Larry Gerston believes that Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa may have written the first lines of his political obituary this week by acknowledging a long-running affair with a television newscaster who covered City Hall. Other analysts say not so fast: If the mayor sticks to his political knitting, there is plenty of time to recover -- he is only halfway through his first four-year term as mayor. And voters can be very forgiving, as Villaraigosa himself proved by winning election despite admitting a separate affair in that nearly ended his marriage.
Villaraigosa has yet to weigh in on any aspect of the unfolding scandal since Tuesday, when he admitted his affair with Telemundo newscaster Mirthala Salinas.
Starting Monday, the mayor will pay special attention to education, emphasizing his efforts to improve the Los Angeles public schools, and announce a program to fill , potholes over the next year.
That may be easier said than done. If history is any guide, however, Villaraigosa may be able to bounce back in the long run from a catastrophic week that saw pictures of him and Salinas on the front pages of newspapers and on television broadcasts across the nation. Villaraigosa now finds himself the butt of jokes stampeding across late-night television, talk radio, Internet blogs and newspaper columns.
One radio host this week invited listeners to suggest nicknames, none of them flattering. But strategists widely agree that campaigning with Villaraigosa, at least for the time being, might pose political peril for Clinton, whose own husband was infamous for his indiscretions. Villaraigosa is thought to be an almost certain candidate in the gubernatorial race, with some considering him a strong contender.
