Monday, April 03, 2006

Talk About the Passion

A couple of nifty television ads by Dem Governor hopeful and frontrunner Eliot Spitzer are now running. Nifty ads, that is, in terms of graphics and catchy slogans. A bit light on the details, though.

“Bring some passion back to Albany” is the Spitzer camp’s catchphrase in both ads. One ad touts headlines from Spitzer’s time as Attorney General and the other purports Spitzer – whose dad is a millionaire – to be the voice of the voiceless, defender of the weak, one who will restore opportunity where there is no hope, etc.

Not bad stuff, necessarily. Except that Spitzer is running for governor, not seeking re-election as AG. And he has yet, despite being an announced candidate for more than several months, yet to say exactly what his plan is for making New York State a better place. A guy capable of such flashy ads should be able to get together a study group or a think tank or something to put together a plan.

The knock on Spitzer – especially from allies of his opponent for the Dem nomination, Nassau County Exec Tom Suozzi – is that he is high on name recognition and headlines, but weak on actual executive level experience. And the ads reinforce that notion. Furthermore, the absence of a plan by Spitzer gives Suozzi, on his second term as executive of a county as big as many states, a real opening.

Anybody can be a Monday morning quarterback, and anyone can point out the problems. If you’re going to be governor of a state like New York, you better have some real plans and real ideas.