Gov. Paterson: A Blind Man Really Can't See

The wrong stuff?

Ironic in Greek literature the blind character was the only one who could see the truth.  New York’s Gov. Paterson is legally blind but he can’t see what an idiot he is making of himself… even President Obama has backed away (rightly) from comments made regarding race:

The governor is blaming race for his political troubles again – saying some people are uncomfortable seeing so many black politicians in power.

“Part of what I feel is that one very successful minority is permissible, but when you see too many success stories, then some people get nervous,” Paterson told political blogger Gerson Borrero in a report posted Monday.

The big difference between Obama and Paterson is that Obama was elected whereas Paterson was appointed after the previous govenor quit after a hooker sex scandal.  Also, Paterson is facing a very trying time what with budgets under fire, tax revenues down, and voters itching for change:

A defensive – and at times self-pitying – Paterson told Borrero he’s been stewing about his treatment for some time.

“I have been quiet for 17 months on this issue,” he told Borrero over the weekend.

“I played by the rules. It was a very difficult position to find myself in, and I’ve given it my best. I’ve done the best I can under the very trying circumstances the state is facing.”

He said he understands the criticism over the budget and the Senate leadership battle, but Paterson suggested to Borrero that he is held to a different standard.

“It seems I have to work twice as hard as others,” he said.

And it still bothers him that people refer to him as the “accidental governor.” He took office last year after former Gov. Eliot Spitzer resigned amid a prostitution scandal.

“It was not an accident. … I became governor by a constitutional mandate,” Paterson said.

Sounds to me like the govenor has a bit of a chip on his shoulder about something and chooses to blame his race for that.  If you want to hear his excuses you can click here.

In that post he tries to explain how it is his race not the economy that is causing his low approval ratings.  As if there are not plenty of other governors in the same boat (including a certain Austrian).  He then goes on to say that the next guy will be Barack Obama because he tried to reform healthcare!

Might want to look for some others.

According to the article Paterson has very low ratings right now:

Meanwhile, a new Siena Research Institute poll taken before the governor’s comments Friday showed his job approval rating at a meager 23% and his favorability rating at just 32%.

A whopping 68% said they would prefer someone else if Paterson runs for a full four-year term next year, while 52% said they would prefer Attorney General Andrew Cuomo to run for governor rather than seek reelection to his current office.

Cuomo’s favorability rating is at a sky-high 70%.

Nobody elected Paterson to be governor and, like Gerald Ford who was also never elected to be president, suffered from low approval ratings (rarely above 50% often far less than that).  It is also tough to argue “race” when the country just elected a half-black president who enjoyed sky high ratings until he actually started making policy.  To his credit, Obama has distanced himself from such comments as Paterson (maybe he learned from the Gates Gate backlash).

Paterson may be a good guy but I’d submit there is a reason he never ran for governor and it could be he doesn’t have the right stuff to hold that office no matter what his race.

Should we blame California’s woes on the Austrians?  New York City’s woes on the Jews, or, if things turn bad for Cuomo if he is elected, on the Italians?

Hopefully Americans won’t let people use cruches like this to slide on by and absolve themselves of responsibility.

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