Post: Spitzer’s play for black votes put New York in “stunningly inept hands” of black governor

In a blistering editorial yesterday, the New York Post says that more damning to former Gov. Eliot Spitzer than his compulsive use of prostitutes that led to his downfall a year ago is the fact that Spitzer by his behavior delivered New York State “into the stunningly inept hands of David Paterson,” as a result of “making a play for black votes by placing Paterson just one hooker hook-up from the Executive Mansion.”

But, again, [Spitzer’s] fundamental failure was in putting Paterson on the ballot.

Spitzer at the time polled badly among black voters, and it was thought that the then-state senator from Harlem might mitigate that. But while ticket-balancing is as old as elective politics, part of the deal is an expectation of a minimally competent running mate, in case the worst should happen.

Alas, when Spitzer quit, the worst was yet to happen. Indeed, it’s still happening.

Here is the editorial:

ELIOT, AGAIN

Eliot Sptizer’s year in the wilderness seems to have taught him no lessons. Everything’s still all about him.

Client 9 popped up on national TV this week to describe the “gremlins” that drove him to self-destruction—and maybe to take another step down what he hopes will be the comeback trail.

It’s been a year since the self-styled savior of New York resigned after being caught in consort with a call-girl—humiliating himself and his family and delivering the state into the stunningly inept hands of David Paterson.

Actually, it’s hard to know which transgression was more egregious:

* The Ashley Dupre dalliance—a spectacular miscalculation, but essentially a human failure.

* Or making a play for black votes by placing Paterson just one hooker hook-up from the Executive Mansion. It was an act of political cynicism with ramifications that are only now becoming clear.

Either way, Gov. Steamroller has much for which to be contrite.

Granted, the current chaos in Albany may have enticed Spitzer to poke his head out his hidey-hole: Things are so bad that it’s hard not to be nostalgic for the days of driver’s licenses for illegal aliens and bands of rogue state troopers.

True, Spitzer failed miserably in his promise to cleanse Albany, demonstrating from Day One that he was incapable of making the alliances and associations necessary to win true reform.

But, again, his fundamental failure was in putting Paterson on the ballot.

Spitzer at the time polled badly among black voters, and it was thought that the then-state senator from Harlem might mitigate that. But while ticket-balancing is as old as elective politics, part of the deal is an expectation of a minimally competent running mate, in case the worst should happen.

Alas, when Spitzer quit, the worst was yet to happen. Indeed, it’s still happening.

Yet there has been not a hint of recognition of this in all of Spitzer’s self-pitying blather.

Then again, for the former governor, it was never really about his duties to the people who elected him.

It was always about—himself.

We’re happy to hear Spitzer say that his wife and children have forgiven him.

He should spend more time with them—and leave the rest of New York alone.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at April 09, 2009 12:35 PM | Send