as a Democrat in the U.S. House of Representatives for a constituency that straddles the New York boroughs of Queens and Brooklyn, should not resign over the current scandal. But whether he steps down after admitting Monday to having had inappropriate online exchanges with at least six women, opinion polls since the scandal broke show that he is now virtually unelectable as mayor after being a favourite to win.
With other likely candidates in the race having far less name recognition beyond the people who track civic politics, word emerged Wednesday that Baldwin fancied his chances at being elected on a Democratic ticket.
"Alec said, 'Hey, maybe this changes the race. The dynamics have shifted,'" according to an unidentified Baldwin friend cited by the online news outlet The Daily.
"The Democrats need a high-profile candidate, and Alec can fill that bill."
Stars who've gone on to politics include, just to cite the higher-profile examples, Ronald Reagan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Clint Eastwood and Sonny Bono.
By contrast, other likely mayoral candidates for New York's 2013 race include city council Speaker Christine Quinn, councilman Bill de Blasio and former New York comptroller Bill Thompson, who lost to Bloomberg after the mayor had New York City's term limit withdrawn and stood for a third term in 2009.
But experts say Baldwin's name recognition and fame may not be enough.
"The rule is you have to have done something executive-like to be considered a candidate for office," said David Epstein, a political-science professor at Columbia University.
"That's what Bloomberg had, obviously. It's even what Schwarzenegger had, because he was a businessman as well as an actor. When it comes down to it, people are going to wonder about his knowledge and ability to run a large organization."
Baldwin noted during a 1997 interview with The New Yorker, when he was 39, that the "men and women who run the world are in their 50s." Now 53, he told CNN in January that he is "very very interested" in running for political office. While he admitted that to leave acting would be "extremely painful," he has already said 2012 will be his last year on 30 Rock.
Baldwin is sufficiently left-leaning that even New York's far-left Working Families Party considered him for its gubernatorial ticket last year.
As for Baldwin's political skills, he spurred many of his East Hampton neighbours to call for him to leave the country after he said he would move overseas if George W. Bush entered the White House.
"I decided to stay around to fight with you ignorant people," he snapped at a town meeting during which he'd been railing against plans over a building project.
A little more than a year later, newspaper columnists were raging after he said in Florida and New York that Bush's disputed presidential victory in 2000 was a tragedy equalling the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
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