An exception to Ruffini's "self-funder" rule

Awhile back, Patrick Ruffini made some excellent points as to the limitations of self-funding candidates and why they fail as a "quick fix" for candidare recruitment.

I generally agree.  Self-funders have a weak track record and generally confuse quantity of message for quality of message. And yes, they do tend to be at best faux conservatives.  Given a credible opponent that worked his way up the political ladder, I'll take a successful survivor of political Darwinism over a sui generis candidate almost any day of the week.   

However, Ruffini's central thesis presupposes that the state's overall Republican environment is capable of generating credible candidates on its own.  In at least one state, this is clearly not true, and the two party system has broken down.

In NY State, the decision of former Mayor Giuliani to stand down from elective office has left the party in a quandary, as the NY Post now believes the highly vulnerable Kirsten Gillibrand may draw a merely nominal opponent in 2010---despite the fact the ObamaCare plan could well decimate the state's already depleted coffers.. 

The New York Times writes an obituary of the Republican Party every week or so, but this recent account of the woes of the NY State party was actually pretty reasonable in tone and based on actual events. 

It has come to this for the party of such electoral lions as Rudolph W. Giuliani, George E. Pataki and Alfonse M. D’Amato: a rookie Democrat, Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand — largely unknown to the public and unloved by some in her own party — faces her first election to the seat in November. But Republicans have been unable to land a marquee name to run against her

The Times cites some possibilities against Gillibrand---former LI State Senator Michael Balboni (who would have been an intriguing pick had he not quit to join ....ummm... Eliot Spitzer's cabinet);a failed Comptroller candidate, and the Mayor of a Westchester village smaller than Wasilla, AK.

Frankly, this is looking more like the war horses trotted out to lose in 2006 than any replica of D'Amato and Pataki. And this race might be closer than people think. Even the Schumer race might be interesting In 1994  Bernadette Castro (a furniture heiress) held the illustrious Daniel P. Moynihan to an underwhelming performance.

Patrick would probably suggest shaking the backbenches of the state legislature. But the root cause of the demise of the NYS GOP has to be blamed on their legislative caucus. In some places this is where future leaders develop,  in the past decade Albany's dysfunctional legislative branch has churned  out one clunker after another.  Who are the role models? The now convicted Joe Bruno, or Dean Skelos, mastermind of the disasterous Senate coup attempt reliant on two ethically challenged NYC Democrats? Current or former GOP legislators lost the following House races: 20th; 23rd;  24th; and 29th.  The one upstate seat they hold (26) was because the Erie County GOP had the good sense to locate a local businessman to run without having set foot in Albany first. 

Perhaps by 2014 some of the younger legislators or the newly elected suburban County Executives in Nassau and Westchester will be ready for prime time. But in the here and now it is apparent that the Christopher Lee example in the 26th District is the better example for conservatives in New York.

The new NYS GOP chairman, Ed Cox, ought to start getting on the horn and tracking down high net worth New Yorkers with a track record of supporting the conservative agenda--at least the economic part of the equation.  Are there no Club for Growth benefactors itching to get in the game?

The other reason for self-funders is NY is the quintessential tabloid media state. This state--especially downstate--rewards the brash and outspoken, while the political insiders tend to wilt in statewide contests.     

I use New York as an example as it perhaps is the worst example of Republican establishment dry rot out there at the moment.  But as the 3rd largest state, and still the nation's media capitol, it's not like a place like Rhode Island or Vermont that could repeal the Republican Party altogether with no national impact.  Sure , we can win without New York. But , like Frankie said, if you can make it there you can make it anywhere. And the stage is where one gets noticed. 

So, I'll take up the cause of the self-funder as the necessary evil to prevent one-party governance. If the party has failed, only individuals can succeed.

Right now there are two nominations for the U.S. Senate up for grabs in the Empire State.  Why not auction off the nominations? Could it be worse than running some old-time hack eager for some glory before he ends his career? Methinks not.