Drat, dammit, and crap crap crap

[WilliamPitt]

Pataki looks like he won't be running for another term:

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/27/nyregion/27cnd-pataki.html?hp&ex=1122523200&en=0cfda7312daf71ca&ei=5094&partner=homepage

This means two things:

1. Pataki is going to run for President in '08;

2. NY Attorney General Eliot Spitzer will now run for Governor of NY. If Pataki had decided to run again for Governor, word had it that Spitzer was going to make a run for the Oval.

It'll be nice to have Spitzer as Governor of NY, but I was kinda hoping he'd throw his hat into the '08 ring. That appears now to be off the table.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

1. I don't think many people make the jump from AG to President

And Spitzer is young...

[jim3775]

2. Agreed

Spitzer needs to prove himself as a leader first. Which I'm sure he is more than capable of doing so.

[madinmaryland]

3. You think Pataki might run for pres in 2008?

I'm not sure how that would play in the repub primaries. He's a moderate N.E. conservative, and is pro-choice. If anything he might be able to split the repub party, as he would not be well received in the south, depending on who else decides to run.

On edit: I think that Spitzer will make a good governer, just as Blumenthal in CT would do well also.

[Skink]

4. Hey George please please please run as an independent.

O8)

[Freddie Stubbs]

8. Probably about as successful as other pro-choice candidates have been

Pete Wilson and Arlen Specter both learned the hard way. Perhaps a pro-choice candidate could make a serious run, but it would have to be someone who already had a national following like Colin Powel or Guliani.

[madinmaryland]

9. Agreed.

Pataki has no real following outside of New York (unlike Mario Cuomo, Rockefeller, etc.) On that point he would have a hard time running. He was also Al d'amato's choice for governor.

[Jane Austin]

13. I believe Pataki is also vulnerable on the "family values" front.

n/t

[madinmaryland]

14. Any details on that? Bernard Kerik type revelations? n/t

[Jane Austin]

21. No, I just knew someone who worked in his office

and she made a comment to that effect a couple of years ago.

"Really!?" said I.

And she nodded and said, "Oh yeah."

It was standard hetero messing around that was alluded to.

[yy4me]

5. Spitzer would be great but look at we might be up against:

Governor Romney is making all sorts of overtures. The Massachusetts governor will be one of the next candidates for President, no question about it. He is, however, a Republican with no spine. When he was elected governor of Mass, he supported Womens Rights to get the vote, now he has done a 180 degree shift(Boston Globe, Today). Either he was lying when running for Governor in order to get votes or he is now pandering to the conservatives for his grand entrance into the Presidential frey. Either way, he will get very little support from this state. Did he see the Burning Bush? A vision? word from God? What gives with these guys. This is too much of a change in position. I don't believe a word any of them say anymore. About anything!

[KarenInMA]

16. Don't worry about Romney

He can run, but he's done NOTHING for Mass economy, he's a terrible flip floper (as you point out), and plus, he's a Mormon. I don't see the Evangelicals voting for a Mormon.

[Momgonepostal]

23. Someone posted an article oN FR about Romney and '08...

and Freepers imploded. Some said they'd consider him, many others said he was "too liberal" :eyes: but the biggest percentage said they would not vote for a Mormon under any circumstances. The thread got pulled because over so much bitching over Romney. He would have a tough time conciving Fundyland not to stay home on election day.

[GOPisEvil]

6. I think Spitzer spending a few years as Governor of New York

will only enhance a Presidential run in 2012 or 2016.

[Beetwasher]

7. No Way, This Is Great News!

I think it would have been a terrible move for Spitz to go right for the Oval office and now he should cake walk into the gov. mansion.

NY will have Spitz as Gov., Hillary and Schumer as Senators and the NYS Assembly should turn all Dem after the '06 elections. You know what that means? NY SHOULD REDISTRICT AND THE DEMS CAN PICK UP SOME MORE CONGRESSIONAL SEATS!!!

Pataki running for Pres in '08 is a joke, let him try, I could use a good laugh.

[DinahMoeHum]

10. Good riddance with Pataki. He's been nothing but an "ornament"

...a stiff body to decorate the likes of Bush and Giuliani.

Not even 9/11 could prop up Pataki's image, either within the state of NY or outside it.

As for Spitzer, I'd rather see him serve a full term as Governor before committing himself to a Presidential run.

:kick:

[annabanana]

11. ding ding ding

THEN maybe we could get rid of that neoworm King!

[BurtWorm]

12. Amen, amen, amen!

:toast:

[H2O Man]

15. I was pleased to see it confirmed.

Last fall, I posted that he wasn't going to run. A relative had come home from Albany, and said that he had decided not to run. He had hoped to get a position in the Bush administration, and when he didn't, some of the top dogs asked him not to announce anything. They weren't sure if they might be able to get him to change his mind. But he had told some people close to him that he knew for sure he wasn't going to run for governor again.

It is good for democrats, at a number of levels. It's also true that Washington and Albany have destroyed the economy in our state, and whoever becomes governor next will have his/her hands full.

[DrGonzoLives]

17. Pataki

will have little to no support from the far-right. Isn't he pro-choice, at least to some degree?

No support from far-right = no nomination.

[WilliamPitt]

18. The far right

isn't much of anything in the way of a power player in New York. Anyone who wants to win a statewide office in New York has to cary half the City and half the rest to win. Pataki will do well in the rest of the state, so the city will be the key, but the fundies don't have much to do with it.

[DrGonzoLives]

20. I was referring to 2008

And he will have a fun time trying to win over the True Believers in the early primaries, especially South Carolina.

[Stephanie]

19. I think Spitzer already announced for Gov

It's way too soon for him to run for pres in '08. Spitzer's my man! Can't wait for him to be my governor!

[H2O Man]

24. Correct.

He needs the experience as governor before running for president. It isn't a matter of if he should run, but rather when. Any talk about him going for 2008 would seem to be too early.

By becoming governor of NY, and focusing attention on how Washington DC has betrayed this great state, puts him on the national map. The very best he could hope for in '08 would be consideration on the short list for VP.

He's a young man, and will be a two-term president when the time is ripe.

[preciousdove]

22. You are right about Pataki in 08 and here is why I think so.

Gov Pataki blocked Ny Lyme legislation for 3 years and suddenly
reversed himself with a policy memo. Also Lyme Legislation had been stalled in the US Congress for years, they kept introducing two bills and then not doing either of them. They suddenly decided to work together and the bill is suddenly sailing through Congress.

Everybody was stunned. We already had highly motivated National groups in place to oppose Pataki so if we suddenly win I bet that the majority of the Lyme advocates won't openly oppose Pataki because they "won". But damn it is spooky that they are that organized on this already to pacify our group.