Despite New York's political reputation as Democratic stronghold, the head of Sen. John McCain's Empire State presidential campaign team believes the Arizona Republican can win the state, including Upstate and Western New York.
Edward Cox, a partner in the New York law firm of Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler and son-in-law of former President Nixon, made that prediction during a meeting at Business First.
Cox was in Buffalo to take part in a fund raiser for Christoper Lee, who is running for the suburban Republican congressional seat currently held by Rep. Tom Reynolds, who is retiring, and to meet with McCain supporters as prelude to the candidate's scheduled July 21 day-long visit to the region.
Cox said when Sen. Barack Obama became the presumptive Democratic Party nominee in this year's presidential race, edging out U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, that changed the race's dynamics.
"New York is more in play now with Obama than it would have been with Mrs. Clinton," Cox said. "Obama is much more of a mystery (to Buffalo)."
Cox, who made several visits to Buffalo in the days leading up to this past winter's Super Tuesday presidential primary, said he deliberately stayed away until the Democratic primary battle between Clinton and Obama ended and the McCain camp knew who they would be facing in the general election.
No stranger to Republican Party politics, Cox had briefly started a run against Clinton in the 2006 senatorial race but ultimately dropped out in favor Westchester County District Attorney Jeanine Pirro.
One of the byproducts of his own campaign was that Cox learned from polls that New Yorkers, despite their liberal bent, are "economic conservatives." Cox said his polls found that more than 70 percent of all New York state voters viewed themselves in that vein and that plays well for McCain.
"Sen. McCain comes across as this guy who understands the problems," Cox said. "He loves the 'town hall' setting. Sen. McCain fits in well with Western New York and he would fit in very well in Cheektowaga."
McCain supporters hopeful for New York full article
