I feel bad for Governor Paterson. Really, I do.
He was thrown into a shitty situation, and he immediately came up against strong opposition from some New York legislators who were tired of Eliot Spitzer pushing them around. Residents of the Empire State were expecting miracles from the guy. There was no way he could deliver.
That said, it's a little crazy for Paterson to imply that his low approval ratings may be the result of "orchestrated" racism on the part of the media.
Paterson is getting bad press because pretty much everyone hates him. And everyone hates him because he's not really doing a great job.
This isn't a color thing. It's a leadership thing. I haven't spoken with a single New Yorker -- of any political affiliation -- who doesn't think that Paterson is a weak and ineffectual governor with terrible political instincts . . .
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4 comments:
I think his low approval ratings are because he's legally blind.
he's not really doing a great job.
Can you expound on that point?
I half agree with you and half don't. I tend to think that Spitzer and the ensuing scandal has more than a little to do with Paterson's disapproval ratings, because oftentimes one politico's bad behavior while in office translates into a dislike of that person's party.
At the same time, I do think that white politicians generally have more leeway in doing badly as a politician and having high approvals than others, due primarily to perception. The reasons why Jackie Robinson was the first black MLB player still seem to hold for 'firsts' in most venues. The 'first's (or close to firsts) have to be pretty damn brilliant, and seen as not threatening. And Paterson seems to not be in the realm of brilliance.
I think that his visual impairment may play a role in all this -- certainly more than his race.
For example, Paterson was understandably upset about his portrayal on SNL, but some people seemed to interpret Paterson's indignation as evidence that he's 'cold and humorless.' That was pretty unfair.
Paterson's approval ratings were actually pretty decent after Spitzer resigned. But the fallout from the Gillibrand appointment -- which he botched terribly, pissing off conservatives and liberals alike -- combined with his impotency during the Albany showdown turned even large segments of his base against him.
The budget crisis has also showed Paterson's leadership gap. He flip-flopped on so many issues, promising the world to state workers while simultaneously calling for more fiscal constraints. He was by the press savaged for this.
You may be right that black politicians in general have a harder time recovering from mistakes. But it certainly depends on their constituency. Sharpe James and Kwame Kilpatrick are two good examples of black politicians who survived scandal after scandal before they were finally forced to resign due to indictments.
*savaged by the press
Thanks for the info.
You may be right that black politicians in general have a harder time recovering from mistakes. But it certainly depends on their constituency. Sharpe James and Kwame Kilpatrick are two good examples of black politicians who survived scandal after scandal before they were finally forced to resign due to indictments.
I'm not really talking about scandals so much as I am just plain old human mediocrity. Most elected officials aren't the cat's meow, and - partially because there are so many white guys in politics - it seems easier to be reelected as a mediocre white guy than it is as someone who isn't a white guy.
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