See that good looking dude on the left? He's got FAR BETTER THINGS to do than conduct Freepathons! Come on, let's get this thing over with.
Posted on 07/17/2003 7:59:11 AM PDT by Behind Liberal Lines
Tom Golisano, the Democrat?
High-ranking state Democrats have apparently approached the billionaire CEO of Paychex Inc. and three-time gubernatorial candidate about seeking the party’s nomination for governor in 2006, his top political advisers said.
And Golisano seems interested, realizing that being a third-party candidate likely won’t win him the governor’s mansion. He spent a record $74 million of his own money last year as the Independence Party candidate and finished a distant third behind Republican Gov. George Pataki and Democrat Carl McCall.
“There have been a lot of high-level people in the party that have suggested that to him, and it’s an option that he would consider,” said close adviser Steve Pigeon, former Democratic chairman in Erie County. Pigeon would not say who approached Golisano.
If Golisano were to seek the Democratic mantle, he may have to square off in a primary against the party’s expected candidate, Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, who is already raising money and support for a potential bid.
Last year, Golisano, an Irondequoit native who lives in Victor, Ontario County, spent $30 million to beat Pataki in an Independence Party primary.
Pigeon said Golisano respects Spitzer and might only challenge him if the attorney general doesn’t share similar political views. Spitzer’s office had no comment Wednesday.
“He thinks highly of Eliot, but he would want to make sure Eliot believes in what he believes in,” Pigeon said.
When asked about his political future, Golisano on Wednesday would only say, “Who knows? It’s too far away.” Later, he refused comment on whether he’s considering a run as a Democrat.
Golisano’s close allies view a major party candidacy as probably the only way he could win a fourth attempt at governor. Golisano has run all three times as the candidate for the Independence Party, which he helped create in 1994, and put together his best effort last year.
“He was trying to push a boulder uphill trying to run as a third-party candidate,” Pigeon said. “If he would have been the Democratic candidate last year there’s no doubt in my mind he would have defeated George Pataki.”
For Golisano’s advisers, the thinking goes that if he could pump millions into a Democratic primary and beat Spitzer, he would have solid support in both the Democratic stronghold of New York City and in the two largest upstate cities, Rochester and Buffalo - his home base.
Golisano is at the height of his popularity in western New York after buying the Buffalo Sabres hockey team earlier this year. On Wednesday, he announced the team would play the Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils in Rochester on Nov. 12.
In last year’s election, Monroe County was the only place Golisano beat Pataki and McCall.
But political observers said Golisano would have a hard time garnering support in New York City against a strong Democratic candidate no matter how much money he spent.
“He’d have to show some downstate appeal, and it’s not where he’s been strong,” said Lee Miringoff, a Marist College pollster. “You’re talking probably 70 percent of the (Democratic) voters are in the New York metropolitan area.”
Miringoff said Golisano might stand a better chance running as a Republican and pushing his message of fiscal conservatism. But Pigeon said Golisano has such disdain for Pataki and the Republican Party he would fit better as a Democrat.
Meanwhile, Golisano remains quietly active in politics, including aligning himself with some Democrats. He had a two-hour meeting in Manhattan this spring with Democratic presidential candidate Rep. Dick Gephardt, R-Mo., and attended a Gephardt fundraiser in Buffalo.
Golisano also doled out $50,000 this spring to the Hip Hop Research and Education Fund, a nonprofit group associated with hip-hop impresario Russell Simmons’s efforts to reform the strict Rockefeller drug laws.
Democrats Simmons and Andrew Cuomo, a gubernatorial candidate last year, have been leading an effort to ease the drug laws but are under investigation by the state for whether they’ve been illegally lobbying state government. The contribution by Golisano, however, appears to be legal, said David Grandeau, executive director of the state Lobbying Commission.
“We’ve been complying,” Golisano said.
Despite his political activity, Golisano’s main focus for now seems to be the bankrupt Sabres. He put off another project, “Straight Talk with Tom Golisano,” a weekly two-minute radio address that he wanted to run on the top three radio stations in every major New York market.
Golisano said he still plans to do it but didn’t know when.
“I think he feels a great responsibility to the Sabres,” said political adviser Roger Stone. “He’s put his own agenda behind (that of) the Sabres.”
Will this be enough to wake up the Freepers and others who keep pretending to themselves that Golisano is some sort of conservative great white hope?
Probably not.
See that good looking dude on the left? He's got FAR BETTER THINGS to do than conduct Freepathons! Come on, let's get this thing over with.
Golisano has always been a dork. He's just another Michael Bloomberg.
Obviously it didn't work, but that is who Tom Golisano is...He's a Democrat through and through... His last run (the second "try") was as an independent again in an effort to save the flagging McCall campaign... his main thrust was to paint Pataki as a liberal... one mailer I found in my mailbox blared... "HE'S A LIBERAL..!!HE'S A LIBERAL!! in referrence to Pataki...
Although Pataki is a RINO, he's not extreme left... Golisano is an extreme left wing functionary!
Have you seen "The Producers?"
I agree with your analysis. However, the fact that this is even being floated demonstrates how wrong Golisano's conservative supporters were/are.
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