Matt Gaetz may write a book someday but I doubt if the topic of it will be how to win friends and influence people. The impression people got of him as a younger man is pretty much what people think of him now, which is that he’s an “attention seeker with a frat boy vibe” and way too much into the partying lifestyle. Business Insider interviewed 14 of Gaetz’ former classmates from William & Mary Law School and they got an interesting perspective as to how this corner of the world regards Gaetz.
One former law-school classmate regularly trolls Gaetz on Twitter by welcoming the congressman’s critics to the “Matt Haetz Society.”
Others circulate stories to each other via group texts when outrageous headlines break, such as a report about Gaetz snorting cocaine with a paid escort or a story that the congressman showed his congressional colleagues nude photos of women — an allegation, among others, that has subjected Gaetz to a congressional ethics investigation. [,,,]
Of the more than 500 William & Mary Law School alumni who signed a petition urging Gaetz to resign, 34 of them were members of Gaetz’s own class of 2007, of which there were about 200 people overall. In the letter, the alumni assailed Gaetz for voting to overturn the 2020 presidential election results; perpetuating a baseless theory that antifa adherents — not pro-Trump activists — perpetrated the January 6 attack on the US Capitol; and mocking the coronavirus pandemic by wearing a gas mask on the House floor. […]
Another former classmate mentioned Gaetz’s claims that question the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election.
“In doing that he’s undermining our system of government and the rule of law,” that person said. “In my view that’s not appropriate conduct for an attorney to be engaging in.” The person continued: “Obviously, it’s not great to have Matt be among our alumni. It’s not really the person you want to point to as a role model.” […]
The alumni letter demanding his resignation said Gaetz was “the antithesis of a citizen lawyer and he cannot be trusted with the laws of our nation.”
William & Mary Law School representatives did not respond to Insider’s request for comment about whether Gaetz has upheld the “citizen lawyer” ethic.
The “citizen lawyer” reference is to a comment by Thomas Jefferson, founder of the school, who said that a lawyer shouldn’t just show up to court, s/he should give back something to society. Matt Gaetz is a gimme, not a give back, kind of a guy.
He’s been asked to resign from Congress by former classmates and by members of the public at large. Plus Newsmax snubbed him recently, when it was revealed that he spoke to them about a job on their network in the event he “left Congress early” and they said no offer had been made.
Gaetz has painted himself into a corner. It’s hard to have empathy for somebody who has so consistently shown so little regard for others around him, not to mention that he seems to have zero problem exploiting the vulnerable if there’s a benefit to him.
Of course! He is an Ethical Egoist. He makes moral decisions based upon what benefits HIM, not “US”, HIM. Just the type of politician you DON’T want pulling the levers of government and deciding how to spend OUR tax dollars.
That’s a narcissist. Ethics aren’t involved.
P J, I actually had to look up “ethical egoist” and it does seem fairly close to classic narcissism. From Wiki:
“Ethical egoism is the normative ethical position that moral agents ought to act in their own self-interest.” (About “moral agents,” Wiki has this: “A moral agent is ‘a being who is capable of acting with reference to right and wrong’.” It doesn’t simply mean the “being” has to be moral in the sense of “moral vs immoral.” Presumably, a “moral agent” can be immoral.)
Narcissistic Personality Disorder seems to be a common ailment among the trust fund baby set…..Gaetz, Trump, Carlson etc…..
If he writes a book…Well, Fredo (aka Donald Trump Jr.) already has the “Daddy – PLEASE Love Me!” title taken, as well as the extended plea for daddy to not think he’s a loser.
Maybe Gaetz’s book title (and working theme) will be “How To Win (Sleazy) Friends By Buying Them Hookers and Blow”
He probably thinks ‘Ethics’ is an English county next to Thuthex
His lawyers will note that she was “barely illegal” and he was under the influence of the Beatles song, “I Saw Her Standing There”. “She was just seventeen, you know what I mean.”
W & M’s law school entrance requirements must be about par with Falwell’s P.O.S. institution-almost non-existent. Knowing Gaetz was accepted means if one of my kids want to go to W & M, I’m going to say “no way kid, pick another or pay for it yourself”. No effing way I’d waste my money on what is pretty obviously a cr*p education if Gaetz is anything to go by.
Denis Elliot:
1) Ha! That was funny.
2) I have wondered given that you spell it with 1 n, do you pronounce your name the english way or do you pronounce it the french way as it’s spelled: “D’nee”?