Gov. Paterson is moving lickety-split through the stages of grief, so the drama over his future might soon come to a head. Here’s the best way out for him and voters.
In the days after the White House asked him not to run, the accidental governor expressed defiance, saying he would stay in and win. Soon, with wife Michelle calling the whole thing unfair because he’s the state’s first black governor, Paterson slipped into anger, blaming Attorney General Andrew Cuomo.
The next day, self-pity was the theme.
“I did not sign up for this,” Paterson told The New York Times. “I wanted to be lieutenant governor. I had this grand plan that Hillary Clinton was going to become president. Maybe the governor would appoint me to the Senate.”
That leaves two stages, depression and acceptance. He’ll be at the end when he realizes he will not get the nomination of his party.
Despite his failures — approval ratings of 20 percent are hard to argue with — I’m sympathetic to Paterson, a smart and decent guy. And I agree with the majority of New Yorkers that President Obama should let us pick our candidates.
Thus, a modest proposal, Gov: Skip the grief and go for it. If you truly believe you deserve to be elected, trust voters to make the decision.
But be prepared: They always tell the unvarnished truth.