Should Governor Paterson run for re-election? What happens if Attorney General Andrew Cuomo enters the race?
I think the governor deserves a great deal of praise for his willingness to be very candid about the state’s financial problems. He has, I think, earned the respect and admiration of people for doing that. It’s not clear whether that will translate into popular support. Over the next few months I think you’ll see how that settles out and what the public’s reaction to the challenges in Albany will be. Political leadership usually follows public sentiment, not the other way around. They [Democratic leaders] know that in Albany you’re going to need strong leadership over the next few years during what are going to be very turbulent times. And they know that public support for being able to make the changes that need to be made is critical to enacting those reforms. So if someone like an Andrew Cuomo has a great deal of popular support and can translate that into actions in Albany in dealing with the Legislature, that’s going to make him a strong potential candidate. I think that’s been th
