Bob McCarthy: Collins, post-gaffe, gets back to work
County Executive Chris Collins, fresh from his flop on the Saturday night comedy circuit, boarded a plane for New York Tuesday afternoon in what appears to be a still active effort to run for governor.
The trip to discuss his Erie County accomplishments with what a Republican source called “civic, party and business leaders” was slated long before Collins compared Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver — an Orthodox Jew — to Hitler and the Anti- Christ before an Erie County GOP audience on Oct. 24.
Open mouth, insert foot.
So as the county executive strolled past the airport news stands en route to his flight, he couldn’t help but cringe at the headlines on the front page of The Buffalo News. And if he picked up the Daily News upon arrival in the Big Town, he read the story there, too.
Ditto for radio and TV everywhere, and even some national blogs.
But here’s the deal on Collins: he didn’t cancel the trip. Instead, he endured the headlines and broadcasts, and brashly made the Manhattan rounds he had long ago scheduled.
There are many interpretations of Collins’ post-anti- Christ-remark behavior. The word “arrogant” enters many conversations. “Chutzpah” might apply, too, but under the circumstances, probably is not a good choice of words.
Still, the descriptions keep coming, often containing other words like “dumb,” “tone deaf,” “clueless” and “not ready for prime time.”
Yet Collins stood up, dusted himself off and went to New York. And there, he actually talked about the statewide ambitions he harbors should his main man — former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani — decide against running for governor.
“Every day is a new day,” said the Republican source. “To think he would do anything different as a result of all this is just not in Chris’ nature.”
Those around the county executive say there will be
no “spin” on his poor attempt at humor. They point out he has apologized, complete with the nod toward “anyone I may have offended” phrase now mandated by the Politicians’ Official Code of Conduct.
That approach, however, is the spin. He has apologized, the Collins folks say, and it is over.
“He’s a hard-charging businessman, and has been known over the last 22 months as an elected official who does not pull any punches and says what’s on his mind,” said the GOP source. “He’s basically getting back to work, and not letting this distract him from his overall agenda.”
Even Collins’ fiercest critics would probably agree. Whether out of arrogance or plain old determination, the county executive is not letting the gaffe derail his statewide efforts.
But if that’s the case, he might huddle with Ronan Tynan for advice after the famous tenor let slip a comment that cost him more than a few Jewish fans. As a result, Tynan was slated to sing “God Bless America” at Thursday’s Anti-Defamation League dinner in Manhattan.
If Collins is serious, watch for him to make a similar move with Jewish groups either here or in New York.
And if Collins is really serious, he will have learned several lessons out of all this. Chief among them is that the “politics” that he publicly disdains but has so thoroughly embraced requires acceptance of certain skills — just like being a good businessman.
It also demands the recognition that the New York State political scene is broad and diverse, and not always the place for a “hard-charging businessman” approach. The first requirement, especially in New York, is to master the art of politics — whether he likes the word or not.
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