A Rivederci, Mario
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ROTISBARD-ROCKWELL REPORT well as their support system Hut the shock was a lot Comeback Kid and the of the neocon/Offiaal Con/ greater in New York than in Comeback Party. The polls Official libertarian pundit- most of the country. In the claimed that the Republican ocracy. The grass-roots right- first place, Mario had for surge had stopped; they wing have marvelous years been the Great Shining peaked too early; Clinton is libertarian and Prince of Dem- up in the polls; the Democrats anti-statist in- ocrat left-liber- are now surging ahead; the stincts, but they alism: witty, public has had a chance to are unsophisti- brainy eloquent, look at the ”contract” and Catedaboutpeo- left-Catholic blah blah. The Democrats are ple and politi- theologian (an up again! I had been optimistic cal leaders, es- acceptable about a Democratic collapse pecially those Catholic, for before that, but by the final who clothe their Heaven’s sake, weekend before Election Day treason in the now that Teddy I was getting worried, fair garb of was old, fat, snowed by the ”scientific” rightist and anddkudited), media onslaught. But then, libertarian- a man who had magically, the day before sounding rheto- taken the na- Election Day, whoops! the ric. Our task is tion’s liberals polls showed that the Demu- to strip the by storm at his crat surge had magically glowing rheto- speech at the stopped; the Republicans are ric from our Democrat con- up again, and by Election misleaders, vention of 1984. morning the polls were at and reveal the Ever since, he least in the ballpark (although ugly reality un- had been the plaudits to political analysts derneath. Our Numero Uno Robert Novak, Michael task, in short, is to show, once presidentabile, if we may Barone, and Stuart Rothen- again, that despite the sys- coin a term. berg for getting the Senate temic deceit practiced by our But secondly, and more shift right on the button, and Official movement apologists strikingly, Mario was sup- they called the House pretty and word-spinners, our Em- posed to win; until Election closely as well.) perors, be they Willie or Wil- Day the polls had Mario com- What was with the media? liam or Newt, are wearing no fortably in the lead. In con- My astute colleague Lew clothes. trast, for example, everyone Rockwell plausibly speculated knew that Speaker Tom Foley that the media, after trylng to was doomed many weeks hypetheirwish-fulfiUmentas before the election. And the long as they dared, had to Ciiomo lead was not part of preserve their credibility and A Rivederci, what looked like a massive start telling the truth by the Mario media disinformation cam- Monday before Election Day. paign from mid-October on. But in any case, New York by M.N.R. Nationally, the Democrats was different. Everyone in In one sense, of course, the were first supposed to lose the media expected Cuomo toppling of Mario Cuomo badly, and then came the to win handily down to the from his New York throne Gingrich contract, and then wire by several percentage was part and parcel of the na- Clinton looked Presidential points. Instead, Pataki won tionwide people’s revolution wlde out of the country., and by 4 percent. What in the against the Democrat Party. the media began to hype the world happened? One straw 8 January 1995 ROTHEARD-ROCKWELL REPORT in the wind; in its pdection -been most comfortable con- grown up in rural Pennsylva- issue, the politically savvy ducting campaigns ibrn the nia, and how it was impor- weekly New York Observer t;igh$ his last great triumph tant to know how to shoot had two interviews with the was the centrist ”fusion” Re- gophers because horses supposedly winning Cuomo publicamLiberal campaign of would stumble into gopher camp. To the reporter’s Rudolph Giuliani for Mayor holes and break their legs. stunned surprise, David of New York, ousting the Mario’s riposte was in the Garth, the legendary cam- black leftist incumbent David best tradition of devastating paign head for Cuomo, in- Dinkins. New York wit: ”Lew,” he stead of being euphoric or In the opposite corner han- said, “in all the fdty years I cocky, was elegiac, mod, dling George Pataki: the con- have lived in the borough of apologetic about his mis- servative-libertarian Repub- Queens I have never once takes. And another Observer lican, the shadowy, reclusive seen a horse fall into a gopher journalist reported that the Art Finkelstein. Finkelstein’s hole.” End of Lehrman. pre-election mood in the most recent coup was the The wit has long gone, Cuomo camp was one of brilliantly-run campaign of however. Mario had also ”quiet desperation,” trying 1992, electing Al DAmato for charmed New Yorkers by Itis mightily to bring out the U.S. Senate against the nagging, hectoring, intrusive black vote in New York City. anointed liberal Democrat style. Let any radio or TV talk ASRockwell~laiIlS,ifpOliti- klutz Bob Abrams. DAmato show host criticize Mario, and cal candidates have a lot of managed to overcome “ethics” the governor was immedi- money, they can see what’s charges to defeat the color- ately on the phone, rebutting, happening far better than the less, over-confident Abrams. attacking, griping. Any jour- media, because they take Particularly notable was nalist who criticized him got daily ”tracking polls” that can Finkelstein’s slogan for A1 an angry or a needling phone pinpoint the coming election DAmato, intoned repeatedly call. At first, this seemed results. The media were off on Tv: “Bob Abrams, hope- ptMariowasalive,aware, base, but Garth knew lessly liberal.” in-your-face, a true New Dave Garth had a big prob- Yorker. But after years of this, The Super Bowl of lem on his hands. Not only New Yorkers grew weary, es- Campaign Consultants was1994loomingasaRepub- pecially since Mario didn’t do At the heart of the Cuomo- lican year, but New York was anythmg. As term after term Pataki struggle was a war be- sick, sick, sick of their former dragged on, and after twelve tween the rival political darling, Mario. Mario had years in office, Mario’s accom- consultants/campaign man- begun as witty and eloquent; plishments werenil: the only agers, arguably the two best he ori@y won the gover- results he bmught inhis wake in the business. Both men are norship in 1982 in a tight race were higher taxes, more tough, smart, abrasive, New against the bright but humor- crime, more welfare. During York ethnics. Heading the less conservative Republican the summer, one of those in- Cuomo camp was Dave Lew Lehrman. Cuomo won it cidents ocmthat stuckin Garth, the Founding Father of in debates with Lehrman,his New Yorkers’ minds as sum- modern political consulting, quick wit effective on radio ming up the bog of decay that who cut his eye teeth in the and TV.A highlight was the had slowly but surely settled Adlai Stevenson campaign of time that Lehrman tried to in New York. The state main- 1952. Garth began as a liberal explain to fiercely pro-gun tains a recorded I-LoveNew Democrat, but has moved control New Yorkers why he York phone line, that anyone rightward over the years to wasopposed.Lehrmandriftied could call to get information become a centrist Democrat. off into an elaborate and ram- on what‘s going on in the aty. In recent years, Garth has bling explanation how he had But during the campaign it 9 January1995 RO’I’HBARD-IU)CKWELL REPORT was revealed that because of appointee’s report laid COP ing on behalf of a corporation high costs and high taxes in ,spicuous blame for total irt from the Senator’s office. New York, the actual phone tcompetence on Dinkins and (That, however, was rot illegal operation had to be moved to on his inept black Police though it looked bad; the ac- rural Pennsylvania! Oh, Commissioner Benjamin tual criminal charge was a bi- Mario, Mario! ’Ward. The Cuomo Crown zam accusationthat Armand How would Garth play the .Heights report was the deci- had committed some sort of Cuomo campaign? For the sive factor inbeating Dinkins fraud bypn?tmdingto lobby first several months, Garth imd electing Giuliani. for the company, but not re- went positive, showing com- So when Garth went posi- ally doing so.) mercials stressing Mario’s tive for Cuomo, there wasn’t As a short-run tactic, the nobility, his stature, his ac- :dymuch positive to say. As demonizing by Garth of complishments, etc. But what a matter of fact, the copious DAmato was highly effec- accomplishments, exactly? ‘I’V spots showing Mario say- tive, and Al got rattled, com- Here we have to realize that ing ”elect me for another four mitting a series of gaffes in while most politically aware yearsJso I can finish the job,” mid-October. The most dam- Americans have long re- istruck most New Yorkers as a aging error, in this P.C. age, garded Cuomo as the leader ;grotesquejoke. Finish what was a quip D’Amato was of the liberal-Left, New York’s bob, Mario? overheard making to Pataki‘s strident and voluble Hard The Left in New York, usu- glamorous lieutmt-gover- Left has long felt very differ- ally loud to proclaim the im- nor running mate, Betsy ently. Itispdybecauseof portance of ”issues” versus McCaughey. D’Amato was Cuomo’s great gfts that the personalities, implored Mario anxious to line up the coyly Hard Left has felt bitterly be- to go mgative against the vir- neutral Rudolph Giuliani for trayed.