Obama throws Patterson under the bus
It has now come to light that the Obama Administration has told New York Governor David Paterson to take a long walk off a short pier. Obama has asked Paterson not to run in the upcoming 2010 election; thus allowing Andrew Cuomo to have the nomination. The New York Post’s Fred Dicker, in his September 21st column titled Dave’s ejection is Andy’s election, writes the following in describing this weird situation: “The notion that the nation’s first black president would be responsible for destroying the candidacy of New York’s first black governor left some of the state’s normally voluble Democratic officials speechless — but not surprised.”
The only problem that Obama has with the hapless David Paterson is the fact that he’s about as popular as a fox at a chicken convention. Paterson has the lowest approval rating (21%) of any current governor in the country. Polls show that if former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani decides to run for governor, he would easily beat him in 2010. The same polls also show that New York’s Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, the son of former three term New York Governor Mario Cuomo, would beat Rudy Giuliani in the same race.
Rudy Giuliani winning the Governor’s race in a super-blue state during the midterm elections is a nightmare for Barack Obama and the Democrat Party. Not only would this be symbolically catastrophic in regards to a Republican comeback in 2012, it would also be significant in winning back control of the State Senate in which the Democrats currently hold a two seat advantage depending on who you ask on a particular day. (You have to be a New Yorker to understand what the hell I’m talking about.)
As of today, David Paterson is holding firm in his intention to run in 2010. This made for an awkward scene for all involved when Obama visited New York on Monday and was met at the Albany airport by none other than Governor Paterson himself. Later in an even more uncomfortable moment, Obama warmly singled out Andrew Cuomo during a speech at the Hudson Valley Community College. Cuomo, who was sitting in the audience, responded by giving Obama a thumbs-up.
It now makes sense as to why Obama hasn’t taken the bait in recent days over claims by Democrats and the media that racism is driving the strong opposition to his administration. Evidently, even Obama doesn’t have the chutzpah to claim that his opponents are racist, while at the same time throwing New York’s first black governor under the bus!
I can’t really say that I’m all that surprised that Obama would choose the pasty white Cuomo over Paterson. Although Obama may be black, (half black actually) his real color is Red! Barack Obama is a committed left-wing radical first and foremost. Andrew Cuomo is as far to the left as Paterson – if not more so. Therefore, it only makes sense that Obama would support the leftist candidate that he believes has the best chance of winning this key governorship.
It just goes to show that President Obama can actually be quite pragmatic when he wants to be.
