This is the press conference Adam Giambrone gave on Wednesday. It can be dissected it to death, but we might never really know what he was really thinking. What strikes me most (besides the fact that he does not finish his statement himself) is that he doesn’t look up from the piece of paper. Barely once does he glance at the throng of media assembled to hear him speak.
Many people have asked why we should even care about what Giambrone, or anyone else, does in their own private life, and why we should care if he is or is not monogamous with his partner — whether she is his wife, or his partner. For me, it’s not about the cheating, it’s about the lying.
When this scandal broke, I immediately felt for Sarah McQuarrie. Not because she was the one cheated on, but because she was being lied to (if the allegations were true, which they obviously were). Giambrone lied to the press when first confronted about this, denying the affair. And in doing so, effectively lied to the people and voters of Toronto.
As a woman, but more importantly, as a voter, it is the lying that bothers me the most.
I am a firm believer that if you choose to go into the public service, your personal life is no longer yours alone. It is something you have to be willing to give up. I don’t expect my politicians to be perfect, but I expect them to at least be honest when it comes to basic truths. Many have compared Giambrone to Mel Lastman, who had his own extramarital affair brought to light while he was mayor, the difference was he owned up to it.
Looking at Giambrone, all I see is another John Edwards — except this time, it appears his partner had no knowledge of these affairs.
I remember how outraged people were when they found out not only did Edwards cheat on his dying wife, but he continued to run for president, even after his wife found out about it. They were outraged. But now, people don’t seem to bat an eye. Many think he could have stayed in the race and survived this hiccup.
Maybe.
But something tells me his decision to drop out was not because he thought his mayoral aspirations were done, but rather he had to do so for personal reasons.
While that may be giving Giambrone too much credit, it would be the decent thing to do — not for him, but for those around him.
Especially his partner.
