Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Chris Collins in Plattsburgh Last Week

So the NFL playoffs and the Bachelor have taken me away from you the last two days. I meant to post something about the feedback from the event put on by the Barie family in Plattsburgh last week for Chris Collins. I thought the event went okay, but to be honest I wasn't entirely impressed.

I think I probably forgot to write anything on it because it was such an underwhelming affair. I'd say there were about 100 people in total. I overheard someone say that Bob Butler was pee'vd that he didn't get a shout out, even though an out-of-county legislator, Paul Maroun, did. Some of the other people I spoke to after Collins finished his remarks called the man "ill informed" and "incredibly blind-sided and cold." Apparently, Collins' remarks about the elderly having to go without medical care if costs rise too much struck a certain chord with some of the UNYTEA Party members. His waffling on prison closures was also a subject of discussion. The only other things I got out of it was that he is a business guy, for competition and vouchers in education, pro-choice, anti-gay, and wants to lower spending and taxes (but doesn't have a real plan to do it yet besides getting leaner by taking away government phones and vehicles). Unfortunately, I missed the event the next night in Malone, but I heard Collins was also unable to attend.

After Plattsburgh I was really hoping to learn more about the guy and see what he was really like because he has gotten a pretty bad rap in the press downstate for some misstatements. The Buffalo News took a deep shot at the guy recently when they started a piece this way, "Some say Chris Collins' aspirations to become governor of New York evaporated last October when, in a self-acknowledged poor attempt at humor, he compared Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver to Hitler and an Antichrist. Even more said the Erie County executive should drop the idea after he suggested a woman acquaintance could find a seat during the State of the State address in exchange for a 'lap dance.'" Below is some of the TV press that resulted.


While some say Collins' "off color remarks" in the past few weeks have already cost him any legitimate shot at the seat, at least people in NY-23 can say he made the effort to come to Plattsburgh. I wouldn't count on Collins coming back to meet with 100 people again any time soon though. That's a small crowd for a Gubernatorial candidate running in a state as big as New York. He is planning on making a final decision to run in the next few weeks.

3 comments:

  1. Buggs, who is Bob Butler? Could you update the post with his title?

    Collins has been keeping a low profile since his second gaffe at the state of the srate address. I would surprised if he ran for governor. Instead I would expect Rick Lazio to get the nod. He already came up to the Oswego County GOP event before the holidays, and now has support of the Essex County GOP.

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  2. I don't think Bob Butler was peeved. I think that it was sad that a Franklin County legislator was recognized in the room but Bob and another Clinton County legislator were not. This was done by Mark Barie during introductions. Dave Kimmel, running for Assembly in the 114th, where this event took place, was also not recognized. If you are going to take the role of introductions and host an event for the Tea Party, you should take the time to point out all current and prospective elected officials in the room. This bodes well with Tea Party members as they organize to get informed and evaluate all information on candidates. This could have only assisted Mr. Collins with names and faces of persons he would be working with and for if elected. Four people, surely that would not have been difficult to remember or point out. How sad, too, that Chris Collins was not available after his town hall format to talk individually with anyone. He disappeared and some who did not get a chance to ask questions were denied access as others whose questions were not fully answered also did not get full disclosure from Mr. Collins. Having been there, I felt that I found out more about Chris Collins and, based on the information learned in the event, am not sold on him as an empathetic, informed, candidate. As a Tea Party member, I am also beginning to question why the UNYTEA Party has taken on a good old boys feel with a steering committee which reads as a who's who of business men and the only thing they have done in 3 nonths is come out in support of this candidate. Where is the information and involvement of the people? Isn't this why the group was established in the first place?

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  3. Chris Collins is now officially out of the governor's race.

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