Pataki Won't Run for Governor in 2006

[dazzleman]

Pataki has been ineffectual for quite some time, and it's no surprise to see he's not running.  He doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell to be president, either.

Giuliani should be running.  What good is he to the state party if he refuses to answer the call when needed?  His run for the presidency is a long-shot, and he'd have a better shot I would think as a sitting governor.  It seems to me that it's a pretty big leap to go from mayor to president.

The Republican Party in New York State needs to be rebuilt from the ground up.  Pataki had really become a liability to the party in the governorship.  Let's not forget, the last time the Democrats ran things, they ran the state into the ground, and I look for more of the same this time, assuming the Democrats recapture the governorship, which is probable.

[dazzleman]

If he had left after eight years he would be remembered as a great governor. 

That's what I always tell people. He overstayed his welcome.

It's almost always a mistake to remain in the same office at the executive level for more than 2 terms.  Especially Pataki; I can't think of any accomplishments of his after his first term.  He just sold out and rested on his laurels after doing some very good things.

Rowland in Connecticut made the same mistake.  If he'd retired after 2 terms, he would never have gotten caught up in his corruption scandal, for which he is now in prison.

After his first term, Pataki was only marginally better than a Democrat, and that's not saying very much.  New York voters need to get a real taste of the party they love so much, with all the crime, overspending, high taxes, economic decline and what have you that is invariably brought on by this party.

[dazzleman]

Hopefully Spitzer can coattail in a Democratic Senate.

Absolutely, we are this close to complete Democratic domination of Albany.  At last our time has come to fix this state.

Or, if you're a Republican, at last our time has come to run this state into the ground, create a socialist republic, have strip clubs on every corner, and make the queers all powerful.

The latter is a more likely scenario.  Surely, there will be no progress in restraining state spending, restraining taxes, creating a better business environment, or controlling crime.  With NYC Democrats in control across the board, it will be catastrophic for the state.  On the bright side, it could create a lot of newly minted Republicans in that poor pathetic state.

[dazzleman]

By the way I think everyone whining about Guiliani is pretty foolish to automatically assume it's because he wants to run for president. Even he should be aware he has no chance. Rather he probably simply is done with politics, which wouldn't be suprising, as no NYC mayor since the 20s has won higher office later.

Giuliani is the one person who could break the NYC mayor's curse, if he goes for the right office.  Normally, being a NYC mayor is political poison for the rest of the state, not to mention the country at large.  Giuliani emerged from the job as mayor more popular in the rest of the state than in the city, due largely to his sharply more conservative record than is typical for a NYC mayor, coupled with his reaction to Sept. 11.  He is also, incredibly, a former NYC mayor who can be sent to campaign for Republican candidates in South Carolina.

Still, I agree he doesn't have a shot at the presidency.  I think he might if he went for the governorship and took more moderate stances on social issues, closer to the GOP base.  He could start making a transition closer to a pro-life stand on abortion, as an example, and his past "sins" could be overlooked based upon his strong conservative record in other areas, such as welfare reform and fighting crime.  But he needs time, and a forum to make these transitions.  I also think he needs a higher office as a bridge to the presidency in any case, that a jump from mayor to president is too big a leap.

I guess he's got better minds than mine advising him, or else maybe he is just stubborn, as Smash says.

[dazzleman]

In the not so distant future, Pataki won't be so much a 'has been' more a 'never was' .

Dave

Pataki did some very good things in his first term as governor.  It's a shame that he didn't persevere, and was content to rest on his laurels.