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Friday, May 29, 2015

Glen Taylor's Strib features George Pataki

Items dated May 28, here, here and here.

The second item, among more content, states:

He has been campaigning against President Barack Obama's health care law for several years, arguing it is government overreach into what should be a private sector market. Pataki also favors overhauling the federal tax system by eliminating most deductions and reducing tax rates. "My advice would be to start all over," Pataki said in Iowa. "It would put lobbyists out of business and believe me, I think that would be a very good thing for America."

[...] Pataki falls to the left of many in the GOP field. He supports abortion rights and pushed through legislation as governor supporting civil rights and prohibiting discrimination against gays and lesbians. [...] He signed tougher gun laws in 2000 after a mass shooting, but said that is also an issue for each state to settle. He considers Common Core standards a federal takeover of education.

[italics added] The third linked item briefly states:

[...] Since leaving public office in 2006, he has worked as a lawyer and is a founder of the Pataki-Cahill Group, which provides services to businesses.

Pataki, 69, was raised on his family's small vegetable farm about 40 miles north of New York City, in Peekskill. Pataki, like his brother and cousins, grew up plowing, picking and delivering produce to the farm stand. He attended Yale University on an academic scholarship and later graduated from Columbia Law School. [...]

[italics added]. If taken seriously by early-state voters presumably somebody would question and flesh out exactly what "services to businesses" the "Pataki-Cahill Group" has rendered, who the clients are, who Cahill is.

Beyond that, Pataki is no Scott Walker with those Hillary-like and Jeb-like ivy league credentials, nor a Texas Aggie like Rick Perry.

Thankfully not as phony as Rick Santorum or Huckabee. Closer to a GOP mainstream Dr. Paul, but without the Bachmann-Ron Paul-Sanderson highest-bidder Paul-family/campaign baggage from Iowa last cycle and nicely without any compromise or pandering to the worse fringes of the GOP. (Noteworthy here, Glen Taylor's Strib's latest (May 27) item on Rand Paul seeming to want things to be as written, whether they are, or not.)

A former governor of the state for which Nelson Rockefeller was a former governor.

He seems the Bush wing's bench player, to be put into play if Jeb cannot convince people that awfulness in history would not repeat itself. Somebody's VP, rock solid boring but without fringe-group difficulties and without the annoying Pawlenty smirk.

Glen Taylor's Strib seems to be telling you what you need to know, to be properly informed.

UPDATE: A thought experument; can you imagine gentle, caring Watchdog placidity with Pataki?

FURTHER UPDATE: Two additional G.T.S. items re Rand Paul, here and here. Studying the Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell relationship out of Kentucky is something readers might take time to do. Some have said compromise is the essence of our checks-and-balances Constitutional democracy model, in action.

FURTHER UPDATE: Given Chris Christie's Bridgegate difficulties with the New York - New Jersey Port Authority, what was the Pataki record when he served as Governor of the state across the river from Christie's New Jersey? Was he out of office before any Port Authority pork and retribution stories got above the nation's sleepy attention levels? Are there nonetheless skeletons that could be rattled against Pataki in that closet? Again, if Pataki gains traction some would likely investigate the question.

FURTHER UPDATE: While not numerically a front-runner, so far, Pataki is a more intriguing and complicated persona than say, Perry, Huckabee, Santorum or Walker. Slick video Pataki packaging; but for the incessantly overbearing awful background music reminiscent of the Doctor Zhivago film soundtrack; here. Pataki, himself, or some experienced senior adviser should have nixed that video's soundtrack as inconsistent with the message of Pataki as a more thoughtful and balanced person than most. Interestingly, nothing is in the video or in current press coverage about Sheldon Adelson and the evils of online gambling and its threat to the Las Vegas mega casino scene; hence, nothing here beyond that passing mention, for now. Ask Blanche Lincoln about it.

Wrapping up -- Upon reflection, Perry got crossed out of that above comparative sentence. Putting Perry and Pataki together as equally complex personas can be challenged, given wholly different manners and style; but each can be seen as suggestive of more behind the person than an empty suit stuffed with nothing but platitudes and yearning.

Surely that is a subjective observation where readers thinking Walker, Santorum, or Huckabee is bigger than empty-suitism can believe whatever they choose.

Again, Pataki might have traction if Jeb and all the tons of hard and soft and family money behind him cannot generate a strong New Hampshire turnout with momentum building after that.

BOTTOM LINE: Forget Iowa as a circus. Wait and see how New Hampshire turns out.

Pataki could surprise Jeb. But Pataki has to either raise cash or fall by the wayside.

Whose money is backing him at present?