Social media offers political candidates new ways to connect with voters, but for some, it can prove to be an embarrassing window into a past life.
The latest political hopeful to have his online posts revealed is Marc Cenedella, the CEO and Founder of TheLadders.com, who has been seen as a potential challenger to Sen. Kristen Gillibrand (D-N.Y.). Though he hasn't formally declared his candidacy, Politicker NY reported that Cenedella recently dropped in on a Westchester County GOP breakfast.
The New York Times reports that on a website claiming to be "the personal blog of Marc Cenedella" and bearing his photograph, various lurid blog posts were visible. One post, entitled "Dating Advice for Girly Girls," read, "First make sure you are a girly-girl" with the following in a blockquote:
"If most of those statements apply to you, you are a bit of a fluffy bunnikins for whom dating can sometimes be a tricky business. You want romance, glamour, love and affection, things the average male has been known to struggle with."
TheLadders.com released a statement to the Times saying the blog was not actually his.
A current link to the blog has a title of "Leonardo da Vinci's resume" and the "Archive" section has "Leonardo da Vinci's Resume" repeated dozens of times.
TheLadders.com is a job searching website, that offers a Signature service with a guarantee of a six-figure job offer within six months if you meet various qualifications and pay $2,495 or your money back. Free membership and a $25 monthly premium membership are also available. Annie Lowrey of Slate reported that the unemployment crisis hasn't been as severe for the target group of the Signature program. In September 2011, the site removed the $100,000 minimum salary.
Rep. Ben Quayle (R-Ariz.) received several days of embarrassing press after Politico reported that he was a regular contributor to the blog "Dirty Scottsdale" during his 2010 run. Quayle denied the allegation.
However, Gilibrand is considered a lock for re-election. After taking over the seat held by Hillary Clinton when she was appointed as secretary of state, she won a 2010 special election by a 63-35 margin. She faces re-election for a full term in 2012. She has raised almost $8.4 million through the first three quarters of 2011, according to her FEC report, having $7.1 million in cash on hand.