If you want an idea of how pathetic the New York Republican Party currently is, here's a hint: For Senate, they nominated Paul McCartney's Girlfriend's Husband.
Bruce Blakeman, a lawyer, was picked to run against U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. Gillibrand, who was appointed to Hillary Clinton's old seat, was not regarded as all that strong a candidate. Until now.
Here are Blakeman's qualifications:
- He was a Nassau County legislator a couple of eons ago.
- He ran a dismal and unsuccessful campaign for state comptroller in 1998.
- He has a pulse.
Of much greater interest, his estranged wife, Nancy Shevell, is dating the former Beatle, and they are expected to marry when Mrs. Blakeman's divorce becomes final.
In his acceptance speech, Blakeman called for "change."
If it was possible to make matters worse, the Republicans did, by giving another candidate, David Malpass, enough votes to allow him to run against Blakeman in a primary. Malpass' claim to fame is that he used to be the chief economist at the famously dead investment house, Bear Stearns.
And in a final dollop of disaster, another rejected candidate, Joseph DioGuardi -- former Congressman and father of an American Idol judge -- already has the ballot line for the Conservative party. In general, Republican candidates who do not have the Conservative line are doomed before they start.
Because of the special election for the Hillary seat, both New York U.S. Senate seats are on the ballot this fall, although this will possibly be the last time you hear about it from anybody.
To run against Chuck Schumer, the Republicans picked former CIA agent Gary Berntsen, a candidate about whom the party is so excited they mispronounced or misspelled his name throughout the proceedings.
Ed Cox, party chairman for approximately three more seconds, called Berntsen "a game changer."