Cold Betrayal or Cold Reality? The David Paterson Dilemma

[FrenchieCat]

Wednesday, September 23, 2009
By Eric Easter



Sometimes – most times - the truth hurts. But in most instances, the kind of truth that hurts is kept private. Hurtful truths, in the best circumstances, should be kept among those who hurt, allowing them to make equally painful decisions without attention and distraction.

David Paterson, the Governor of New York, was not afforded that opportunity. A strong recommendation regarding his future was exposed, accidentally on purpose, and less for his benefit than for ours. Because in our mind, the damage has already been done, and even David Paterson’s defiance is not enough to battle the already established fact that the first Black president does not support the first Black governor of New York in a re-election bid.

Oddly, the loudest voices complaining about some political version of Black-on-Black crime are Republicans, in particular RNC Chairman Michael Steele, who took time out from calling the first Black president a Socialist to decry the pain the president was afflicting on a fellow Black office holder. Outside of a smattering of voices stunned by the heavy-handedness of the move, most close observers of New York politics seem to be less than upset.

Then again, to soften a truism, karma is a, uh - beast. When Caroline Kennedy sought Hillary Clinton’s vacant seat, Governor Paterson’s rejection of the notion was not only public but lacked even the grace of a personal meeting that leaked. It was impersonal, and cold, but it was also steeped in reality. Kennedy was unlikely to win a re-election if she were appointed, and unfortunately, so is Paterson. Now the man whose presidency is in part due to the support of the woman Paterson dismissed is in a vulnerable position. Did he expect something different to happen?

So somewhere in the mix payback may have been an issue, but the bigger issue is that Governor Paterson has built neither confidence not coalitions sufficient to carry him forward – and that’s a problem.

The reality is that there is a trickle-down and trickle-up impact of the loss of power in a state the size, scope and importance of New York. For starters, it would effectively end the ability to offer the kind of patronage that places operatives on positions of influence and put more contracts in the hands of the kinds of businesspeople who show their gratitude by donating to campaigns. Similarly, it would mean a weakened ability of local elected officials to deliver resources to their communities, leaving them vulnerable to challenges from Republican candidates. Weakened Democratic candidates don’t in turn provide the ideal foundation on which to build a 2012 presidential campaign. And New York is just too important to the delegate count and the popular vote count to risk a loss of influence.

To put it plainly, in forcing Paterson’s hand, the Obama team has made a calculation that a successful Obama president means eight years not four and New York is too important to that effort to lose.

Assuming that is true, then what is the choice you would make? A show of solidarity among Black firsts or the cold calculation that health care and economic recovery for all Americans is more valuable than the political career of one?
http://www.ebonyjet.com/politics/national/index.aspx?id=14706

[Uzybone]

1. Stone cold sensible reality

Gov Patterson is weak in all almost all areas and has no chance of winning in the GE. I do not want any President going over a cliff with an poor leader just because he is black.

[FrenchieCat]

2. I think the reason this story went public was to say loud enough for the AA NY Community to hear....

Vote for the one who can win, not the other one! :rofl:

[Number23]

3. Great read. Thanks for posting. I was hoping Angee would post some insight

from the afrosphere so this is perfect. Really well written. Jet/Ebony has come a hell of a lot further than I remember. :)

Calling this "cold political calculation" is exactly right. Obama is being coldly calculating and I think it's probably a good thing. I love and appreciate that black folks generally tend to at least PRETEND to look out for one another in public, but sometimes you have to look at the big picture. From what I understand, Paterson has been a disaster and a disaster in NY is too big and too influential to be ignored. Personally, I would have preferred that this had NOT gotten out into the public, but I think that Obama has done the right thing.

I do hope that Paterson will be able to come back from this at some point. If bastards like Newt Gingrich and Tom Delay can rebound from massive political failures, there's no reason for him not to either.

[HamdenRice]

4. Paterson could have been one of NY's greatest governors

He really got a raw deal, and if you are not in NY you probably don't know 1/10 of what went on to sink his governorship. For decades he was one of the most reliable progressive advocates in New York, and was really, really admired here, especially in the African American community. He's also known for having a photographic memory because of his blindness -- ie his staff tell him his appointments for several days and he keeps his agenda in his head.

First of all, he came in as the worst financial disaster in history was hitting NY, which relied on Wall St revenue, and he had to slash services and raise taxes and fees. Then one of the state's largest unions, SEIU, began running ads against him almost 24-7 for service cuts, even though there was literally no choice. Then in one of the most brazen power grabs in history, the Republicans physically seized control of the NY Senate. That is something every non-NYer really needs to read about. The Democrats had won control of the Senate for the first time in 40 years, so we had the Asssembly, Senate and governorship and could basically pass anything. The entire national republican machinery went into full destruction mode -- which is what brought down Spitzer in the first place (they weren't looking for hooker payments; they were looking for whether Spitzer was using his own money to finance Democrats in Senate districts that would switch the Senate from repug to Dem, and found hookergate by accident.) So the Dems get control of the Senate and late one afternoon, they call a surprise vote on who will be Senate Majority Leader -- this was after the Democrats had already taken control and elected a Democratic Senate Majority Leader. As the Democrats were filing out thinking it was a useless stunt, the repugs voted in a Republican control of the Senate -- having secretly "bribed" two corrupt Democratic Senators to switch sides. What then ensued was close to a fist fight over control of the podium and a re-vote.

All of Albany was paralyzed for weeks, and the NY papers relentlessly blamed Paterson, even though he has nothing to do with the Senate. A potential tie breaker was the office of Lt Gov -- the very office Paterson had held, and that breaks ties in the Senate. But the state constitution no provision for filling the vacant office. So Paterson took a risk and filled it with a Democrat. Again the repugs screamed this time that he was a dictator. Eventually, just the other day, the highest court upheld Paterson.

The Caroline thing was minor. Paterson inherited the worst financial crisis in 80 years, plus the most dysfunctional state Democratic legislature in the country, plus the unyielding, unreasonable hatred of so-called "progressives" (mainly SEIU) for his emergency actions. (Where else have we seen that play out?)

Now that he has the legislature back, I think Paterson will say "fuck it" and pass all long term reforms NY has needed these last 4 decades and call it quits.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

5. Thank you! I have been trying to find out from a NYer what has been going on there.

I refuse to believe it all comes down to the Caroline thing.