By J.P. Avlon
Thursday, May 16, 2002
Randy Daniels and the Future of New York's GOP
Most New Yorkers don't know or care who serves as lieutenant governor.
But they may want to find out: This largely insignificant post may give
us our next governor.
Governor Pataki's success in expanding his base of support beyond
traditional Republican voters and his post-September 11 strength in the
polls make him the race's clear favorite. But there are doubts he will
serve out his term - it is widely rumored in both Washington and Albany
that he is interested in a position with the Bush administration. Yet
little attention is being paid to Mr. Pataki's pick for lieutenant
governor, who may have a greater chance of actually becoming governor
than either of the Democratic candidates.
It appears that Mr. Pataki has settled on retaining the post's
competent but uninspired incumbent, Mary Donohue, a former State Supreme
Court judge and district attorney. For some time, there has been an
extensive, barely covert "Dump Donohue" movement afoot in the state
government. Mr. Pataki responded with a lukewarm announcement that it
was his intention to keep her on the ticket. He seemed to clinch this
decision on Saturday when he officially announced he was in the race,
and Ms. Donohue was introduced as his running mate. But her poor
performance left some Republicans continuing to express dissatisfaction
with her re-selection. If the governor could look beyond this election
cycle, he might choose a different running mate, and there's still time
for him to make a better choice before the State Republican Convention
convenes on May 28.
Dumping a running mate is inherently tricky business. But Mr. Pataki
has had a different lieutenant governor each of his terms, his lead in
the polls is substantial enough, and the election far enough away that
he can afford to reconsider his selection, especially since there is an
ideal candidate right under his nose.
Secretary of State Randy Daniels showed extraordinary leadership
working alongside the governor in the aftermath of September 11. He
participated in key meetings with Mayor Giuliani and coordinated the
state's response with the city's; displayed a steady hand during the
most difficult of times and publicly represented the governor and the
state while Ms. Donohue was scarcely seen. With Newark's down but not
out Cory Booker, Mr. Daniels is one of the stars of a new generation of
black political leaders. Mr. Daniels has not been seeking to be
lieutenant governor, but he has the experience and ability to handle the
job, and even the governorship should Mr. Pataki leave in mid-term.
Mr. Daniels is a longtime Pataki team member. Before serving as
Secretary of State he was the senior vice president of the Empire State
Redevelopment Corporation where he directed the Department of Economic
Revitalization. In 1997, Mr. Pataki appointed him to serve on the SUNY
Board.
Mr. Daniels is one of the Pataki administration's most popular and
compelling speakers. He understands the inner workings of state
government, and has an especially detailed knowledge of education and
economic development - two issues on which the next governor will need
to focus. But Mr. Daniels is not fundamentally an Albany creation - his
background is journalism, not the legislature. He will have enough
perspective to rein in its excesses.
Mr. Daniels has not campaigned for this position, and Mr. Pataki has
publicly if not enthusiastically affirmed his sup port for Ms. Donohue.
Nonetheless, nothing is official until the convention.
The selection of Mr. Daniels might also be historic. If Mr. Pataki was
reelected, and then left office before his term expires, Mr. Daniels
would become New York State's first black governor. He would also become
the first black Republican to serve as state governor since 1873, when
Pinckney Benton Stewart Pinchback briefly served in Louisiana.
The main obstacle to Mr. Daniels appointment will be a matter of
labels. Though Secretary Daniels is moderately conservative on many
issues, he is currently a registered Democrat - not exactly a scandal
when you live in a city where Democrats outnumber Republicans
five-to-one. He might best be described as a DINO - Democrat in Name
Only. Despite his extensive and loyal service in a Republican
administration, his party affiliation would cause many Republican Party
members to reflexively oppose him.
That would be shortsighted. If proposed as Mr. Pataki's running mate,
Mr. Daniels could fill out the form to switch his registration, but the
switch would take effect after the election. He could, however, run on
the Republican ticket as a registered democrat so long as the Republican
party were willing to allow this to occur. He would officially become a
Republican shortly after taking office. Party members should remember
that Mr. Giuliani was not born a Republican, and neither was Ronald
Reagan.
As long as Mr. Pataki is lurching to the left on social spending, he
might as well use his third term to fundamentally realign New York's
politics. To have a healthy functioning democracy, we cannot have one
party representing blacks and other ethic minorities and the other
representing predominantly white Amer icans. No party should be in a
position to take a community's votes for granted. This was made clear in
last fall's election, when the defection of Latino voters from the
Democratic Party proved decisive in electing Mr. Bloomberg. Expect this
realignment to have an impact on national politics in the near future.
New York State Republicans are uniquely well suited to benefit from
this change. The term "New York Republican" has traditionally been
synonymous with the most liberal wing of that party. New York
Republicans have given the nation Theodore Roosevelt, Fiorello
LaGuardia, Thomas Dewey, Nelson Rockefeller, John Lindsay, Jacob Javits,
and Mr. Giuliani. It is a distinguished lineage, a heritage of
progressive policies and political independence.
Selecting Randy Daniels as lieutenant governor would further this
distinctly New York Republican legacy. It would be a bold step for Mr.
Pataki to take. Along with the governor's recent announcement that
Puerto Rican-born Judge Dora Irizarry would be the Republican Party's
candidate for Attorney General, this ticket would be a powerful signal
that one of Mr. Pataki's legacies will be a commitment to the
realignment of state politics away from race and back towards ideas and
individuals. In a state where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans
three-to-two, this is both the right thing to do and smart politics.
Mr. Daniels would make a distinguished lieutenant governor, a
distinguished addition to the New York Republican Party, and a
distinguished addition to political debate in our nation. And possibly,
before too long, a distinguished governor.
