In an interview with the Washington Times on Thursday, former New York Gov. George Pataki refused to rule out a presidential candidacy, saying that he had gnawing
concerns about the ability of some of those seeking the Republican nomination to defeat President Obama in 2012.
“I think it’s very important not just that we choose a nominee who has the right vision but choose a nominee who has the ability to win the election,” said Pataki, who served as governor of heavily-Democratic New York from 1995 to 2006.
“It’s wonderful to make a philosophical statement, but our country is at the point where we need a real change in direction and that’s what it comes down to,” he added.
Pataki, 66, chairs an organization called “No American Debt,” a group that he founded in April focusing on restoring fiscal sanity to the United States.
Not surprisingly, the former governor will be speaking about the federal budget and the $14 trillion national debt when he addresses the Greater Des Moines Partnership on July 22.
Like former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who’s also flirting with a presidential bid, Pataki hasn’t given a specific date on when he might decide to take the plunge or not. “I don’t have a deadline, but obviously there isn’t a great deal of additional time,” he said.
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