Daniels Plans to Drop Out of Governor's Race

NY Times ^ | April 8, 2006 | PATRICK HEALY

[neverdem]

The Republican race for governor of New York is set for a shake-up on Monday with one of the three candidates, Randy A. Daniels, planning to drop out and throw his conservative and upstate political coalition to a rival, John Faso, both men said today.

Mr. Daniels, a former New York secretary of state, said that he will endorse Mr. Faso at a campaign event in Albany on Monday morning, and that he expected at least some of his allies to attend and switch sides to Mr. Faso as well.

Both men said in separate interviews that no deals were cut in exchange for the endorsement, and Mr. Daniels flatly denied any interest in being Mr. Faso’s running mate or serving in a Faso administration. And while the Daniels camp had battered Mr. Faso for once being a paid lobbyist, both men said those rough times were forgotten.

With only modest political support for his candidacy, Mr. Daniels said he wanted to get out of the way and help unite the Republican Party and the state Conservative Party behind Mr. Faso. Mr. Daniels said he was more comfortable with Mr. Faso’s message of fiscal conservatism than with the blend of conservative and moderate views of the third Republican candidate, William F. Weld, a former governor of Massachusetts.

“Now Republicans will have an opportunity for a clear, two-man debate about the direction of the party: The Rockefeller Republican wing represented by Bill Weld, versus John’s focus on fiscal responsibility and restraint, small government, and less spending,” Mr. Daniels said.

Mr. Daniels is popular with Republican grass-roots activists for his eloquent critiques of the Albany status quo and his own party, which he has called “lost” and “Democratic lite,” and both Mr. Faso and Mr. Weld have described him as the best...

[Alter Kaker]

Running anybody against Spitzer in New York is stupid. He'll win by sixty points and the party will be embarassed.

[ccc_jr]

Rudy Giuliani could beat him

[TBP]

So what are tehy supposed to do?

[dangus]

Gee, that's constructive!

[dangus]

>> than with the blend of conservative and moderate views of the third Republican candidate, William F. Weld <<

Ummm... try the blend of pinko and merely leftist views.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Randy Daniels out of the Gov's race in NY. Faso will hopefully beat the ultraRINO leftist abomination, AIDS Weld. I doubt he'll be able to beat the equally horrid megalomaniacal loon Spitzer, but at least with a ticket of Faso and Spencer for the Senate, we'll have two people with dignity whom we can be proud to support in the general.

[AuH2ORepublican]

That's great news. I was afraid that Weld would be able to win given that so many conservatives were running, but with Manning (that was the 6'10" Dutchess County Assembleyman's name, right?) out and now Daniels as well, Faso should be able to win the primary rather easily. I think Faso should consider Daniels for Lt. Gov.

[MassachusettsGOP]

The RINO is also a Libertarian:
Weld hopes to capture Libertarian Party line

[fieldmarshaldj]

I wonder why this liberal trash doesn't bother trying to run on the party for whom he has served so well, the 'RAT party.

[MassachusettsGOP]

This is true, when he came to office, Republicans held 40% of the Massachusetts State Senate, by the time he was done, we held less than 20%. Not only was he a Bad Governor, he was poor in his support of fellow Republican Candidates.

No wonder people like Al D'Amato hates this guy.

[fieldmarshaldj]

You know it's bad when even the liberal Republicans were screaming "help us !" and he did NOTHING. The state would've been far better off under Steven Pierce.