Anthony Weiner’s press conference ended this hour. (It’s worth recalling that these things aren’t finished until the paperwork is competed and everything’s official; Sen. Larry Craig (R., Idaho) famously announced his intent to resign, thought about it for a few days, and then quietly declared he wouldn’t be resigning, and served out the remainder of his term.)

The press conference was every bit the disaster one would expect; off-color questions from Howard Stern’s followers loudly and frequently interrupted Weiner’s statement.

On MSNBC, anchor Tamara Hall said, with little sense of irony, that Weiner was “trying to preserve some sense of dignity and pride in his resignation.”

Chuck Todd seemed appalled and befuddled by what he had just witnessed, asking why Weiner felt the need to hold this press conference. “He knew this was going to be a circus. He knew Howard Stern’s guys would be there.”

Precisely, I suspect. One of the few things that could spur sympathy in a viewer is watching Weiner get berated with obscene questions as he attempts to do what all of his critics have been demanding. If Weiner envisions a comeback someday — does anyone doubt he is narcissistic enough to envision this? — a bit of sympathy at this moment may soften the public’s memory of him until he reemerges, “cured” and eager for redemption. Mind you, Eliot Spitzer now hosts a television show; Marion Barry returned as mayor of Washington, D.C.; Barney Frank continues to serve in Congress; Wilbur Mills survived being caught with a stripper; and there are plenty of other examples of politicians returning for a political second life after scandal.

One of the MSNBC analysts wondered about Weiner running for governor of New York someday. It will be hard for any future opponent to argue that he is morally unfit to occupy the office that Eliot Spitzer once held.

To some analysts, this scandal is a momentary summer distraction, an unimportant, sordid story with little relevancy to our larger political culture. I disagree; I think this entire mess has reinforced public cynicism about politicians. Many Americans believe that their elected officials are not merely underperforming or doing their jobs badly; they look at the political class and see twisted, self-absorbed, arrogant, and sometimes sexually depraved head cases who are incapable of acting on much beyond their own immediate needs and gratification. Thankfully, not everyone in elected office has the deep, disturbing traits of Anthony Weiner; hopefully very few emulate his bad behavior and ludicrously arrogant belief that he could escape the consequences through large, implausible lies. But a significant chunk of the electorate increasingly suspects that this is what politicians are, making voters even more distrustful, suspicious, and cynical.