In a large, well-appointed, oak-paneled office in Albany, filled with all the trappings of power, sits a very worried man. That man is Joseph Bruno, Majority Leader of the State Senate, now contemplating how he could have lost the biggest gamble of his life.
The Majority Leader risked open warfare with the incumbent governor to push Golisano into the race; he needled, cajoled, called in favors, did, in fact, everything a seasoned and powerful Albany politician can do when he sees a threat to his power glaring on the horizon. Golisano with his millions was to have been the rainmaker that would allow Bruno to cling on, in spite of demographics, against the will of the voters in a blue state, to his fragile Senate majority.
Golisano announced today that he would exit the race.
Pollsters have been softly singing dirges for our local republican party for the last two years; the newest numbers from Quinnipiac [1] testify that this is not premature. Running against Eliot Spitzer [2] is a money-losing proposition. Golisano, as a businessman, presumably understands this. It's noteworthy that he polls a full third better than the other contenders on that side of the aisle against Spitzer; however, that still translates into a 25% to 56% losing margin. The other wannabes don't even break 20% in the Quinnipiac poll. Yes, it truly is that bad.
Consider Texas [3], Senator Bruno. It's over. You're done.
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