There's an old Indian proverb that I haven't used in a while... because quite frankly it sounds pretty cruel...but it makes the point: "I sit by the bank of the river and wait for the body of my enemy to float by." Basically what it means is...all you have to do is be patient...because people who put out negativity...in the end always will get bitten right on their own behinds.
Look at now ex-presidential candidate, Rudy Giuliani. Today he bowed out of the race. And I say...better late than never. It's pretty clear to me that Rudy ran a campaign built upon arrogance and smoke and mirrors, and the voters quickly found out that the image of "the nation's mayor" didn't match the reality of the man himself.
I am loathe to say this, but since starting my show last summer, I've interviewed and talked to so many people who now have convinced me beyond a reasonable doubt that Giuliani used the 9-11 tragedy to elevate his profile and turn himself into this manufactured hero while turning his back on the real heroes...those first responders who have died as a result of or continue to suffer from the effects of that tragic day.
My seven-year-old nephew Tyson would say: "That's not right." I say it's when the lights and cameras are off and the World Trade Center site is a memorial to the dead that the living need you to show you care about them more than ever.
In his presidential campaign, Giuliani turned his back on the initial primary states. Basically he told the people of Iowa, New Hampshire, Michigan, Nevada, and South Carolina that they didn't matter. His delegate count of a grand total of one screams loudly that every vote matters... as does every voter. I learned a long time ago that "all politics is local," and if you as a candidate don't care about me where I live, eat, and make my life, why should I sign on to your vision of my future?
Then there's the issue of family values. The Republican Party is built on them...allegedly. But Rudy definitely was not their poster child. After an adulterous affair, he walked away from his family and left it in tatters to the point where his own children wanted nothing to do with his campaign.
What goes around...comes around.
Now keep in mind... payback doesn't get you only in politics. Look at the sports world. Ex-giant Tiki Barber, now a regular on NBC's Today Show, should be the logical one to lock up his former teammates, the NFC champion New York Giants, for any interview leading up to the Super Bowl this weekend...but word on the street is he's persona non grata!
You'll remember it wasn't that long ago that he trash talked Eli Manning and was insulting to the team. Another proverb...this one also Indian: "The enemy's own punishment is his envy."
Not that he needs it, but I'll repeat the advice I gave to Eli way back in the beginning of the season....the only way to get back at Tiki is to go get you a ring...that he'll never get the privilege of wearing.
So there you have it...it is true what they say: Karma is a you-know-what. But because my grandma recently told me that an educated lady needs to "mind her mouth"...I can't say that word anymore. However, I know you get the message.
Star Jones is an attorney and host of the "Star Jones Show" on TruTv (daily at 3pm EST./PST.)