Hi, Cynthia–
The news that Rudy Giuliani has prostate cancer is still too fresh for anyone to be able to guess how it’s going to play out. Giuliani himself wisely refused to speculate on whether he’ll be able to continue his campaign for the Senate. The early stories are pretty much straight-news set pieces, accompanied by sidebars explaining exactly what prostate cancer is, how it’s treated, and what you guys at home should be doing to make sure you don’t have it, too.
Still, when a public figure–especially a public official, who doesn’t have the luxury of hiding–gets sick, a certain media-political ritual kicks in. The key elements:
Laughing at death. Both the New York Times and Washington Post Web sites ran stories that made it sound like Giuliani was having something just short of the time of his life. “A relaxed and smiling Giuliani joked with reporters,” wrote the Post’s Ben White. The Times piece, by Christopher Wren and Daniel Wakin, reported that the mayor “appeared relaxed and at times joked with reporters.” Not to contradict the on-the-scene reporters, but in a one-minute-plus video clip of the news conference that was on the Times’ Web site, Giuliani struck me as subdued and ever-so-slightly unnerved. A transcript of his news conference revealed a few light comments, but this was obviously a serious and somber occasion, with one reporter–himself a cancer survivor–assuring the mayor there is “life after cancer.” Relaxation and smiles, in other words, appeared to be in short supply.
The picture of health. Let’s face it: Rudy Giuliani is a late-middle-age man who does not look like he’s completed any marathons lately, and whose father died of the very disease with which he’s just been diagnosed. Yet Giuliani emphasized what tremendous health he’s in otherwise, and the media followed suit. The Times: “He … stressed that he was otherwise in ‘terrific’ health. ‘I feel great,’ said the 55-year-old mayor.” MSNBC.com: “I’m in otherwise perfect health, just about.” And other than that, how was the play, Mrs. Lincoln?
Good wishes. No, really. I’m being careful not to use the word insincere, because cancer is a serious thing, and I don’t doubt that there was at least some degree of sincerity in the good wishes passed along by people who actually hate his guts. Still, the fact that Hillary Rodham Clinton (“Like all New Yorkers”–like all what?–“my prayers and best wishes are with the mayor for a full and speedy recovery”), Al Sharpton (“I would hope that he would do what he needs to do to stabilize his health and move forward”), and Rick Lazio (“My thoughts and prayers are with Mayor Giuliani, his wife, and his family at this difficult time”) all paid tribute serves mainly to emphasize how serious Giuliani’s condition really is.
It’s strange. It seems like Rudy and Hillary have been running for the Senate for the past five years, yet Giuliani still hasn’t even formally announced. Only yesterday did HRC agreed to debate Giuliani. Her Web site today touts a CNN-televised town meeting held in Buffalo last night, proclaiming, “Hillary: ‘I Will Get Up Everyday [sic] and Work My Heart Out in the Senate,’” as though the real concern was that, if elected, she might lie in bed and smoke crack all day. Giuliani-HRC promised to be a great fight, and maybe it still will be. But now there are more important considerations.
This story is no fun, but this week has been fun. I rarely get to New York, but the next time I do, I’ll look you up.
Take care,
Dan
