Before I proceed, let’s make sure we are talking about the same thing. Sexting is defined as follows: “when people send or receive sexual pictures, messages, or videos through technology, e.g. cell phone, app, email, or webcam. The word comes from a combination of the words sex and text.”
I for one have never engaged in sexting, but there must be something severely wrong with me, because I have never copulated with a chicken, paraded around in women’s undergarments, nor aroused myself by asphyxiation.
All of this is preamble to an important point I wish to make, and one which you to my knowledge have never read in the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal—i.e. that sexting more than anything else has altered recent history.
Most of you probably remember when Anthony Weiner (what a schmuck) was sexting photos of his crown jewels. The FBI was looking into this when it came upon some of Hillary Clinton’s emails on his computer, and shortly before the 2016 election reopened the investigation into her private emails. Most pundits agree that the reopening of the investigation cost her the election and gave us Trump. In other words, sexting caused much of what has transpired during the past four years.
You would think by now that everybody has learned sexting can cause irreparable harm not only to one’s marriage, but also to the body politic, but au contraire. Earlier this month it came to light that the Democratic candidate for the United States Senate from North Carolina was sexting. Fortunately for him, he was not sexting his crown jewels like Anthony Weiner (what a schmuck—I cannot speak of him without the label), but he was sexting flirtatious remarks to a woman other than his wife.
So just as four years ago the presidency was impacted by sexting, this time around control of the United States Senate might also be influenced by sexting. The polls currently show that the Democrats, who need to net three more seats to control the Senate if Biden wins, are looking likely to win their Senate races in Arizona, Colorado, and Maine, and are projected to lose their seat in Alabama. Several of the other Senate races in South Carolina, Georgia, and Iowa are too close to call. All of this brings us back to the outcome in North Carolina, where before the sexting incident the race looked extremely promising for the Democrats with their candidate leading by several points. The race seems to be narrowing, and the fate of the United States Senate may well hang in the balance.
So just as journalist Chris Wallace advised the American public to “Wear the damn mask,” I hereby warn all public officials, especially Democrats who want to get elected, “Stop your damn sexting!”