by John T. Sullivan
While David Paterson may not have 20/20 vision, he does have foresight, and judgme
nt, and his choice for the Senate mirrors that. Fundamentally, as the leader of an often fractious and divided Democratic party in New York State, the Governor must make the political calls which are in the best interest of the party's continued hegemony, and in the best interest of his continued stewardship of the state. Ultimately, a decision to appoint a statewide office holder, who will have to run with him in two years, is a political decision. To make a wise decision, a wise leader balances all the factors and personalities, and interests groups, and then chooses.It is difficult to satisfy the myriad constituencies that comprise the Democratic party in NYS. I know. As Co-Chair of the party from 1995-98, I tried to do that for three years. It is as important to be able to play in Aurora as in Astoria… Manhattan as well as Massena,.. Ronkonkoma as well as Rochester.
David Paterson is being sullied, and parodied by many in the media, and indeed, within the Democratic party. The lot of any statewide political leader has always been thus. It comes with the territory. The opportunity to truly "balance" a ticket only presents itself upon rare occasions, and when that happens, a successful politician would do well to seize the moment, and balance away.
Read on..
