Here's Hoping George Pataki And Andrew Cuomo BOTH Run For President

Here's a New York politician about as delusional as Andrew Cuomo when it comes to being able to run for president:

ALBANY — Former Gov. George Pataki is again dipping his toe into the presidential waters — even as political experts give the Republican virtually no shot for the 2016 race.

Pataki in recent weeks has traveled twice to New Hampshire. He’s also hitting South Carolina to kick off this week.

He has been in contact with national Republican donors and even has an ad — funded by the super PAC Americans for Real Change — on TV titled “It’s Time for a New America” that calls for “less government, more freedom.”

In a Nov. 20 tweet touting a trip to New Hampshire, Pataki wrote that “America needs a President who respects our Constitution” and included the hashtag “immigration” — a reference to President Obama’s executive order sparing millions of undocumented immigrants from deportation.

Pataki of course has about as much chance to be president as I do, which is to say, no chance:

Political experts scoff at the possibility. They say despite winning three terms in Democratic-heavy New York, Pataki has little name recognition, has been out of office for eight years, and is facing a crowded Republican field of political bold-faced names like former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Florida U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio — and even 2012 GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

The insiders expressed serious doubt he can raise the necessary money and said his pro-gun control and gay rights record as governor doesn’t help in a GOP primary.

Similarly, Andrew Cuomo, the union-bashing, Wall Street shill who currently occupies the governor's mansion as a Democrat, thinks he can run for president in a Democratic primary.

Just as Pataki's "centrist" politics (pro-gun, pro-abortion rights) don't help him in a GOP primary, it's hard to see how Cuomo's "centrist politics" (union-bashing, Wall Street shilling) here in New York help him in a Democratic presidential primary.

You know what would be great - if both Pataki and Cuomo ran in the same year.

That would be fabulous.

There's nothing like seeing delusional politicians have reality thrust on them - kinda like when Saint Rudy of 9/11 ran for president in 2008 and won only one delegate.

I suspect even Saint Rudy would do better than either Pataki or Cuomo though.

Here's what one "insider" says about the Pataki run:

Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics, was even more blunt. “I don’t know how people obtain these delusions,” he laughed. “I don’t take those drugs.”

Me either.

But Pataki does - and so does Andrew Cuomo.

So run, boys, run.

It will be fun to see your bubbles burst.

Note To George Pataki: No One Cares If You Run For President

This is too funny:

Former NY Governor George Pataki is privately gearing up for a 2016 presidential run, according to sources, and was spotted meeting GOP kingmaker David Koch last week.

New York Republican Pataki has been publicly noncommittal about if he was leaving the door open for a run, telling Newsmax TV’s Steve Malzberg in August, “It’s still summer,” while bashing the current administration, claiming President Obama is “trashing the Constitution in ways that were only dreamed of.”

But sources tell us now that summer is over, Pataki is getting serious, and was spotted meeting with Koch at the Four Seasons restaurant last Wednesday.

Reps for Pataki and Koch declined to comment.

Pataki was making noises like he was going to run in 2008 but Giuliani was running and there wasn't room for another "moderate" Republican from New York in the race.

Giuliani wrapped himself in 9/11 that year and repeated the phrase "September the 11th" over and over on the campaign trail.

He spent about $20 million on his campaign.

Despite the 9/11 ploy and the money he spent on the campaign, he had to drop out after he won just one delegate.

Now Pataki, who also wanted to wrap himself in 9/11 in 2008 (though I'm not sure why, nobody I know associates him with 9/11 at all), is making noises like he wants to run in 2016 and he's having those noises leaked to the NY Post.

Pataki had no shot to win the GOP nomination in 2008, even if Giuliani hadn't been running, and he has less than zero chance of winning it in 2016.

I know the business interests and party elders in the GOP are worried that they're going to have a Ted Cruz/Rand Paul contest in the primaries and they're desperate to get some establishment conservative like Jeb Bush into the race to take on the Cruz/Paul contingents.

But I doubt even those guys think George Pataki is a candidate with a shot to do anything in the primaries.

I'm sure the political consultants are talking Pataki up, telling him he can win.

But they're looking for his money.

Anybody else - including his family and friends - ought to tell him to step back onto Planet Earth, realize no one cares about him or his presidential dreams, and go back to cashing in by sitting on some corporate boards.

Is Cuomo Afraid Of The "Democratic Left?

Earlier in the week, Fred Dicker thought so:

A Mayor Bill De Blasio would have “the power to destroy’’ Cuomo’s presidential ambitions if, as expected, the governor blocks De Blasio’s plan to raise taxes on the wealthy, a source close to both men has told The Post.

The source, who insisted on anonymity, said Cuomo is nervously aware of the danger posed by the front-running De Blasio’s election and has privately conceded that a Mayor de Blasio would have “enormous leverage,’’ since he’ll be viewed as a hero of the party’s influential progressive, or leftist, wing, which often dominates presidential primaries.

“If Bill de Blasio is mayor in January, he will be a national sensation with the Democratic left and he’ll have the power to speak out and destroy Cuomo’s presidential aspirations if the governor blocks his agenda,’’ the source continued.

The governor, who faces re-election next year, has told big-dollar campaign contributors that he’s planning to cut taxes in 2014, not raise them. He also has claimed he wants to make the state business-friendly by reducing its enormous tax burden.

However, Cuomo, stung by criticism in 2012 by progressive Democrats angry that he has worked closely with Republicans and cut state spending, shifted to the left earlier this year by unexpectedly renewing his own state tax on the wealthy, backing union-favored public financing of elections, refusing to OK “hydrofracking’’ for natural gas, supporting a controversial “women’s agenda’’ sought by abortion-rights groups, and winning passage of tough, new restrictions on gun ownership.

“There’s no doubt that Cuomo is nervous about the power of the Democratic left,’’ said the source.

Until the "Democratic left" (whatever the hell that is) turns on Cuomo, he will not be afraid of them.

Clearly he can't be too afraid of people to the left of him, since he just hired George Pataki, the man who defeated his father for governor, to co-helm a task force to find tax cuts for rich people and corporations.

Cuomo To Appoint Pataki, McCall To "Tax Cut Task Force"

Anybody who thinks a Mayor de Blasio is getting a tax increase on rich people in Governor Andrew Cuomo's re-election year should take note of this news:

ALBANY — Gov. Cuomo is turning to the Republican who defeated his father to come up with ways to cut taxes, the Daily News has learned.

In a surprising announcement scheduled for Wednesday morning, Cuomo will appoint former Gov. George Pataki and former Democratic state Controller Carl McCall to head a task force charged with finding ways to cut between $2 billion and $3 billion in taxes next year, a source with ties to McCall said Tuesday night.

Cuomo wants to announce an aggressive tax-cutting plan as he heads into his reelection run next year.

Having a Republican like Pataki on board could help him upstate, where polls show he is weakest, said one insider.

Ah - an election year maneuver to try and run up the score and set himself up for a 2016 White House run if Clinton doesn't run.

That's our Andy - always looking at a way to finagle higher office for himself

Pataki Thinks He Should Run For President

Wow - the level of denial some politicians have is mind-boggling:

“He intends to run,” says lunch buddy Ed Koch. George Pataki is at it again, flirting with the national spotlight. Will the former New York governor finally consummate a presidential campaign?

Watch cable television these days, and you’re likely to find George Pataki, the gangly former New York governor, filling up the screen. He’s in the middle of a familiar stage in the life of a party sachem who fancies himself a statesman. It’s presidential fantasy season for Republicans, where any man or woman with a heartbeat and a statehouse stop on the resume, suffers from White House fever dreams.

Uh, good luck with that, George.