S.E. Cupp: Lazio Is The New Scott Brown
Tags: Andrew Cuomo, David Paterson, Eliot Spitzer, Rick Lazio, S.E. Cupp, Scott Brown
My friend S.E. Cupp, in her latest column for the New York Daily News, dares to say that the New York governor’s race isn’t merely just waiting for Cuomo to jump in and cruise to an effortless victory.
To fellow jaded New Yorkers who think they’ve heard it all, I humbly offer this: Rick Lazio is the new Scott Brown.
I say this not in a “gray is the new black” kind of way, but to suggest that if he wants to, and if New Yorkers care about who fills David Paterson’s seat, Lazio has the potential to run as a Scott Brown and, yes, win as a Scott Brown.
Allow me to refresh your snow- and scandal-addled memory: Brown was the overlooked Republican dark horse who delivered to Massachusetts Democrats the political equivalent of the Boston Massacre, unexpectedly defeating Martha Coakley for Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat.
Don’t believe that Lazio could do the same? Get in line. Democratic strategist Dan Gerstein told me only a rare kind of Republican can get elected governor of New York right now, and “Lazio’s not that guy.” Indeed, the idea that New Yorkers would vote for a right-winger like Lazio when there’s potentially (gasp!) a Cuomo heir to the throne is more than anathema – it’s absurd.
But Paterson’s long string of bizarre scandals, would-be scandals and nonscandals may keep Andrew Cuomo tied up in the attorney general’s office for the next couple of months, possibly precluding a run. To this, Gerstein scoffed, “There’s less of a chance of Eliot Spitzer being the next governor than of Andrew Cuomo not running.”
According to S.E.. it doesn’t matter who is running, Rick Lazio has a chance to win, and Lazio has a chance, “and Scott Brown is the reason why.”
I had faith in Rick Lazio before Scott Brown. I was impressed when I interviewed him last year, and I definitely agree that Scott Brown’s victory underscores the point that this year all Democrats are vulnerable. As Cuome lingers on as a non-candidate, Lazio is out their alone campaigning for the job Cuomo is apparently not interested enough in to pursue right now. Cuomo, if he runs, may not make teh same mistakes that Martha Coakley did, but he’s making other mistakes now, by not jumping in, and giving Lazio more press tim for being the only declared candidate.
In the past couple weeks, I have heard Lazio’s name on the radio a lot more than usual. He’s been vocal about the ethical cloud over Albany, and was calling on Paterson to quit days ago. His name is getting out there much quicker, and the longer Cuomo hides behind this investigation the more likely voters will be put off by his avoidance.
Time will tell what will happen. New York is definitely not GOP territory, but even Scott Brown didn’t surge until the last month of the campaign. Rick Lazio is only candidate in the race, and is the only person who has shown the leadership necessary to fix this state. I agree with S.E.,
Matt Margolis is co-author (with Mark Noonan) of Caucus of Corruption: The Truth About The New Democratic Majority. He also blogs at Blogs For Victory. Follow Matt on Twitter.
Big fan of SE Cupp, however…
this seems to be a bit of a stretch.
I agree a big strrrrrretch. Lazio doesn’t have a chance. He helped kill the best chance the GOP had. He knows what he and his buddies did. Very shameful Rick. You will get very little local support.
Hey Matt, why don’t you call out that pussy Alan Bendenko for removing his Massa post. He was all sad about him not running for re-election. He refused to mention the sexual harrassment charges. He is such a hypocrite. A bigtime loser. Who votes for these best blogger awards? This guy deserves nothing/ A loser with a capital L!
Hey, Steve – the Massa post never went away. It’s still there. In other words, you’re a fucking idiot. But that’s what Collins & Howard do, I guess – hire fucking idiots.
Let’s hope Massa sticks around for a while… too much fun.