How did the eaton affair affect politics?

The Eaton affair was very revelant in politics because Jackson (president at the time) was very angry that the ladies' inner circle shunned Mrs. Eaton because of the suspected "affair". Jackson took this to heart because his wife had also been subject to such accusations when he became president. Van Buren knew this, so he became intimate friends with the Eatons when nobody else in washington would. This pleased Jackson, and he made Van Buren Secretary of State (a cabinet office that has been known as the stepping stone to presidency). Subsequently, Van Buren became the next president after Jackson.