Pataki for President?

The New York Times is reporting that New York governor George Pataki is testing the waters for a 2008 Presidential run, meaning he may forego running for a fourth term as state executive in 2006. He is going to a meeting this weekend of the National Governors Association which happens to take place in Iowa, the first caucus in the nation.

As the paper suggests, this would be a big test to see if a moderate Republican who supports abortion rights and gun control could win the GOP nomination.

What is refreshing is that Pataki, who is also very gay friendly, isn't planning to ditch his moderate views on social issues to please the far right. As the article notes:

Mr. Pataki, asked about any problems he might have as a moderate trying to win the party's nomination, asserted that that would be less of a problem than some analysts suggest, particularly in the face of what could be a very intense presidential contest in 2008. But, he said, there was little he could do about moderate stances without which, his aides said, he would not have been elected to three terms as New York governor.

"You don't change your philosophy or tilt your beliefs to suit a particular electorate," he said.

Unlike Mitt Romney in Massachusetts who seems bent on twisting himself to please the far right, Patki is who is he is and he doesn't think it will be a big problem. I tend to agree. The far right is only as powerful as people allow it to be.

It seems like 2008 might be a year that moderates will be looking foward to if McCain, Hagel, Guliani and Pataki decide to run.