Don't Republicans want to win in New York State this year?
When Randy Daniels first visited The New York Sun last year and
spoke extensively about his plans for New York, I thought our
former secretary of state would be an excellent candidate to
defeat Eliot Spitzer for governor. I naively thought the
Republicans would be eager to embrace Mr. Daniels, but noooo.
I had originally planned to include him in a previous column
about Mr. Spitzer's vulnerability. However, when I met with a
Republican insider to discuss the race, he told me Mr. Daniels
did not have the support of his own party. How could this be?
My cynicism about the impotent New York Republican Party has
almost convinced me to change my registration to the Conservative
Party in protest. Clearly, Albany is not interested in supporting
credible candidates. That was confirmed last week when Edward Cox
withdrew from the senatorial race because he lacked Governor
Pataki's support. Would Mr. Daniels be another candidate to drop
out of contention?
This inquiring mind wanted to know, so I went to Mr. Daniels's
Midtown office for an update on his campaign. Fortunately, not
only is he not going to drop out, he is confident he will win in
November. And after listening to him for an hour, I believe he's
a real contender.
Let's face it: Republicans are considerably outnumbered in New
York State. The only person who can make significant inroads to
the Democratic base is Mr. Daniels. This is not just because he's
a black man, but because he is already known favorably for his
achievements in the black community. Thanks to Mr. Daniels, the
Harlem Urban Development Corporation, which wasted millions of
taxpayer dollars, was shut down. Mr. Daniels brought in private
retailers who invested millions in the community, leading to its
current revival.
If Republicans could ever make a dent in the African-American
vote, which currently belongs to the Democrats, the Democrats
would be toast. Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Maryland are leading the
way toward breaking the Democrats' hold. The former NFL star Lynn
Swann, winner of four Super Bowl rings in his nine-year pro
career, is challenging the incumbent Pennsylvania governor, Ed
Rendell. Ken Blackwell, the Ohio secretary of state, will be
facing the state attorney general, Jim Petro, in the
gubernatorial race. Michael Steele, the lieutenant governor of
Maryland, is running a strong race for the U.S. Senate seat. He
is the candidate whose credit history was allegedly stolen by
Senator Schumer's campaign operatives. Why are the Democrats so
frightened of black Republicans? And since they are so afraid,
why hasn't Governor Pataki championed Mr. Daniels, his handpicked
secretary of state?
Minority voters will see a stark contrast between Mr. Spitzer,
the Wall Street "crusader," and Mr. Daniels, one of 10
children who grew up in the Chicago projects. A former CBS war
correspondent, Mr. Daniels has not only been to over 100
countries, he's done business abroad as well. He knows how to
attract commerce to our state, which has been steadily losing
population and businesses. He's a Reaganite politician who can
attract Democrats the same way the Gipper did.
Mr. Daniels told me, "We must get back to the core
principles of the Republican Party. We are the party of Lincoln.
We are the party that fought for civil rights. It was the
Democrats who were opposed to the Emancipation Proclamation. They
fought to re-enslave the blacks. In 1964, Dixiecrats like Al Gore
Sr., Robert Byrd, and Fritz Hollings fought against the Civil
Rights Act. How did we let the Democrats steal what our party has
always stood for? It's time for us to stop being
Democrat-lite."
Like Messrs. Swann, Blackwell, and Steele, Mr. Daniels can
deliver that message of truth to the African-American community.
Misguided party officials who think white upstate communities
won't vote for a black candidate forget that these communities
were very active in the abolitionist movement, and that Mr.
Daniels has been receiving overwhelming support there.
Mr. Daniels is widely regarded as one of the state's leading
educational reformers and a forceful advocate for school choice.
"Our greatest resource is intellectual capital," he
said.
One of Mr. Daniels's most sensible proposals is a 24/7
government. "With today's technology, there is no reason why
we should not have access to our government whenever we need
it." Tell that to Assemblyman Sheldon Silver, who virtually
controls the do-nothing legislature.
I have yet not filled out my registration change forms, because
if there is a Republican primary, my vote and those of my seven
family members will go to Mr. Daniels, whose campaign Web site
iswww.randydaniels.com.
But if the powers upstate rule out a primary, then the New York
Republican Party is toast, and so are Mr. Pataki's ambitions for
higher office in 2008.