Thursday, February 9, 2006
CNY GROUP WANTS DANIELS AS GOVERNOR
They called it a signal to other Republican party leaders that it was time to start making a decision on a candidate for governor, and that they could challenge the choice of their state leader. A group of Central New York county chairmen say their party needs to turn to Randy Daniels in the race for governor.
It was set aside as a day to allow rank and file republicans to assess the people who want their party's nomination for statewide office. All of the candidates for governor were there. William Weld bombed. His speech was seen as more of a lecture and he avoided one on one contact with party members. The strongest response of the day was generated by a man who has served George Pataki as secretary of state.
January 24th Randy Daniels, a Republican gubernatorial candidate, said, I concede nothing to the Democratic party. I will stand and fight for the Republican cause. I will lead us to victory. All you have to do is dare to believe it.
Local party leaders, impressed by Daniels, claim the most effective weapon in the uphill battle against presumptive Democrat nominee Eliot Spitzer is passion. Now, five county chairmen from Central New York have broken with a majority of local party leaders, throwing their support to Daniels.
He believes in the things that we believe in and the things we know we need for this state. I know what he's not. He's not a career politician, a career candidate, said Robert Smith, Onondaga County GOP chair.
Oswego County GOP Chair George Williams said, Vince Lombardi, at one time, had an awful bad season, so he said to his team, I want to go back to the basics. In the times I have listened to Randy Daniels, that's what he wants to take New York State back to....the basics.
Daniels continues to say he is a Reagan Republican, a conservative mantra that finds a receptive audience in Upstate New York.
Government is too big. It spends too much. And I will cut it down to size, he said.
In the end, the biggest problem facing Randy Daniels may be money. The latest reports show that William Weld's campaign has about $2 million in the bank. Daniels war chest stands at about $25,000.
The bosses have been twisting some arms and leaning on people. That's okay. What you want is a candidate who has the support of the grass roots of this party, because that is how you win, Daniels said.
Daniels says if the rank and file chooses him, the bosses will eventually come around.
County chairmen from Onondaga, Oswego, Cayuga, Jefferson and Allegany counties are now backing Daniels. They expect other county committees to join them, soon.
