Metro

Dave still has an empty feeling

Maybe they should start giving out door prizes.

For the second day in a row, a campaign event for Gov. Paterson was sparsely attended, drawing about as many Democratic operatives as a Tea Party protest.

The governor yesterday took his struggling campaign to suburban Buffalo, where the list of missing persons was nearly identical to the list of elected leaders.

Paterson did manage to draw nearly 200 people — many of them union supporters — to Christie’s Restaurant in West Seneca, but elected officials from the governor’s party apparently didn’t like what was on the “menu.”

The upbeat governor seemed to take the snub in his stride, vowing to fight “special interests” and make the tough decisions that breed unpopularity.

“It’s not about me,” Paterson said. “It’s about the people of New York. And I will always put the people first.”

The Buffalo-area brush-off followed Paterson’s campaign kickoff event at Hofstra University on Saturday morning.

Party operatives have been slow to jump on the bandwagon — particularly since it has been stuck in the mud.

“I think people are waiting to see how things work out,” Paterson told reporters.

He then headed to Washington to commiserate with other governors, including California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who’s catching flak from Republicans for touting parts of President Obama’s stimulus package.

Last night, Paterson attended the annual Governors’ Ball at the White House, hosted by Obama. The president had previously urged Paterson to step aside instead of running for re-election.