I was fortunate enough to get an interview with Jim Twombly, Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Elmira College, some time political analyst on WENY-TV, Vice President of the New York State Political Science Association, and for the primary focus of this interview, the author of “Political Scandal and American Pop Culture: Sex, Power, and Cover-Ups” that just released its second edition.
1. Firstly, I just have to ask. As a fellow New Yorker, do you also take a perverse pride at how utterly corrupt our state’s politicians are? (I’m constantly reminding my family from Illinois that may THINK their state is corrupt, but New York is WAY more corrupt.)
I guess you could say that, but in the past, I have been involved in politics in New York and know quite a few politicians who are of excellent character. Unfortunately, it’s the ones with less character that get the headlines. There does seem to be a perverse competition between New York and some places like Illinois—it almost seems as though when one state “finishes” a current scandal the other says hold my beer. Still, corruption and scandal do seem to be universal. Perhaps New York and Illinois suffer most from political machine hangover.
2. I just finished reading the 2nd Edition of your book “Political Scandal and American Pop Culture: Sex, Power, and Cover-Ups.” What made you decide to research this area of politics?
At Elmira College, where I taught for the last 18 years of my career, there was a “Term III” where you could teach a course that traveled to a different location or on a subject not normally part of a typical academic curriculum. Some classes examined ecology out west or different cultures like Europe, India, South America, and Australia. If you stayed on campus, you had to offer courses that students would find interesting. I thought a class about political scandal might attract a good number of students and tying it to pop culture might attract more from outside of Political Science. After teaching the class a couple of times I found that the reading material available didn’t approach the subject matter in the way I wanted, so I wrote a book that did. After a few years, Palgrave Macmillan felt it was good enough to need a second edition with updated material.
3. For your book, how did you define a political scandal?
Defining scandal was a difficult task as noted in this quote from the book: “Like Justice Potter Stewart’s view of obscenity, we all know a scandal when we see one, whether it involves sex, money, or power, but can we clearly define it so it is not like art or obscenity?” Most definitions I came across talked about how the events, actions, or behaviors would be bad enough to evoke shock and/or disgrace. The events, actions, or behaviors would have been at least morally questionable or wrong, or they would have been illegal. For example, while having an affair is not necessarily illegal, many would consider it morally wrong. To lie about it to minimize the spread of knowledge about it also might not be illegal, but could be a breach of trust. To lie about it under oath would be illegal.
This would make scandal a bit different from corruption, which might not ever rise to the level of scandal, but happen “every day” like tax avoidance schemes or getting kickbacks. Cover-ups of corruption often do lead to scandal.
4. How did you decide when a scandal officially hit mainstream popular culture?
Here again, this is more of an eye of the beholder assessment. If Stephen Colbert takes a single monologue to make fun of a politician caught in a scandal and there is no other attention given to it, it is not likely we could consider it part of our pop culture. If Colbert, or Kimmel, or Fallon (or The Daily Show or SNL) keep after it, or if gets burned into our collective memory for an extended period of time, then it’s pop culture. It is also somewhat age dependent. That is, only people “of a certain age” will recognize that the suffix “gate” comes from Watergate or will remember the significance of “the blue dress” from the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal.
5. Do you think the prevalence of social media has allowed for more political scandals to become part of popular culture, or has it diluted the potency with more instances of micro outrages?
I think that it works both ways. Social media allow more scandals to get an airing, but unless they have some staying power—and sex scandals usually have more—they will be written off as just some social media trend.
6. How do you write a book like “Political Scandal and American Pop Culture” while scandals just keep erupting during the process?
This was difficult, especially for the second edition. I did acknowledge in the book that by the time it was released there could be many new scandals or updated information about ones already discussed. At some point, you just have to say that’s it and hope nothing comes out that contradicts anything you’ve already written. Palgrave Macmillan was great in allowing me the opportunity to update a couple of the court case outcomes that were announced after I had submitted the draft, but we hadn’t yet gone to press.
7. Do you find yourself surprised at what scandals are career ending versus ones that are mostly overlooked?
It is amazing how tolerant we as a society have become to scandals today that would have ended careers even just a decade or so ago. Certainly, politicians could sometimes survive a scandal if they appeared contrite and spent some time “in the wilderness”, but there is a bit of a puzzle in who gets away with things and who doesn’t. Trump seems to get away with more than anyone else in terms of being forgiven, while others who behave in a similar fashion do not. Perhaps that distinction could be the subject of another work down the road.
8. Jon Stewart, John Oliver, or Samantha Bee?
All three are great, but I have to admit that I haven’t really watched Oliver’s HBO show though I loved him when he was on The Daily Show, especially when he filled in for Stewart during the summer of Carlos Danger (Anthony Weiner). But, my favorite in late-night is Stephen Colbert.
9. What’s next? Do you have any upcoming projects that my readers should be aware of?
Oh, there are a few. From the past there’s The Preamble as Policy with Robert Irons. It’s a short read about how the Preamble to the Constitution forms the basis of much of our public policy development. Regarding what I’m currently working on, there is a project currently under review with Palgrave Macmillan (with two co-authors—Autumn Walden and Carolyn Phillips) about secession movements in our states. This is not so much about something like the Civil War, but more along the lines of parts of states seeking to split from that state. We start out with a discussion of the attempt by the Florida Keys to secede from Florida (and the United States) to become the Conch Republic. I’m also working on a project with another co-author (Lisa K. Parshall) that examines the way presidents view and impact our conception of federalism. Another project that is in development as an academic conference paper and may expand into a book is one that looks at the history, economics, and politics of the debt limit.
10. Parting Shot! Ask us at The Magical Buffet any one question.
What kinds of topics in my area might interest your readers?
I’d like it on record that I’m on board for third and fourth editions of “Political Scandal and American Pop Culture: Sex, Power, and Cover-Ups,” and hopefully after my readers check out this edition they’ll agree with me.
Out of the topics you discussed in the projects you’re working on, I’m most excited about secession movements in our states. (Tell your publisher to send me a copy!) I generally hear about individual states that want to secede (I’ve been given to understand that Vermont has a strong secessionist movement), and upstate New York is filled with people saying we should kick NYC out of New York (which I don’t agree with), so I find the whole idea interesting.
About Jim Twombly, PhD:
Professor Emeritus of Political Science, Elmira College,
Political Analyst, WENY-TV, Semi-retired
VP – New York State Political Science Association (nyspsa.org)
Author: “The Progression of the American Presidency: Individuals, Empire, and Change” (2013).
Author: “Political Scandal and American Pop Culture: Sex, Power, and Cover-Ups” (2018).
Co-Author: “Directing the Whirlwind: The Trump Presidency and the Deconstruction of the Administrative State” (October 30, 2020, with Lisa Parshall).
Co-Author: “The Preamble as Policy: A Guidebook to Governance and Civic Duty” (August 2021, with Robert Irons).
Co-Author: “Directing the Whirlwind: Deconstruction, Distrust, and the Future of American Democracy” (December 12, 2022 with Lisa Parshall).
Author: Political Scandal and American Pop Culture: Sex, Power, and Cover-Ups, 2nd ed. (July 2024).
Get your own copy here. (This is an affiliate link to my Bookshop, which supports independent bookstores throughout the United States. If you use this link to purchase the book, I will make a small commission at no additional cost to you.)
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Great interview!