Paterson and the media

While I don't buy Gov. Paterson's contention that his race is connected to his political problems, or his implication that Fred Dicker wrote a racist column, I do think his disability -- blindness -- was a key component of what turned out to be politically damaging Saturday Night Live skits depicting him unfairly as a bumbling incompetent. And in the radio interview with Errol Louis, the governor got in this effective jab regarding his negative press coverage: "If these people who are writing the articles, Errol, had to run the state, they couldn’t run it for five minutes because they’re about to go under themselves. And the fact is that this state is alive and well, will balance its budget in September and will be around a lot longer than their outlets are."

While I don't think the news media covering state government is racist or corrupt, it (including the independent blogosphere) does have a big potential conflict of interest which is particularly acute given the business's economic problems. Where do you think most of those well paid political/governmental spokespeople used to work? Might some of them have slanted their news coverage back then in the hope of winning the job they now hold? That does not apply to people like Dicker, who has been around forever, is fiercely independent and obviously not angling for some sinecure, or to most other Capitol reporters, past or present. (Not that all movement in that direction should be deplored. It was to the eventual great benefit of the USA that Louis Howe went from the LCA to FDR.) But the potential conflict is an inconvenient fact of life not widely acknowledged in public, and helps explain the irritation of Albany pols like Paterson with the often sanctimonious media.

While most reporters are not angling for a political golden parachute, they may still be subject to a herd mentality, and unduly influenced by their sources. So the polls consistently show Paterson in trouble, which induces some Democrats to see Andrew Cuomo as an attractive alternative, which they say off the record to reporters, which translates into story after story about when the governor will recognize that he must withdraw. But why must he? As Paterson puts it, "Even if it didn’t work out, what is the shame of running for re-election and losing?" It's another solid punch against the media. Pity he had to spoil it with the race stuff.

Comments

[beebalmgal]

As Mrs.PlanetAlbany, I was in the audience of this past April's LCA show and got to see Gov. Paterson's comedy routine with his impressive cartwheel finish. Any 55 year old man, especially one who is visually impaired, who can cartwheel 'cross the stage, deserves more respect.
On the day after the April performance, I was honestly puzzled as to why some of the young reporters of the LCA hadn't warmed to this governor. He's a pretty funny guy.
Maybe next year Paterson should try one-armed pushups, a la Jack Palance, and see what that does for his esteem.

[Brian]

I thought the governor suffered unfairly from the SNL skits. I can appreciate edgy humor that pushes the envelope. But taking shots at someone solely based on their disability is an easy cheap shot, the antithesis of creative humor. Good political humor has to be jabbing, but somewhat subtle, not the equivalent of "You're ugly and your mama wears combat boots."

But I think what hurt him the most is the whole Kirsten Gillibrand-Caroline Kennedy thing. I think the opaque process was handled badly. But the backlash was less about the process or about Gillibrand that about the bruised egos of Kennedy and her glitterati friends. They see Gillibrand as a rube who represented rubes (even though she was a high powered corporate lawyer and in the Clinton administration). She was not one of them. It was really about bruised egos. And there's nothing more dangerous that glitterati scorned.

That's really how the backlash started. You'll remember he was remarkably popular before Gillibrand's appointment, his numbers over 70 pct. And almost instantly, they were around 25 pct. I've never seen a political figure fall so fast absent some personal or legal scandal.

It's not that there's no valid criticism of him. A Daily News investigation (Liz Benjamin is no hack) of a few months ago revealed that his office as minority leader was complete chaos, disorganized and riven with back biting and that his governor's office suffered from the same faults. The overarching theme of Paterson's administration is lurching from crisis to crisis with no coherent vision. It reeks of amateurism. Good example: proposing a fat tax purported to get New Yorkers to be more healthy... and then proposing a tax on gym memberships for New Yorkers who try to get healthy.

Even taking into account the difficult times, I think his administration has been unimpressive, but not nearly as bad as everyone thinks. His main problem is that he has no allies. He alienated labor with his talks of state layoffs. The business community liked his tough talk against taxing the rich but they didn't like his then accepting taxing the rich in the budget. The legislature, which loved him initially (remember how his style contrasted with that of the Bulldozer) started hating him the instant he started telling the truth about how venal they were. All of these things may have been necessary but it leaves him with few allies and little credibility, fairly or not.

[Brian]

To echo Mrs. Planet Albany's sentiments... memorizing lines for a 7 minute comedy sketch may take talent. But memorizing an hour long speech (like the state of the state) chock full of dizzying numbers and details and still being able to deliver it coherently and without (barely) stumbling... that speaks to an intelligence and competence far greater than the SNL cheap shots would suggest.