I mentioned in an earlier thread that I am not happy about the idea of Andrew Cuomo being the nominee. I think that he has too much baggage, and is a dismal campaigner, and acts more out of ambition than in doing what is good for our party (for example, he waited until right before the 2002 Gubernatorial Primary to drop out, which hurt Carl McCall because it deprived him of time to fundraising. McCall was crushed by Pataki in November.)
Another reason why I don't like Cuomo being the nominee is because it makes it more likely that former Westchester District Attornery, Jeanine "where's page 10" Pirro could have a shot. While Pirro is a lousy campaigner (as evidenced by her campaign for Senate) and has baggage of her own (her husband went to jail for tax evasion, and Jeanine had to have had knowledge of some of his activities, as their tax filings are joint.) I dred the idea of her having ANY career politically after this election, but someone like Cuomo could make it happen, given his track record.
Personally, I feel that even Green would be better...although by not much, given that he is also lackluster. I would like to see Denise O'Donnell as the nominee, especially since she is the only one in the field that has served in a prominent legal position, and because she is an Upstater who can balance the ticket.
Anyway, here is the Newsday article. I'm glad that O'Donnell got 10% of the delegates, which makes her the third-strongest candidate in the overall field.
Cuomo cruises to nomination
BY JAMES T. MADORE
Newsday Staff Correspondent
May 31, 2006
BUFFALO -- Former housing secretary Andrew Cuomo yesterday trounced Mark Green, his chief rival for the Democratic nomination for state attorney general. Green then accused Cuomo of relying on alleged coercion by party leaders on Long Island and in New York City to get votes at the convention here.
Green, once the city's public advocate, and the other three attorney general candidates vowed to remain in the race, outlining their plans to gather signatures for spots on the September primary ballot. Only Cuomo received the required 25 percent of convention delegate votes to automatically be on the ballot, and his 67 percent of the vote to Green's 19 percent surpassed the expectations of many political observers.
The contest to succeed the current attorney general, Eliot Spitzer, who is running for governor, provided one of the few moments of suspense in an otherwise scripted party gathering in this Rust Belt city.
Some of the 401 delegates had wagered with one another on whether Green would get 25 percent of the vote, and which other candidates would emerge as the alternative to Cuomo and Green. After a 1½-hour vote, officials announced the tally was Cuomo with 67 percent; Green, 19 percent; Buffalo prosecutor Denise O'Donnell, 10 percent; Rockland County lawyer Charlie King, 5 percent; and former White House aide Sean Patrick Maloney, four tenths of 1 percent.
O'Donnell, the only Democratic woman and upstater seeking a statewide office this year, said, "The voters of New York will be the ultimate jury, and I am more confident today than ever, that when voters see the evidence they will support me."
Similar sentiments were expressed by King, who had tried to persuade the convention to place all five candidates on the ballot. "Now that the party process is over, it is up to the voters of New York State to decide who they want to be the people's lawyer - and I am that person."
http://www.newsday.com/...