Posted on 02/02/2010 5:19:12 PM PST by presidio9
State Conservative Party Chairman Mike Long had a "real positive" dinner meeting with Larry Kudlow earlier this week and came away believing the CNBC host and supply-side economist is "dead serious" about considering a challenge to Sen. Chuck Schumer.
Long, who dined with Kudlow at his invitation at Nicola's on E 84th Street, said he had been tempted to call Kudlow himself after a Facebook page seeking to draft him into the Senate race was created. But he decided to wait it out and let the would-be candidate come to him, instead.
"I was tempted, but I've been down these roads too many times," Long said. "He called me and said: 'Look, I'd like to buy you dinner. I want to talk about what's taking place.'"
"I know him a long time," the chairman continued. "He's not a guy who just picks up the phone. That's not his MO. I'm going to be honest with you - he's dead serious about considering this."
Long said Kudlow seemed unfazed by the prospect of having to give up his TV show and seeing his personal troubles aired yet again. He said Kudlow reiterated the line about retiring Schumer being a "noble cause."
According to Long, Kudlow lives in New York City in an apartment that the chairman has actually visited (he didn't mention where it is located). He also has a house in Connecticut, where he was floated last year as a potential Senate candidate. Long wasn't sure where Kudlow is registered to vote; he said he didn't ask.
Despite his experience of seeing would-be candidates flirt with the idea of running on a third party line and ultimately decide against it, Long is allowing himself to get a little excited about the idea of "Kudlow for Senate".
"I consider myself a soul-mate, philosophically, of Larry," Long told me. "I only say that when someone hits all the right chords on issues, and he does."
"I just think he would be the right guy to run against Chuck Schumer, and in this climate, with his background, I think he would ignite national attention. He would be able to match him and raise a tremendous amount of money."
Long said Kudlow didn't give him any sort of timeline for making a decision about whether he'll get into the race. Kudlow is scheduled to meet tonight with state GOP Chairman Ed Cox, but he declined Long's invitation to speak at the Conservative Party's political action conference in Albany this weekend.
"I told him we'll stay in touch," Long said. "He's not ready to make any particular move at this stage of the game."
I think he’s polling around 30% right now. Brown was way behind once too, but the left is so strong in NY that if he’s really serious about running everyone in the country is going to know that he got fired from Bear Stearns 15 years ago for being a coke head.
2010 is gonna be a Republican year.
BTW, ABC makes so many terrible decisions these days (I usually listen to 970AM) that if Larry quits I half expect them to replace them with that idiot “WHAT’SNEXT?WHAT’SNEXT?WHAT’SNEXT???” libertarian idiot that they have on Sunday Afternoon, but are too ashamed to identify on their website.
Man, what a financial gaint in the Kemp/Reagan mold in the Senate he would be. We need such a statesman to counteract the loons such as Franken.
More importantly let’s hope for a conservative year.
In a debate Schumer would never get a word in, just like Larry’s guests. Run Larry Run...
Obama may have used coke, but the usage didn't destroy his life. There is a saying in the recovery community that there is not faster elevator to a "bottom" than cocaine. Larry hit bottom at Bear and came out the other side a much better man. I honestly believe that's what happened, and that's how I would spin it if I were his campaign manager.
“for being a coke head”
Who’s perfect and what counts is what kind of person he is now.
Also, that can only help him in NY. :)
“Man, what a financial gaint in the Kemp/Reagan mold in the Senate he would be.”
It would be a dream come true!
He’s a fiscal conservative, prolife, and I think we should help him as much as we can. I’m from NY so I’ll be writing letters to the editor to help him.
Larry Kudlow is an idiot when it comes to illegals.
Larry Kudlow Apr. 4, 2006 National Review
Today’s low visa limit of only 140,000 has caused illegal flows to skyrocket. This must be changed. Tamar Jacoby of the Manhattan Institute estimates that U.S. labor-market conditions can absorb about 400,000 Mexican immigrants per year. This would balance labor supply-and-demand conditions and illegal immigration would plummet.
You can build a fence, but desperate Mexicans in search of economic opportunity will climb over it or tunnel under it. This is the reality. And by the way, our H-1B visa program for skilled workers, now at only 65,000, should be unlimited. We need all the scientists and engineers we can get.
Once these immigrants get here they work hard. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Hispanic unemployment is only 5.5 percent, compared to 4.8 percent overall.
As for the claim that illegal workers don’t pay taxes, Princeton professor Douglas Massey estimates that roughly two-thirds of undocumented immigrants pay the FICA payroll tax. Overall, illegals have fed $7 billion to Social Security and $1.5 billion to Medicare. They are contributing to our wealth, not reducing it.
And what do they take from the system? According to Forbes magazine, only 10 percent of illegal Mexicans have sent a child to an American public school and just 5 percent have received food stamps or unemployment benefits. A U-Cal Davis study also shows that more immigrant workers leads to more economic growth. This is standard economics. Multiply an enlarged workforce times existing productivity and you get more economic growth.
But for some reason, immigration opponents can’t make this connection. They are blinded by fear-mongering, defeatism, and pessimism.
Kudlow would make a particularly good Senator for NY, seeing as he has so much knowledge about its major industry (financials, banking, Wall Street, etc.).
I think Kudlow’s expertise would be very helpful to the rest of the nation, too. SOMEONE in the decision process has to have some real-world, especially economic, experience -— Lord knows NO ONE in the Obambi administration knows next to nothing about jobs or the private sector.
And, of course, it would be not only delicious, but very helpful for the real state of the union, to bounce Schumer out on his lying butt.
More: http://www.draftkudlow.com
And all God’s people said “AMEN.”
I think you have just hit upon the best way to say the most with the least amount of jawboning.
This ought to be our standard in EVERY race. I've made some long-winded arguments over many years here on FR on this very point, but your pithy caption on the scene says it all.
He's the best Republican we can get in this go 'round in NY, and he'd be an excellent source of economic knowledge to boot.
btt
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