This (via Robert Harding) ought to have New York State Dems quaking in their boots:
Emil Henry, Jr., a former assistant Treasury secretary under George W. Bush and executive at Lehman Brothers, has been in discussions with state Republican officials about the possibility of running for governor next year, according to people with knowledge of the conversations.
Ed Cox, the state Republican chairman, has courted Henry intensively in recent weeks, hoping to recruit a wealthy and well-connected candidate…
[…..]….when Henry left the Treasury department in 2007 after two years on the job, Paulson issued a statement thanking him for “reducing the regulatory burden on our nation’s financial institutions, and spearheading our efforts for preparation in the event of a financial crisis.”
I’m probably less of a banksta hater than most, but this strikes me as beyond stupid. Not just because he would have no chance of winning, but because he’d almost certainly get teabagged. A party split is the last thing NYS Republican can afford right now. If they’re smart, they’ll put some Doug Hoffman-type loon at the top of the state Republican ticket in 2010 to fire up the base and help with down-ticket races.
joe from Lowell
The Republicans in Massachusetts are all set to nominate the CEO of a national health insurance company for the gubernatorial campaign.
DougJ
The Republicans in Massachusetts are all set to nominate the CEO of a national health insurance company for the gubernatorial campaign.
For real?
burnspbesq
The key phrase in that analysis is “if they’re smart.”
Not an abundance of data in support of that hypothesis, is there?
DougJ
Not an abundance of data in support of that hypothesis, is there?
Actually, I think the NYS Republican party is pretty smart. They’re a near-majority in the State Senate in a state that Obama won by 28 points. That’s an accomplishment.
ThatLeftTurnInABQ
@joe from Lowell:
He will be welcomed as a liberator – candy, flowers, etc. This is what it looks like when “We are an empire now, we create our own reality” comes home and settles in for a long stay.
inkadu
Is it too late to move to New York State to run against this guy?
I’m not sure what would be more fun: running against a Lehman executive at this moment, or playing Bioshock 2 on the back of a stripper.
Mark
Where will they find another Jack Hoffman?
Eric U.
the one thing I’m pretty sure of is that Michelle Bachmann will not be the wingnuttiest person in politics any more. This teabagging movement is going to get some real nuts elected. Maybe it will be the Republican’s Larouche moment.
parksideq
@Mark: I see what you did there.
Anyways, I say let ’em get teabagged. Couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch of people. Hopefully Rep. Peter King out on Long Island is next in line for a ‘bagging.
New Yorker
Boy, I’m sure New Yorkers will look at that resume and be impressed. He might as well also include “murderer of kittens and clubber of baby seals” on his resume?
Also, teabaggers? In New York? I mean, I’m sure they exist, but remember, there are apartment blocks in Manhattan with bigger populations than some of those deep-red towns upstate. NY-23 was the perfect place for a teabagger insurgency and it still failed. I don’t think it will gain much traction in places like Massapequa, Newburgh, or the suburbs of Rochester and Buffalo……
MattF
Well, Henry seems to be in the “failing upwards” class– he screws up at everything he does, and gets promoted. Overall, this is actually an improvement over the teabagger hopefuls, who are in the “failing downwards” class.
joe from Lowell
Doug J,
For real. Charles Baker, CEO of Harvard Pilgrim.
Ron
Well, the NY Dems better find someone who will primary out Patterson (Cuomo has yet to say he would do so) or it won’t matter much who the GOP runs.
Anya
Doug, you are giving the baggers too much credit. If he plays his cards right, he can win the teabaggers by called the Obama administration socialist and Un-American who want to take their guns away and casting himself as the saviour of capitalism and second amendment.
The teabaggers are not fighting for a higher cause, they are racist at the core. Also, they are gullible and anyone who says the right thing will win their loyalty easily.
Notorious P.A.T.
“Hey Massachusettes, wouldn’t you love to have a healthcare system like the rest of the country has? Charles Baker is the man to do it!” Win.
DougJ
Doug, you are giving the baggers too much credit.
They really hate the financial bail-out.
PeakVT
If the Dems would just get healthcare passed we wouldn’t have to think about the Republican nominee for a couple of decades.
Brachiator
@Anya:
In New York state? Even given the more moderate to conservative views outside New York City, this is going to be a hard sell.
But I hope the guy runs. It will be an interesting test of the GOP’s ability to appeal to something other than the wingnut crowd.
Nick
@PeakVT: Patience grasshopper, go be mezmerized by the Tiger Woods saga and by the time you’re over that…healthcare will pass lol
d0n camillo
District 23 is one of the reasons that I have hope that the Republicans won’t make too many gains in 2010. I realize that progressive voters are likely to be a lot less motivated than their right wing counterparts, but the right wingers and teabaggers are 10 pounds of stupid in a five pound bag. I have the feeling that they are going to primary and basically hound out any Republicans who they don’t feel are “pure” enough, even if that leads to Democratic victories.
While it would be nice to win seats based on the merits, I’ll take what I can get because Republicans are damaging enough with the few seats they have right now.
par4
Fucking New York elected Giuliani and Bloomberg,I wouldn’t be surprised by much.
Jinchi
If they’re smart, they’ll put some Doug Hoffman-type loon at the top of the state Republican ticket
Maybe Hoffman was meant for greater things, himself.
Pococurante
Don’t confuse the TBM with its individual teabagger wingnuts.
kth
Also husband of Tricia Nixon, daughter of the 37th president. Your trivia moment for this thread.