The head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee approached former Gov. George Pataki this week about running for the U.S. Senate in 2010, according to a person who spoke to Pataki about the private meeting. […]
Pataki, now in private law practice, hasn’t yet accepted or rejected the idea, the person said. The race would be against Kirsten Gillibrand, who was recently appointed to succeed Hillary Rodham Clinton when she became Barack Obama’s secretary of state.
When the NRSC is desperate to drag in a bozo who left office with some downright cruddy approval ratings, you know that the GOP shelf is pretty bare in the Empire State.
So what of Peter King? He still could run, but one gets the distinct sense that his Viagra dosage is running pretty low now that he’s missed the opportunity to run against Caroline Kennedy.
(H/T: P-co)
But its even worse being an unpopular Republican in New York. I guess theres always the chance some of his popularity can come back…it did for Mario Cuomo it seems. But I doubt it will for him. Running Pataki is the yankee version of VA Republicans running Jim Gilmore.
I just got through reading the Oct, Nov and Dec. 06 approval ratings for Pataki and its not as bad as I thought it was. But its still 42% and two 46 percents approval. With disapproval at like 49% and two 50 percents. Not extremely unpopular but still unpopular. And, as said, its bad enough being a NY Republican…but much worse being an unpopular NY Republican. He just cant win unless he rehabilitates his image or the public has a case of amnesia.
I should point out. ok thats 4 posts, sorry.
What’s the plan, Indy?
Plan? What plan? I’m making it up as I go along.
Seriously, I’d rather have an incumbent republican House member whether King, McHugh or Lee than a former Governor. Heck, let them risk a state Senate seat on the thing.
The Republican plan seems to be to drag out as many names as possible in the hope that one can be convinced to run. What’s next? The ghost of Nelson Rockefeller or Thomas E. Dewey?
Here are how the Senate races are going to go.
The GOP target CO and NV, neither one is below 8%.
The Dems target NH, MO, OH, FL, KY, NC, PA, TX and possibly LA, if all the pundits are correct anyway. I predict we’ll pick up 4-6 of those. If we get Cooper in NC, I think 5 is where we’ll most likely end up with FL being a total toss-up until election night. I threw in TX as one to challenge as we could get a competitive race there. With an incumbent, we got within 10% last time, hopefully any open seat will get us within single digits.
This being at the current situation. If the situation was even a little against us, we’d probably still pick-up some seats and not lose anyway.
special election that quinn has now said he wants. madigan is stronger than kirk and could coalesce the party quickly.
And I’m not kidding. He DID actually try to run for President two years ago.
He seems an odd choice to throw against Gillibrand. Pataki’s strategy (which has been used successfully by other Democrats) has always been to use upstate and Long Island as a base and play the suburbs of New York City against the city. For example when he screwed New York City by getting rid of the commuter tax. That’s what you use against Nydia Valesquez NOT against Kirsten Gillibrand. Does Pataki have ANYTHING else in his playbook?