Hey Dave, Just Kiss Your Election Dreams Goodbye

So how’s the campaign going, governor?

It was just a week ago that David Paterson, long identified with Harlem, traveled to his real hometown of Hempstead, Long Island, and declared himself a candidate for governor of New York.

Hope you didn’t blink. It’s over already. All that’s left in this campaign is the official withdrawal speech.

It’ll come Saturday after Paterson’s closest supporters sit down together at Al Sharpton’s place. Sen. John Sampson. Sen. Eric Adams. Assemb. Darryl Towns. Rep. Gregory Meeks. Just watch: They’ll all show up in funeral clothes.

The news will not be good for Paterson. The news is never good when a big meeting is called to discuss your future — and you aren’t invited.

The only real issues left?

How and when — not if — Paterson’s political condition will go officially from “life support” to “flat line.” The accidental governor has a campaign rally set for Sunday. That would be a perfect time for his bow-out blowout.

All this has become inevitable since Denise O’Donnell, the Paterson cabinet official who supervises the state police, resigned on Wednesday night. Seems that the state police officers leaned on a woman to drop a domestic violence case against Paterson aide David Johnson. And the governor actually spoke with the woman.

Hello?

Yes, it’s always something with Paterson!

What makes all this even more delicious politically is that the whole mess now tumbles into the hands of Andrew Cuomo.

As attorney general, he is responsible for investigating this kind of misconduct by state employees.

The fact that Cuomo is on the verge of announcing that he’s running against Paterson — well, no one said New York politics wasn’t a contact sport.

As 417 controversies now revolve around the governor — or is it 734? — it isn’t clear yet exactly how he leaves. Will he quit as governor immediately? Will he be allowed to say:
“Can I serve the last 10 months of this crazy term of mine if I promise not to run for a full one?”
I’m guessing the next Gov. Cuomo would be OK with that.

Ellis Henican is a Fox News contributor and columnist for amNY and Newsday.