The Rise of Little Men and the Fall of New York as the Center of America's Politics

Dicebat Bernardus Carnotensis nos esse quasi nanos, gigantium humeris insidentes, ut possimus plura eis et remotiora videre, non utique proprii visus acumine, aut eminentia corporis, sed quia in altum subvenimur et extollimur magnitudine gigantea

[Bernard of Chartres used to say that we are like dwarfs on the shoulders of giants, so that we can see more than they, and things at a greater distance, not by virtue of any sharpness of sight on our part, or any physical distinction, but because we are carried high and raised up by their giant size.]
-- John of Salisbury, 1159

POTUS Election 2012 Blue = Obama(i)/ Red = Romney

Once upon a time, New York (Up)State was Republican (as was Long Island) and New York City was Old School Liberal.  Then after the rise of Senator Clinton (D-NY) and the cheater Mayor Bloomberg (D then R, then I), the NYGOP faded from memory. 

And the fact that New York Politics used to be provenance of Great Men and Women died in November 2000. 

Here was my beginning in Politics ( Parts 1  2  3); Old School lessons and men and women who had a sense of their History as New Yorkers and keepers of the City and State.  When Spitzer went after my Old Mentors, he went after the Last True New York Politicians (But since I went to High School, I would say give  Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi (D-Forest Hills) a shot at high office -- I'm a GOP in Los Angeles, what can my words do?).

Spitzer and Weiner were not like the politicians of old.  Both Roosevelt's understood the media of their day. They also understood how not to be hypocrites no matter if they raised their own funds or inherited them.

Mayor Koch, Mayor Giuliani; 
Governor Pataki; Governor Hugh Carey; 
The teams of Senators Moynihan and D'Amato and Senator Javits and Senator Kennedy.  
These were the Tyrian Lannister's of their day.

And the modern New York City and State Politicians (I am looking at you Wiener and Spitzer!) are like Peter Dinklidge in this clip:

And what we on the Right should ask:

2010 Senate Blue = Schumer (i)/ Red = Townsend

Where has the NYGOP been since 2000? They haven't won squat.

2010 Governor's Race: Blue = Cuomo/Red= Paladino

Here's an idea....the National Commitees (and PACs) stop giving funds to the NYGOP until they have a plan of winning the WHOLE State of New York again.  What cities and counties do they need to win?

2012 Senate Election Blue = Gillabrand(i)/ Red = Long

No answer? 

Until then, RPLAC and the CAGOP have candidates here in Los Angeles  fighting; send money and troops.

My question: Why should the Right spend any money in New York State when they have proven they cannot win?

Power behind the Throne without wanting the Throne:How the Gray Men help America

Back in SUNY - Stonybrook, I took a course by Michael Barnhart about the History of World War II. He said a line that stuck: If you want to live forever, work in High Level Government Jobs. That was a metaphor as we were dealing with pre-FDR Presidents and cabinets, some of the same names popped up again and again.

During the Harding/Coolidge and Hoover Administrations, some of the same men keep on appearing in the cabinets. There was a sense of continuity. FDR picked up people from Woodrow Wilson's Administration and from his time as Governor of New York. President Truman had some of the best minds who fought the Hun in World war II and even Republicans helped out the low polled President. (Another reason of the dearth of Gray men in the Democratic party ranks: what Democratic Senator supported in word and deed, a low polling Republican president? See, the Democrats put Party before Country)

This pattern continued all the way up to 1977. And then it returned back in 1981. And then it stopped in 2009. See a pattern?

Now, if you read the title, I'm sure you're asking, Who or what are "The Gray Men?" if you're a UFO geek, then it might mean this.

But for the political world, "The Gray Men," are those men and women (post 1980), who have experience within the Political and Policy realms at State and Cabinet level. Grey Men are the only people who can say "NO," to a sitting president and are listened too. Men and women who work at the High Level cabinet offices of the State, DoD, CIA and NSA are also considered (in retirement) to be "Gray Men,"

If you are thrown out of office due to corruption, you do not regain title of "Grey Men", except if you follow former President Nixon's trajectory (who himself was surrounded by Gray men during his tenure) of writing policy books for at least a decade.

That is why Nixon was rehabilitated and Agnew was not. President Clinton with his Global Initiative is following the same course.

When President George W. Bush chose Vice President Cheney, he chose a "Gray man," When Clinton had as an advisor David Gergen, he was a "grey man," James Baker, Condi Rice and Don Rumsfeld are all Grey Men. I know I feel secure if they are advising a president. With the death of Alexander Haig, Washington loses one more piece of wisdom.

President Obama and his cabinet and his staff have no way of winning the American Public since the campaign. There are no Grey men surrounding him. Again, a Grey Man telling President Obama "No," would have been the best thing. Seriously, Rahm Emmanuel and David Axelrod are partisans, not statesmen. Any Gray Man would tell President Obama that there is a by-sell date for blaming President Bush and by 1/20/10, he was long past it.

Every Four years, the economy goes down and every fifth year, the economy and jobs rebound. President Obama broke that pattern (Remember President Bush had to deal with the "Dot-com bomb," and 9/11 destroying the financial sector of New York). Why? Look who surrounds him -- No Gray Men.

With the New York Times saying Unemployment is a feature and not a bug of the post 2008 economy, the lack of Gray Men in Obama's Washington makes it time to worry.

My question: Who are the Democratic parties "Grey Men?" And Who are the Post 2008 Republican parties "Gray men?"