How could Foley be so stupid?

[springhill]

A question many people ask. I'm just guessing that the intense urges to gratify himself must be worth to him the risk he is taking in getting caught.

[Avalux]

1. It's called hubris.

He thought he was above the law; operated in a protected environment and probably never crossed his mind he's get caught. All that power.

[MrCoffee]

5. I have no power at all, and get caught up in compulsions all the time.

[Avalux]

6. Hmm. Question then -

might they be worse if you did have power?

[MrCoffee]

10. Probably not...but the ramifications certainly would be.

I can understand why you said hubris. Personally, i think it's less about the power of a Congressman and more about the baser desires taking over. The power aspect gets caught up in it because he has some. I'm no psychologist, but "weak" people do incredibly stupid, hurtful, and sometimes downright evil things all the time, and it never seems to have any direct relationship to their percieved level of power/influence.

Could be that I don't have any idea what I'm talking about, as well.

(This doesn't get into the "power" aspect of the pedophile domiating the child/victim, of course)

[Avalux]

15. I see your point.

He would be doing those things whether a congressman or not. Still though - I guess I am disgusted by his sponsoring of legislation to protect children now knowing his behavior; can't help but think he felt untouchable.

[MrCoffee]

16. Certainly the hypocracy is deplorable, but then, aren't most pedophiles

hypocrits in the sense that very few of them publicly advocate the actions that they take? It's all a matter of degree, I suppose. (On edit: Foley's hypocracy is orders of magnitude greater, due to his sponsorship of the legislation.)

It's thoroughly reprehensible and vile.

[Yupster]

18. It is an interesting point

A guy gives in to his compulsions that he knows will devastate him if found out and are likely to be found out.

It's not like no one ever thought of having sex with interns and pages before. This is about the fourth congressional scandal on the subject I remember.

So how can a seemingly smart person be that incredibly stupid, or risky, or whatever.

[bdamomma]

23. they all think they are above the law

I just hope more of those Pages squeal.

[waiting for hope]

2. Hubris and arrogance...

I'm sure he knew he had been ratted on and probably felt he would be protected.

[DUgosh]

7. arrogance - he learned by the example of the king

* gets away with everything so why shouldn't he

[auburngrad82]

21. Exactly. Same with Cunninghame, DeLay, Ney, Abramoff...

The position of power makes them feel like they can get away with anything.



Liberal bumper stickers

[wakeme2008]

3. How many guys go to McD's to meet that HOT 13 yo girl

only to find out he is 35 and a Police Officer...

:shrug:

[Catherine Vincent]

4. I wonder about that myself.

[napi21]

8. First, I think he expected his Pub buddies to shield him, and

second,I think he actually believed IM's aren't retained anywhere! I bet he was shocked to find his IM words not only retainedbut published!

[liberal N proud]

9. Arrogance breeds self confidence which leads to stupidity

They all thought they were better than the rest of the people and could use and abuse people as they wished. If you have a sick person who becomes arrogant, they then become confident in the power they wield over these innocent people. Arrogance + confidence that they will get away with it produced the actual stupid acts.


GOP = Grand Old Pedophiles

[leeroysphitz]

11. The risk taking my be part or even all of the "kick"...

[seabeyond]

12. iasked the same of bill. this is the only place i put the two in same

sentence. but it struck me when you ask.....

[dkofos]

13. For some people it is just easy.

My guess is he really didn't understand the technology he was dealing with.
He probably thought he was anonymous.
And when he was outed last year he knew it would be easy to pay people off, (the gop way).

Just another Greedy Old Pervert

[novalib]

14. STUPID???!!!!

How could Foley be so STUPID??!!!

He's a REPUBLICAN!!

Republicans = STUPID!!!!

[zbdent]

17. Well, with the media basically fellating the Repukes

for the past few years, he probably didn't think that the tide would turn, and that Repukes would ever fear having to be held accountable ...

But then, Katrina hit, and gas prices soared, and the Republicans focused on flag burning and abortion ...

[genie_weenie]

19. As Polybius stated from the

Rise and Fall of Aristocratic Rule:
but having been bred up from the first under the shadow of their fathers' authority and lofty position—some of them gave themselves up with passion to avarice and unscrupulous love of money, others to drinking and the boundless debaucheries which accompanies it, and others to the violation of women or the forcible appropriation of boys...

[paparush]

20. I can't believe he was STUPID enough to use his @mail.house.gov

email account...sheesh!

[Lars39]

22. Your subject line makes it sound like you're sorry he got caught.

[Freddie Stubbs]

24. He is not the first emember of Congress to mess with pages

[wiley]

25. The spoils of Republican Power: Virgins and Young Boys

What Hastert and Shimkus and Boehner and Reynolds allowed to happen was no big deal to them, until they were implicated in it. The desire to affirm their status by wielding their power over a virtually powerless child makes the implications meaningless to them - it's the point. They get off on it, but it's less about sex than about the spoils of power unchecked, corrupting absolutely.