The PR Plan to Elect Eliot Spitzer

To some, he is simply, "Governor."

To others, he is "Client No. 9."

To still others, he is just another annoying, cloying social climber, who craves the spotlight, despite suffering a public embarrassment that would have driven most of us into perpetual hibernation.

Spitzer in an MSNBC appearance last week.

But whatever you call him, with the successful filing of petition signatures for the election for Comptroller of the City of New York, Eliot Spitzer, as those paragons of popular culture AC/DC once put it, "is back in the ring to take another swing."

And now, having solidified his right to compete for the office, here is the public relations prescription that Mr. Spitzer will use to become New York City's next comptroller.

1. Express unrelenting transgressional candor.

Eliot Spitzer was the highest office holder in New York State, and he broke the law by frequenting prostitutes. Thassa' fact, Jack.  There's no way that Spitzer can obscure this fact, downplay it or escape it.

Instead, he must acknowledge what he did, provide no slimy alibi for what he did, apologize for what he did, and promise to do better.

And so he has.

Spitzer, like the equally-mortified Anthony Weiner, has accepted the fact that some will always despise him and that hecklers will always be within shouting distance. There's nothing he can do to change that.

So admit it, and keep going.

2. Provide unparalleled media accessibility.

With the acceptance that he must be candid about his past transgressions, Spitzer should welcome all interviews.

He should be uber available to anyone in the media – friend or foe -- who wants to talk. And he should take advantage of the fact that because he did what he did, his name and face are known to millions; thus, he is in-demand by the media.

He should embrace that reality with relish and seize every opportunity for free publicity. Meanwhile, most people wouldn’t recognize his opponent – a decent enough chap named Scott Stringer -- if he was sitting next to them.

In today's Web-dominated media world, the line between famous and infamous has blurred; and celebrity trumps morality much of the time.

3. Display subject matter brilliance.

Whether you despise him or only just dislike him, you can't question the fact that as far as subject matter knowledge is concerned, Eliot Spitzer is brilliant.

He is managerially competent, politically experienced, and in terms of financial knowledge – which, after all, is what the Comptroller is supposed to have – Spitzer's acumen, developed over five years as Attorney General investigating securities fraud, mutual fund scandals, predatory mortgage lenders, etc., makes him more qualified than any prior holder of the office.

One critic called him a "terrible but qualified human being."

His genial opponent, by contrast, is a lifelong product of the insular New York City Democrat machine, whose primary quality is “getting along while doing no harm."  It’s unclear if he has had any prior financial experience, beyond balancing his check book.

So at every stop and in every forum, Spitzer should allude to and demonstrate the knowledge base that clearly makes him the most qualified candidate.

4. Rage against the machine.

Ironically, as rich as Eliot Spitzer is – and boy is he rich! – he is clearly the anti-establishment candidate in the race.

Every vested interest in town – from liberal unions focused on placing their hand-picked candidate to deliver give backs to conservative financial institutions still smarting from Spitzer’s unrelenting AG attacks – wants Eliot extinguished.

As a consequence, connected money is pouring in to help party hack Stringer beat back the Eliot offensive. The establishment is scared that Spitzer might win the job  – which maybe isn’t the worst thing to happen to a City strapped for cash.

So Eliot Spitzer, as it turns out, is not only the most competent candidate in the race, the most qualified candidate in the race, but also the candidate most likely to serve all the people with distinction.

In addition, he may be just the Comptroller counterweight New York City needs to keep Mayor Weiner honest.