May 28, 2015

Watch it with me: George Pataki announces his bid for the GOP nomination.



1. Blowy curtains looking out from a high level onto New York City = vague reminder of 9/11. George Pataki was governor of New York when the attacks occurred. The camera advances and the the white curtains — ghosts of the past — move out of view and we look on the city ≈ we recovered from 9/11, with the help of George Petaki.

2. We see the dramatically shadowed face of Pataki, talking about "our uncertain future." He's wearing a zip-up windbreaker, an open-collared plaid shirt, and a grim expression. Blurred in the background is a painting of a sunrise... or sunset... which? I don't know. The future is uncertain.

3. "We are founded on a miracle — a heroic past." He's back to the past, much further in the past than 9/11, and he's back to the window. It's evening... or is it dawn? I don't know. The future is uncertain. He's putting on a tie. Going to work? For us? The view is out over the city again. NYC, I assume. He's got a nice apartment. Makes me wonder what he's been up to since he stopped being governor 9 years ago. (Wikipedia says he's a lawyer at Chadbourne & Parke, concentrating on renewable energy.)

4. Speaking of "courage," the "God-given liberty of the human spirit," and "inventors, visionaries, and heroes," he's tying his shoes. It's a closeup. Could just be stock footage. I don't want to mislead you. Anyway, you know inventors, visionaries, and heroes do put their shoes on in the morning... or when they're going out for the evening. Whichever. Now, Pataki is putting on a tie — a blue tie — and some lady is helping him. Not to the point of tying it for him. Petaki is a man who ties his shoes and his tie. We see his nice apartment again. He's used his God-given liberty well, I presume.

5. Now, we see rain on a windshield of a car and Pataki intones about Washington — "too big," "too intrusive." That's "exactly what the Founding Fathers feared." There's a close-up of Pataki's face as he says with some emphasis that it's time to protect our freedom and "take back this government." He tells us he was a Republican governor in a "deep blue state" for 3 terms. (That one-ups Scott Walker, who's only completed one term as governor, in a not-all-that-blue state.)

6. But he started small. He was the mayor of Peekskill. We see him walking on a stone jetty. 1:27: DOGS!!! 2 Labradors. Black and chocolate. He's scratching the ears of the chocolate. The dog kisses him. He cares about people. We see nice, smiling people. This is the I'm-a-normal-person part of the video. Cares about people like you. He tells people in a bar that they're what we need to make this country work. They give him enthusiastic applause... right after he says "And lunch is on me."

7. Views of the rebuilt World Trade Center site. "When we stand together, we can accomplish anything." That's what he saw after 9/11, when we understood that "We are all Americans." We see more high views of the city and this time we see the Freedom Tower (from Tower 4, which overlooks it). The words "We the People" appear on the screen, and he uses "We the People..." 3 times. The phrase "stand together" reappears. Text on screen asserts that Pataki led New York after the 9/11 attacks. (I note for the first time that the word "attack" is embedded in his name.) "What unites us is so much more important than what might seem superficially to divide us." Most politicians would say "What unites us is much more important than what divides us." I feel there's some insight to be gained from the "so" — it's a tad emotive — and, especially, the "might seem superficially" — which suggests education, precision, and lawyerliness and functions to deny that we are divided in any significant way at all.

8. Now some quick images flash: the original flag, the Founding Fathers, Lincoln with Union soldiers, Confederate soldiers, the men raising the flag at Iwo Jima, an astronaut with the flag on the moon, the Twin Towers "Tribute of Light," a big flag. The voice over is: "We have to fall in love with America again." Text on screen: "United We Stand." Then: "What will We the People stand for?" Then: "Pataki for President."

9. One more look at the Freedom Tower, seen from Tower 4, with Pataki speaking about "reclaiming the skyline" and "coming back stronger and better."

10. So: A good introductory video. You want a governor? I am that governor. Look what I've been through. Look where I was. He's been out of the public eye for an awfully long time, and he seems rather dull. But as long as we're looking through the whole deck, he belongs in the group.  

73 comments:

madAsHell said...

I'll bet on the kid making it to the NBA.
It might be a little late for Pataki to become a mortician.

Brando said...

Even while he was governor, going back to 1995, was there ever a clamor for this guy to be president? If not, then why now?

madAsHell said...

I might have missed a punchline about Pataki, and stiffs.

rhhardin said...

Once Obama has been president everybody sees that they can do better.

This does not mean that they should run. It's a low bar.

Rick said...

(Wikipedia says he's a lawyer at Chadbourne & Parke, concentrating on renewable energy.)

Just what the GOP needs: a crony capitalist who allows the media to deflect attention from their own crony capitalists.

Luckily his chances are the Full Blutarsky.

traditionalguy said...

Blah, blah blah. It is a canned speech that every other candidate bought from the same Political Campaign Store.

What has he done for 9 years. The story is he has been a lawyer specializing in renewable energy....in other words he is part of the heart of darkness government looting that he "sincerely" pretends to be against.

mccullough said...

I want HW Bush and Carter to join the race. They each have a term left. And both served in the military, which used to be common among politicians but is rare these days.

rhhardin said...

He needs a respect for women message.

bleh said...

Hey, Republicans have finally found a candidate who's older than Hillary.

khesanh0802 said...

rhardin @ 0910 Takes the prize. I have been pondering why so many Republicans have decided they are qualified to be president. It is clearly the low bar set by the current office holder. "I can do anything better than you can." Irving Berlin

Ann Althouse said...

There was no diversity message at all. It was the opposite: We are one.

I don't think there was any mention of race or gender. Not even as part of insisting that we are all one. No "gay or straight, we are all Americans." Just "We are all Americans."

Tank said...

@khesanh0802

Plus, any of the Repub's, any of them, would be better than the Big V.

buwaya said...

"Anything you can do I can do better"

Bad Lieutenant said...

Pataki quietly did a good job and would not be the funniest clown in the car.

Kyzer SoSay said...

If I were 35, I'd run for President. Pretty sure I could do better than Obama, and this is coming from a guy who sincerely seeks input from his yellow lab when making important decisions.

At least my dog can beat up Obama's dog. My cat could too, probably. Michael could probably beat up my wife though. Oh - I mean Michelle . . .

Bad Lieutenant said...

Does the lack of a "diversity message" bother you?

Original Mike said...

I was impressed the couple of times I've heard him speak. I'll give him a chance.

Scott said...

Maybe he's running for Vice President.

Original Mike said...

And if he cuts the diversity crap, I'll give him an enthusiastic listen.

Bad Lieutenant said...

Btw for those worried about upstarts and freaks, I believe it's a reasonably old family. The kind you don't hear about in the tabloids. How's that for diversity?

Kyzer SoSay said...

Originally from NY - I grew up under Pataki, mostly (Cuomo lost when I was in 4th or 5th grade - 4th, I think). NY used to be a really vibrant state, even in some of the more isolated upstate areas. At least it seemed like that to me. My father worked, and still works, for the Dept of Health, directing the allocation of state funds to nursing homes. He voted for Pataki, even though he knew it would cut out his overtime pay, because he saw lots of his fellow employees abusing the overtime system and raking in pretty serious cash doing so. He was and is, a selfless man (my father, not as sure about Pataki). I think Pataki would make a decent Pres, but I also think he's old news and would need a serious kickstart to make waves and have the ghost of a chance.

virgil xenophon said...

In a sane world Pataki would be a top contender. Ever heard him speak extemporaneously? A good grasp of the issues and seems to take the calm, logical approach--I've been impressed every time I've heard him speak on whatever topic. Not enough of a firebrand to fire up the Elephants conservative base perhaps, and probably a much better executive than campaigner, but a very underrated guy. Only deal-killer for me would be a weak position on illegal aliens.

Bad Lieutenant said...

OTOH, Kyz, what odds running against Clinton that he could take NY? If so game over.

Bad Lieutenant said...

Virgil, obviously NY is a state where the issue is real, and complicated. If you want a mine-the-border guy then probably he ain't it. However what he says on it will be real.

I feel like a new adult has entered the race. Not bought and sold for him, but we could do worse, and perhaps we will.

Kyzer SoSay said...

That's a possibility, but I don't think so. Any NYers with a good memory will hold Pataki in high regard, but I doubt any Democrats in NY will pull the lever for him if they have Hillary as the alternative. Party loyalty generally trumps all, moreso for liberals but this applies to conservatives as well.

Brando said...

The Post put it best--Pataki suffered from bad timing. In 2000, George Bush was largely unstoppable in the GOP primaries, and in 2008 Rudy Guiliani's popularity in the party scared off Pataki (not to mention it being a bad year for the GOP). For some reason he sat out 2012, when the only real competition was Romney, and now he's very much old news (as is Jeb, though). But this year it seems everyone wants in and everyone has a chance, so maybe it's "now or never".

I mean, it can't hurt--you lose, at least you got some press and maybe even a book deal out of it.

Kyzer SoSay said...

Brando, that's my read as well. Though at least if he does gain traction, he's got a decent record and executive experience, as well as crisis-management and cuts to wasteful spending that he can hang his hat on.

Etienne said...

He would have been 19 years old in 1964. Obviously he must have got a student deferment to not get drafted, and obviously he did better than C work. That would have meant he was eligible to be drafted again in 1967 (he graduated from Yale in three years). Still no lottery then, so he must have found a way to avoid the draft. He didn't get married till 1973, so he couldn't use that to avoid the draft.

Looks like he went to law school, so that takes what? three years, that puts him in 1970, and he would be eligible for the lottery system now.

So I deduce that he got a good lottery number. Let's see, yep, June 24th got a lottery number of 236 for 1970. Say he missed that, and got 1971, he would have got 328. Either number means he had virtually no chance of being drafted.

That's why this Presidential candidate missed the war of his generation.

I think it's a good thing that men went to college, even better that they went to Yale, and gravy that he went to Columbia for Law School. He escaped a terrible war, and avoided having to learn military science.

Tomorrow, we might elect him, and he will send troops to war like every other President, and he will be picking his nose saying "I'm sure glad I didn't have to wear combat boots."

I don't really hold that against him. I just think the man we need for President right now, has to have a good grasp of economics. I don't think he even knows how Congress prints money.

Skyler said...

I think there must be a lot of money in the whole "run for president" schtick or so many would not be running.

I especially think JEB can't win and knows it, but he wants to amass a huge stash of cash to make himself a king maker.

Fabi said...

Wouldn't it be great to put them all on an island, à la Survivor? The last two to be voted off are the ticket, with an intelligence challenge to determine top spot. Couldn't be any worse than the debates or a money raising contest!

Carly would be in the last duo. No doubt about it!

MathMom said...

When I think of 9/11 and handing the aftermath, I think of Rudy Giuliani, not Pataki. I remember Pataki getting his boots on the ground rather late, and following Rudy around. Sorry, dude. Maybe you can convince me but you'll have to try harder than this.

furious_a said...

If not, then why now?

Cue Hal Riney voice-over:

If not him, who?
If not now, when?

Kyzer SoSay said...

From what I recall, he was in the city by the next day, if not that evening. On the other hand, he had a lot of faith in Guiliani to handle the immediate situation himself, and though there is criticism to be leveled at Rudy, overall he did a great job. Pataki rightly let Rudy run the show - stepping in only for those functions that required the Governor to perform, rather than trying to crowd the scene and bring attention to himself.

furious_a said...

Wouldn't it be great to put them all on an island, à la Survivor?

I'd recommend Series 7, instead.

virgil xenophon said...

@MathMom/

Hell, I'd vote for Giuliani in a heartbeat (or for Attn Gen if that were possible) but I'm afraid that pic of him in drag would be a fatal "drag" (sorry, couldn't help myself :) ) on his campaign.

lemondog said...

Yiikes!! Another one. Repubs up to 11?

Any chance in the primaries that they will cancel each other out.....? That would be fun.

I want HW Bush and Carter to join the race. They each have a term left

A. Lincoln had term remaining. In his current health he would be more able than any of the current field of candidates.

Bad Lieutenant said...

I'm surprised and confused by some of these reactions. You want a war hero like Kerry? A barn-burner like Edwards or Obama? A Mormon? He's a successful three term governor from a deep blue state. Coupe, you don't have to sniff at his war record, HRC will have experts. I've seen his house, excuse me, family estate, he has enough money. I'd say his gap is maybe charisma. He may have just woken up one morning and thought, This is the best there is?

steve uhr said...

Almost everyone knows who the mayor of NY was during 9/11. The governor not so much. Doesn't bode well for his chances.

William said...

He's a decent man. I admired the way he demurred from the spotlight post 9/11 and let Giuliani be the spokesman.....But just by entering the race, he demonstrates a lack of judgment and a faulty decision tree process.......Obama came out of left field (literally) to wn the Presidency. I suppose they all feel, if Obama, why not me. Politicians should view Obama as a cautionary not exemplary tale. One more fluke or flake and wel'll all be living under the Caliphate.

Bad Lieutenant said...

Hey Mom, I now to no one in my admiration of Mayor Giuliani. Now you give him some truth serum and let me know if he utters one word of grudge against Governor Pataki regarding 9/11 or anything else.

Bad Lieutenant said...

Steve, perhaps you could confine your remarks to those not full of shit. Incidentally this would be good advice at all times.

Sammy Finkelman said...

Coupe said... on 5/28/15, @ 10:37 AM

That would have meant he was eligible to be drafted again in 1967 (he graduated from Yale in three years).

President Johnson eliminated deferments for graduate students in 1967 so the 3 years he was in law school, from 1967 to 1970. He would not have been exempt from the draft.

By the time he first ran for Governor, nobody was much interested in this, so the 2004 Almanac of American Politics and his Wikipedia article today says nothing about what kind of deferments, if any, he had.

But there may have been few people drafted from the jurisdiction he was in, or would be volunteers could have asked to be drafted to cut their committment down to 2 years, instead of 3.

At that time, local draft boards had a lot of discretion.

Bad Lieutenant said...

For a character reference, he inspires loyalty in his people. This by anecdote.

rcocean said...

Look, why is it Republicans always think being President is like being a CEO? Like we need a cool headed exec who can run the country like Apple.

We need someone who can be elected, who can connect with the average Joe, who fire up people so they will come out and vote for them, and we need someone with a conservative vision for the USA who can undo the damage Obama has done.

What we DONT need is another boring, old white guy who looks good in a suit, with plenty of "experience", and absolutely no desire to change anything and no ability to excite anyone except the Chamber of Commerce.

We don't need another Ford, Dole, McCain, or Romney.

DavidD said...

What did he do, during any of his three terms, to protect anyone's freedoms and to keep the state government from growing too big?

Inquiring minds want to know.

Sammy Finkelman said...

George HW Bush and Jimmy Carter are both now 90 years old (born within a few months of each other in 1924, June 12 and October 1, respectively) amd would be 92 years olf when inagurated.

Geprge W. Bush and Bill Clinton are even closer in age, both now 68 (born in 1946, within two months of each other, George W. Bush on June 12, and Bill Clinton...well, I think Bill Clinton may have changed his date of birth to evade the draft.

He is the only politician in the 1980 Almanac of American Politics not to have a date of birth - only a year, 1946.

His date of birth is given now as August 19, 1946, but that would make him a premature baby, or his mother an adulterer, as his father did not arrive back in Chicago until December 7, 1945.

I would be very interested in any contemporaneous record of Bill Clinton's birthday, or date of birth, that was created prior to draft lottery drawing on December 1, 1969. I don't think you'll find any statement any where of what people at least thought was his birthday, or maybe it's been ooverlooked, and/or not passed on.

It's Bill Clinton's birth certificate that people should have asked to see.

But people don't see these possibilities.

Prior to being drafted, Bill Clinton undoubtably thought the Hot Springs, Arkansas draft noard was under control, and he would not be drafted, just like no connected persons weer drafted from Hot spriungs, Arkansas during World War II. But somebody must have double crossed his step-uncle.

Etienne said...

Sammy Finkelman said...President Johnson eliminated deferments for graduate students in 1967...

It exempted those people already enrolled in 1967 though. For Doctorate degrees, you could go another 5 years.

lawnet.fordham.edu

damikesc said...

He's got one big strike:

He's a politician from a state in the North with large cities and powerful unions.

Meaning --- he's probably corrupt. I wouldn't trust any Presidential candidate from IL, NY, NJ, or PA. Just as a default setting.

steve uhr said...

Unknown -- I'm not saying he is a bad candidate or that he mishandled 9/11. Just that 9/11 may do him more harm than good given Giuliani was the public face of the recovery. If there was a terrorist attack in Madison and Soglin and not Walker was the one always on TV, it would prob hurt Walker's national appeal as a Leader.

Kyzer SoSay said...

damikesc-

You forgot California and Oregon. Probably Washington, too.

traditionalguy said...

What's his names problem is that he says he can do a Scott Walker and appeal to northern community action believer and still get GOP base voters who will have to take him.

But the real deal is Walker who at 25 years younger and can do that and also actually attract the GOP base with a clear vision and not just frustrate it into being too depressed to vote.

The old tradition of a favorite son seems unnecessary. New York will feel good with Walker. So Fataki will have no voters to trade.

Henry said...

He's been out of the public eye for an awfully long time, and he seems rather dull.

Pataki was famously dull as Governor of New York. He defeated the theatrical Mario Cuomo handily in 1994 as a complete unknown, then kept winning elections with seemingly no charisma at all. He is the Charlie Watts of politicians.

From my point of view, as a fiscal moderate with no interest in culture-war issues, he would be a perfect candidate.

That said, I can't imagine his campaign going anywhere.

Eric said...

As David Harsanyi tweeted
note to media: George Pataki is in every possible way a more serious and experienced candidate than Bernie Sanders.

I still don't want him to be president. I lived through his 3 terms, he had two good years.

Scott said...

If you say "Pataki" over and over fast enough, you sound like a Harley Davidson motorcycle.

Bad Lieutenant said...

traditionalguy, I say this in the friendliest possible way, it's too early for you to be drinking.

Dami, this is what we call "prejudice."

Steve, ok, but when Giuliani comes out for him like a lion, that will be just as good.

garage mahal said...

Don't forget Democrats are clearly scared. Always. Clearly. Scared.

damikesc said...

Dami, this is what we call "prejudice."

Prejudice based on experience, so I'm fine with it.

Find me a major candidate from the states listed who wasn't rather corrupt and shady.

Bad Lieutenant said...

Well I'm sure not defending Illinois, I'm not stupid. I would just note that New York, unlike many deep blue cities, is not a lost cause. We have our crap going on, but we don't intend to sink to the level of a Baltimore, a Detroit, a Chicago.

Bad Lieutenant said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Bad Lieutenant said...

I'd try to answer you more directly, but you'd need to sharpen up the question a little.

Bad Lieutenant said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Sammy Finkelman said...

@ Coupe.

Pataki got a BA in 1967, which means he would have enrolled in law school in the fall of 1967. Did the loss of a draft exemption only apply to those who started post-college education with the fall-1968 semester or so?

clint said...

Yet another former politician who has been retired for a decade. Get in line behind Santorum and Jeb.

Bad Lieutenant said...

Althouse aside, age is a plus in this case. Fresher than Hillary! (though who isn't) but more mature, more seasoned, than these bright-eyed boys who look hardly old enough to shave.

And you get attack from Pataki? This is why people have no respect for you. The best case is that you're lying when you say you don't do pot. Vapid doesn't come close.

Mountain Maven said...

No more RINO's. He is slightly to the right of Slick Willie.
Walker/Rubio '16

MPH said...

boring

Bay Area Guy said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Bay Area Guy said...

Pataki - a good man, a good Governor, but has no business running for Prez.

Bad Lieutenant said...

mind you, I don't say that he will win, probably not; the game has changed from his time and place, but this is a welcome addition to the race none the less. It's a pity that charisma is such a big deal. It's a pity that what people look like is such a big deal.I suppose it's a common place to attribute of Western civilization to TV. Oh well, I guess I'm common.

Etienne said...

Sammy Finkelman said...Pataki got a BA in 1967, which means he would have enrolled in law school in the fall of 1967. Did the loss of a draft exemption only apply to those who started post-college education with the fall-1968 semester or so?

Men of draft age, especially those in college, kept an ear on the rail. I don't think they were blind-sided by any change in selective service law.

I read where Congress was concerned that men would stay in college past age 26 or so, which automatically put them in a lower draft pool. To that end, they decided only medical type students would get another student deferment. But, then seemed to agree that pulling the rug out of current doctorate students (of any study), was unfair, and so decided to exempt them this first year of the change. I think I read where these students had to have a semester of study to qualify.

I don't know Pataki's bio here. But could it be, that his having his ear on the rail, that he maybe took some relevant classes that summer?

Bad Lieutenant said...

Coupe, it's fine for you to have an interest in this issue, and even to harp on it. I guess that as the only candidate with military experience, you will be voting for Rick Perry?

Etienne said...

Well, Pataki's wife does have a lot of military experience. It actually may be more relevant for a first lady to understand how the military works, and how to check the pots when visiting the bases.

Sammy Finkelman said...

@coupe. The question would be what is the effective date of the change? (it would be one semester by the time of the effective date)

Surely Pataki did something, although it might have been simply residing in a district from which no people were being drafted.