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Obama Said to Request That Paterson Drop Campaign

hypocritexposer

Well-known member
September 20, 2009
Obama Said to Request That Paterson Drop Campaign By RAYMOND HERNANDEZ and JEFF ZELENY
WASHINGTON — President Obama has sent a request to Gov. David A. Paterson that he withdraw from the New York governor’s race, fearing that Mr. Paterson cannot recover from his dismal political standing, according to two senior administration officials and a New York Democratic operative with direct knowledge of the situation.

The decision to ask Mr. Paterson to step aside was proposed by political advisers to Mr. Obama, but approved by the president himself, one of the administration officials said.

“Is there concern about the situation in New York? Absolutely,” the second administration official said Saturday evening. “Has that concern been conveyed to the governor? Yes.”

The administration officials and the Democratic operative spoke on condition of anonymity because the discussions with the governor were intended to be confidential.

The president’s request was conveyed to the Mr. Paterson by Representative Gregory W. Meeks, a Queens Democrat, who has developed a strong relationship with the Obama administration, they said.

The move against a sitting Democratic governor represents an extraordinary intervention into a state political race by the president, and is a delicate one, given that Mr. Paterson is one of only two African-American governors in the nation.

But Mr. Obama’s political team and other party leaders have grown increasingly worried that the governor’s unpopularity could drag down Democratic members of Congress in New York, as well as the Democratic-controlled Legislature, in next fall’s election.

Mr. Paterson and his aides did not respond to repeated requests for comment Saturday. Mr. Paterson arrived on Long Island Saturday evening to attend a dinner, but walked hurriedly past a reporter who tried to ask him about the White House request.

An aide to Mr. Meeks said the congressman could not be reached Saturday.

“The message the White House wanted to send — that it wants Paterson to step aside — was delivered,” said the Democratic operative,, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the discussions were intended to be confidential. “He is resistant.”

The general election is more than a year away, but Mr. Obama and his political team are moving now in part because of signals from Rudolph W. Giuliani, the former New York City mayor, that he may run for governor, according to Democrats who have spoken with White House officials. Many Democratic leaders believe that Mr. Giuliani’s presence at the top of the Republican ticket could spark enthusiasm among his party’s voters, who might otherwise have little desire to go to the polls.

Leading Democrats in the state have expressed deep concern about Mr. Paterson’s ability to hold on to the office. But most have been wary of openly suggesting he step aside.

The White House move could give them cover to abandon Mr. Paterson and endorse another candidate, most likely Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo, who has been debating for months whether to take on Mr. Paterson in a primary.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/20/nyregion/20paterson.html?_r=2&hp
 

Whitewing

Well-known member
I guess presidents do this sort of thing all the time, though I have to admit as I started reading the article I asked myself what business does Obama have trying to influence the New York governor's race.

Let's face it, the pubs could run Jesus Christ against Obama and Obama would still sweep the state.
 

Whitewing

Well-known member
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/21/nyregion/21paterson.html

Gov. David A. Paterson defiantly vowed to run for election next year despite the White House‘s urging that he withdraw from the New York governor’s race.

Appearing tired and agitated as reporters crowded him at a parade in Harlem on Sunday, the governor said that he would not abandon his campaign to seek a full term.

“I have said time and time again that I am running for governor next year,” he said at the 40th annual African-American Day Parade.

Mr. Paterson would not characterize what he was told by the White House, saying that he would not “discuss confidential conversations.”
 

Whitewing

Well-known member
reader (the Second) said:
Obama must hate black men if he's putting pressure on Paterson. :wink: Gosh, could it be that he'd back a winning white candidate over a black man??!! :shock: :shock:

I think NY requires a more competent Governor than Paterson personally. Call that racist if you will...

I've not kept up with the politics of NY state of late. Is there a viable pub candidate this time around. From the little I've read about Paterson, he seems to have been generally inept and petty at times.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
This could be a good reason the Dems- and Obama as the current leader of the Dem party- might not want Paterson running....He's unelectable....

Despite a recent poll showing him with an approval rating of 20%, Gov. David Paterson (D-NY) has hired a campaign manager, Richard Fife, to run his gubernatorial campaign. Fife was planning to run the senatorial campaign of Rep. Carolyn Maloney against Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), until Maloney was pressured into not running. Some people don't know when it is time for them to exit stage left. However, it is well known that New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is interested in Paterson's job and may challenge him in a primary. If Cuomo, whose father once was governor of New York, runs, all the polls show that he will bury Paterson in the primary and easily defeat any Republican in the general election. If Cuomo decides not to run, any one of several high-profile Republicans, including George Pataki and Rudy Guiliani, has a good chance of being elected governor. Since New York is likely to lose a congressional district, redistricting will be needed in 2010 and a Republican governor could prevent the Democrats, who control the state legislature, from gerrymandering the state to their advantage.
 

Whitewing

Well-known member
Oldtimer said:
This could be a good reason the Dems- and Obama as the current leader of the Dem party- might not want Paterson running....He's unelectable....

Despite a recent poll showing him with an approval rating of 20%, Gov. David Paterson (D-NY) has hired a campaign manager, Richard Fife, to run his gubernatorial campaign. Fife was planning to run the senatorial campaign of Rep. Carolyn Maloney against Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), until Maloney was pressured into not running. Some people don't know when it is time for them to exit stage left. However, it is well known that New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is interested in Paterson's job and may challenge him in a primary. If Cuomo, whose father once was governor of New York, runs, all the polls show that he will bury Paterson in the primary and easily defeat any Republican in the general election. If Cuomo decides not to run, any one of several high-profile Republicans, including George Pataki and Rudy Guiliani, has a good chance of being elected governor. Since New York is likely to lose a congressional district, redistricting will be needed in 2010 and a Republican governor could prevent the Democrats, who control the state legislature, from gerrymandering the state to their advantage.

Gerrymandering isn't such a bad thing, in politics, it's even logical.

California_District_38_2004.png

:D
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Oh yeah-- been going on for years....

http://nris.mt.gov/gis/legislat/2007/

This is how our state legislature is made up-- Look at District 16 up toward the northeast corner of the state- and how it follows a little ribbon east for 100 miles-- and then extends another 200 miles west to a jut out to the west....
The ribbon follows the populated areas of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation- the west jut out was made to take in the Rocky Boys reservation- and right in the center is the Fort Belknap Reservation.....The rest of the entire district is populated by jack rabbits and cows- with a sparse sprinkling in of a few ranchers....So all the votecount is the reservation vote- and only reservation members a couple hundred miles away can/do get elected.....
 

Whitewing

Well-known member
Oldtimer said:
Oh yeah-- been going on for years....

http://nris.mt.gov/gis/legislat/2007/

This is how our state legislature is made up-- Look at District 16 up toward the northeast corner of the state- and how it follows a little ribbon east for 100 miles-- and then extends another 200 miles west to a jut out to the west....
The ribbon follows the populated areas of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation- the west jut out was made to take in the Rocky Boys reservation- and right in the center is the Fort Belknap Reservation.....The rest of the entire district is populated by jack rabbits and cows- with a sparse sprinkling in of a few ranchers....So all the votecount is the reservation vote- and only reservation members a couple hundred miles away can/do get elected.....

Both parties do it when they've got control of the state's government. I understand wanting to give groups that may have felt excluded from the political process in the past some say in governance, but it's still hard to swallow some of those snake-like districts.
 

Steve

Well-known member
reader (the Second) said:
Obama must hate black men if he's putting pressure on Paterson. :wink: Gosh, could it be that he'd back a winning white candidate over a black man??!! :shock: :shock:

I think NY requires a more competent Governor than Paterson personally. Call that racist if you will...
not a bit of racism... Just another victim of the Obama throw them under the bus policy...
obama_under_the_bus_318025.jpg
 
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