He’s a political disaster. There’s nothing about him a right minded fellow would agree with politically, yet still it’s not hard to feel bad for New York’s Interim Governor, David Patterson.
Patterson announced today he would end his campaign to be elected governor for a full term. Was he pushed or did he jump hardly matters. He was headed straight for a buzz saw one way or the other. Sure, it would have been nice for him to stick around assuring the Republicans an easy win in the nation’s third largest state, but the poor soul had such a pathetic grip on power with one problem after another even including how he handled a staff member accused of domestic violence showed the man was in way over his head.
David Patterson will be a historical figure. He is New York’s first black governor and is the nation’s first legally blind governor. He attained status for a life of dedicated service to the New York Democratic Party serving as Elliot Spitzer’s lieutenant governor. Who would imagine a healthy robust Spitzer would prematurely leave office?
In most states, Lieutenant Governors cut ribbons for grand openings in the out-of-the-way small towns, go to a lot of meaningless conferences, and don’t do much else. What could David Patterson screw up?
History played a cruel trick. The former zero tolerance prosecutor got caught (literally) with his pants down having quite a craving for frolicking with hookers and with in days of the story surfacing he was out of the Albany State House. Just like that, Patterson was thrust into the governorship. Being a rather inoffensive character, much good will accompanied his ascension; however, it didn’t take long for him to prove he just couldn’t cut it.
With the state in economic turmoil and all kinds of persistent issues demanding firm leadership, he floundered badly. Soon, he was clearly damaged goods that Democrats right and left, well left and further left, were jumping away from so as not to have his baggage as a political liability.
As is so often the case, when politicians have something they don’t want to say, they wait until Friday afternoon. This was Patterson’s Friday afternoon. For the sake of the Empire State, let’s hope he can’t screw things up much worse between now and when the next governor is inaugurated.
Patterson announced today he would end his campaign to be elected governor for a full term. Was he pushed or did he jump hardly matters. He was headed straight for a buzz saw one way or the other. Sure, it would have been nice for him to stick around assuring the Republicans an easy win in the nation’s third largest state, but the poor soul had such a pathetic grip on power with one problem after another even including how he handled a staff member accused of domestic violence showed the man was in way over his head.
David Patterson will be a historical figure. He is New York’s first black governor and is the nation’s first legally blind governor. He attained status for a life of dedicated service to the New York Democratic Party serving as Elliot Spitzer’s lieutenant governor. Who would imagine a healthy robust Spitzer would prematurely leave office?
In most states, Lieutenant Governors cut ribbons for grand openings in the out-of-the-way small towns, go to a lot of meaningless conferences, and don’t do much else. What could David Patterson screw up?
History played a cruel trick. The former zero tolerance prosecutor got caught (literally) with his pants down having quite a craving for frolicking with hookers and with in days of the story surfacing he was out of the Albany State House. Just like that, Patterson was thrust into the governorship. Being a rather inoffensive character, much good will accompanied his ascension; however, it didn’t take long for him to prove he just couldn’t cut it.
With the state in economic turmoil and all kinds of persistent issues demanding firm leadership, he floundered badly. Soon, he was clearly damaged goods that Democrats right and left, well left and further left, were jumping away from so as not to have his baggage as a political liability.
As is so often the case, when politicians have something they don’t want to say, they wait until Friday afternoon. This was Patterson’s Friday afternoon. For the sake of the Empire State, let’s hope he can’t screw things up much worse between now and when the next governor is inaugurated.
The next prominent New York politician to explode will be Charlie Rangel. His demise won't be so polite and quiet.
No comments:
Post a Comment