President Obama gave the OK for his minions to instruct New York Gov. David Paterson to be a good Democrat and give up on a re-election campaign. It’s because the White House thinks Paterson has made himself too weak politically. Or because Paterson supposedly lied to them. Either way, it’s a “get off the bus” message from a man who doesn’t support marriage equality to a man who does.
The White House would much rather see New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, who has high approval ratings, face off against a Republican challenger next year — which could very well be none other than former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani. The reasoning? Paterson can’t win, Obama’s camp claims, thanks to a series of missteps. And because Obama and Paterson are both black, it’s apparently totally kosher for one to tell the other to step down without any traces of racism. (Paterson is only one of two sitting black governors.)
Or maybe all this fracas is because Paterson told the White House he would not select Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand to fill Hillary Clinton‘s vacant U.S. Senate seat, and then did so — leaving open a Democratic seat in the House in a Republican district. Paterson also dissed Caroline Kennedy in the press, which is a no-no in the Obama administration.
But we say: fooey. Could Cuomo be a stronger sparring partner against anti-gay Giuliani? Perhaps. But what we have in Gov. Paterson is a man who stands with his convictions about civil rights and equality. A man who demands marriage rights for a group of people he does not identify with.
It’s refreshing to see such a confident American stand up for what’s right. It might also make him a terrible politician. We’ll soon find out: Paterson has no plans to step aside, and is mounting a re-election campaign on the Democratic ticket.
Robert, NYC
Republican Rick Lazio is also formally declaring that he will run for governor as early as tomorrow. Not good either. I personally love Patterson. However, if democratic AG Andrew Cuomo runs (also a supporter of same sex marriage) in 2010, he could give both Giuliani and Lazio a run for their money and could possibly beat both. If Obama doesn’t at least get ENDA passed and DADT repealed, then he should be the one to pack his bags in 2012.
mikeandrewsdantescove
I would be offended if Barack told me this. Does New York not forget the terrible campaign Giuliani ran for president. Let’s not pursue any of the states before Florida because they don’t represent anything important.
Mike
5 Days Until the Folsom Street Fair
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSyB0f0l4is
The Swimmer
At the very least I think it is only appropriate that President Obama expend some political capital to help Paterson get gay marriage passed. I know he is against gay marriage but he was still able to make an ad against prop 8. The very least he could do is call some senators in NY and put pressure on them or bribe them. I don’t know!!
M Shane
It seems as if Obama has enough to keep his plate full without worrying about who is running New York. That just strikes me as being kind of crazy. When do presidents go around telling who to run in state elections. If he can do his own job that should be sufficient.
dontblamemeivotedforhillary
I think that Governor David Paterson deserves a standing ovation from the Gay New York State Population. Like Mayor Gavin Newsom, he stuck his neck out for us on Gay Marriage and got nowhere. I hope he spends the rest of his time in office cleaning up the corruption in New York which is out of control in Queens and the Bronx, especially in the Democratic party, unfortunately from some of his own “allies.” We badly need Ethics reforms and the most exemplary transparency which would dis-empower Shelly Silver, the Assembly Leader with too much power and other legislators’ graft including questionable consultancy remuneration from various firms which are not disclosed.
Paterson was not elected to Office, rather having to fill the shoes of the fallen Sheriff Of Wall Street who was also known as the Steamroller and rather authoritarian, Paterson’s approach was more like a Sally Field complex of “You Like Me? You Really Like Me?” which may be too nice for the nasty job of #2 in New York (we know who rules with an iron fist!) It was graft of fellow legislators (Aqueduct Casino) and his own wrong-headed intervention in an aide’s criminal past which proved too much to sustain a Gubernatorial race against the well-financed son of a former popular Governor, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo and the New York media.
Sure, I wanted him to not run but it was because I didn’t want Republican Rick Lazio to win and become Governor. Paterson’s biggest enemy was within his own state, Wall Street which was the catalyst of our economic malaise and subsequent world meltdown and has dragged all Democrats out of office kicking and screaming, and will continue to in races where they appear to be incumbents as we face a state fiscal crisis of a huge budget deficit and high unemployment.
If we weren’t in such a time of anti-incumbency, we could negotiate a lot with AG Andrew Cuomo who is on record as supporting Gay Marriage. His history at HUD may be his most contentious aspect of his own Clintonian-style economics which worked well until the housing bubble burst starting in 2006 but it would be a reach to go back into a popular presidency picking at the bones when the eight years following were much more disastrous beginning with Corporate meltdowns, sub-prime mortgages and the worst terrorist attacks on U.S soil, right here in our own city.
Cuomo is riding high on poll favorability because we are at a time where we look toward strong executives (even Giuliani appeared to be one!) as there is too much ground to lose in the Empire State if we don’t get behind Andrew Cuomo for Governor.
With Senator Schumer maybe facing a tough challenge as Senior Senator, new Senator Gillibrand who is running for a seat Paterson appointed her to, has vulnerability will be decided at the end of next week after an unsuccessful start to Harold Ford Jr’s possible Primary challenge to her which is not looking good. Her facing well-funded Mortimer Zuckerman of US News and Report would be a bruising, nasty fight yet Gilly can play with the GOP boys and defeat them as she has proven upstate. My personal pet peeve is reform of the MTA, and removing the Board of Directors and putting it under State or City management which they’re new Chief seems intent on doing but at what cost to us?
This is our road to New York State Equality but we should join Fight Back New York on Facebook to challenge anti-gay Marriage candidates and keep informed on the case from the Village Voices’ Tom Robbins, the best journalist on local politics.
ADDED: I tried to post this on the David Paterson blog, but the Queerty Mafia of LA Queens have ALL My Posts pending Moderation. There is no GAY FREE SPEECH!