Posted on 09/27/2010 8:48:13 AM PDT by Mr. K
(WBEN) Defeated Republican Rick Lazio is expected to drop out of the Governor's race today according to several political observers who eye both history and an upcoming deadline to remove him from the Conservative Party line
While officially early Monday morning , the Lazio campaign has scheduled no announcement, even Democratic political observers expect the move today and late Tuesday at the very latest.
"I'm going to make a projection here. My experience has been when it comes to internal matters within the Republican party they usually are able to pull it together ... I think in the end that Lazio will be in the fold, because that's what Republicans do," says Erie County Democratic Party Chairman Len Lenihan
Historically, the Republican nominee for Governor has seldom won the race without the cross endorsement of the Conservative Party, but Lazio holds that ballot line in November, while Buffalo's Carl Paladino has captured the Republican nomination by beating Lazio in a primary.
Under state election law the only way to remove Lazio from the Conservative Party ballot is for him to die, move out of state, or accept a judicial nomination. The deadline for judicial nominating committees to submit their slate is September 28.
"If that's going to happen, Rick Lazio is going to have to get his nomination within the next 48 hours," former state attorney general Dennis Vacco, a Republican, said Sunday on WBEN's Hardline program.
Add Lenihan: "Lazio's got his choice. Does he want to have the Republicans mad at him or the Conservatives mad at him. If he ever wants to run again for anything or be in the party at all, ( he'll drop out), Lenihan says.
If Lazio does pull the trigger and end his bid for governor, it has a direct effect on the future of the Conservative Party, which needs to pick up at least 50,000 votes to ensure its place in the next election.
“Without 50,000 votes the Conservative Party disappears. There’s no question we’ll take a whole volume of Conservatives over to the Taxpayer Party line," Paladino said. " I’m not looking to hurt the Conservative Party. I don’t have any bad blood in my veins for that. I would prefer to have the Conservative votes. Let them stay as a line,”
Conservative Party Chairman Michael Long has said that Lazio stands a greater chance of securing those votes , but is facing increasing pressure to embrace Paladino.
"Politics is an interesting thing, there is a lot at stake for the Conservative Party," says Jimmy Vielkind, the political reporter for the Albany Times-Union "... essentially the future existence of the party is at stake"
Just last week Long praised Lazio's ability to reform an "out of control legislature," spoke disparagingly of Paladino's "hateful rhetoric" and compared him to disastrous 1990 gubernatorial candidate Pierre Rinfret, an outspoken, eccentric economist who barely edged out conservative candidate Herbert London and was soundly defeated by Mario Cuomo by a 53-22 percent margin.
"Mr. Long might have to do a couple of back-flips but what this would do is allow for a fusion ticket, giving Mr. Paladino the Republican Line, the Conservative Line and The Taxpayers Line ", Vielkind tells WBEN.
Lazio meanwhile told an Associated Press editor's gathering last Monday, that while he was not then ready to make a decision, "I'm going to be voice and be engaged in this debate,"
If he follows through, he will at least be a RINO with class and decency. I appreciated George W. Bush for that reason.
Lazio is a Murkowski kind of Conservative. Big-time LOL
About freakin’ time. An ego in search of a brain.
Please do it, Rick. You don’t have a chance; Paladino does. Be a class act and get behind Paladino’s effort to knock off Cuomo.
Just released on fox news.... Lazio has officially pulled out of the race.
So Lazio decided he didn’t want to become a pariah like Crist and Mirkcowsky afterall.
Lazio just dropped out per FOX!
This isn’t going to happen.The GOP bigwigs in NYS hate Palladino and have no interest in helping him.They won’t nominate Lazio. Mike Long’s Conservative Party exists only as a ballot line and a source of patronage. Long won’t risk losing it by giving it to Palladino whose suppoters will either vote GOP of Taxpayer lines. Long wants the 50K votes on HIS line to remain in existence as a source of jobs. He won’t give it to Palladino by nominating Lazio for a judgeship.
New York State's ballot rules make it easier for minor parties to nominate candidates for statewide offices. This is why NY is one of the only states in the U.S. that has active parties like the Green Party, Right-to-Life Party, etc. that regularly get candidates on the ballot.
These minor parties can nominate candidates on their own ballot spot as long as they get at least 50,000 votes in the previous statewide election. I suspect what's happening here is that the Conservative Party needs to have a high-profile candidate like Paladino on the ballot in their spot, rather than a candidate like Lazio who may not get the 50,000 votes they need to keep their ballot spot for the next election.
This is why the Conservative Party rarely nominates stand-alone candidates (as opposed to the Republican candidate) unless those candidates can put up a huge sum of money to finance their own campaigns.
Good! Thank you, Rick.
Hoffman needs to catch the same clue.
I am routing for Carl Paladino, but let's not tear everyone else down in the process. Rick Lazio is a decent, honorable, kind and approachable man. I have met him on numerous occasions he is NOT a Murkowski type of Conservative or Republican.
Check this out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Biff Cuomo!!
Anyone good at photoshop here????
Check this out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Biff Cuomo!!
Anyone good at photoshop here????
Please remove me from your ping list(s).
Thank you
“Hoffman needs to catch the same clue.”
Agreed. Moheny beat him fair and square. Sore losers are total saboteurs, regardless of whether they are from the Establishment side or the Tea Pary side. That goes to all of you - Murkowski, Didier, Crist, Hoffman, Castle, Tancredo... a pox on you all!!
No pox on Lazio, however. Thanks Rick.
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