Randy Daniels. John Faso. Tom Suozzi. Bill Weld.

Recognize these names? Most people don’t. The relative anonymity of these men speaks volumes of the direction in which New York State politics is heading. These names have been tossed around by higher-ups in New York’s Republican Party as potential candidates for this year’s gubernatorial election. The party has yet to fully back or promote any one of these men, as there is a huge rift amongst GOP heads as to who is most appropriate – or rather inappropriate - to run against Democrat Eliot Spitzer.

It is apparent that the delay and difficulty in selecting a candidate is based upon the fact that Spitzer is a veritable force of nature and nearly a shoe-in to win. He has an impeccable track record as Attorney General and many voters are hopeful he will initiate much-needed reform in Albany with the hardnosed demeanor for which he is revered. Even those dare note vote for a Democrat find themselves pining for Spitzer’s brand of justice. Many die-hard Republicans are in support of Spitzer, accounting for some polls that have him over 60% favored to be our next governor, regardless of his opponent. Even a great many political analysts have stated that his induction into governorship is a given.

The GOP, in an effort to save face, will imply that there does not exist a delay in the selection of their candidate, citing the September 12^th primary as the day that counts when selecting from this pack. Truth be told, in a race and position as key as this the political machine selects its candidate many months in advance of the primary, said primary becoming only a procedural matter guaranteeing that the race is on the up-and-up. So, here it is March, the fluff primary six months away, and the real showdown only eight months away with the Republicans having nothing to show for it.

The Democratic Party, on the other hand, is fully prepared, backing Spitzer through money and live support. He has been making his rounds, priming the pump and educating the voting masses on what he brings to the table. The Democratic Party has set the tone for this race and will be able to skate through the rest of the year.

The Republicans could only be so lucky. Anything the party attempts to accomplish in the coming months will only be catch-up. They are without a candidate and therefore are without a legitimate platform. One would think 2006 would have started off on the right foot, the GOP having a gameplan in place and a man ready to take charge of the party. After all, this is no puny position they are vying for. Having your party represented as the Governor of New York State is a role to die-for, heading a state which itself ranks as the eleventh largest economy in the world. The Governorship gives you control of the rightly-entitled Empire State and a definite powerful influence in Washington politics. Despite this glamour and power, their inability to plan for the future after a decade of ruling the State proves that the GOP is willing to throw it all away, facing the cold, hard truth that it is heading into a race it can’t win.

So, as much as they’d like to find a sturdy and worthwhile candidate they are more apt to be offering a sacrificial lamb, a right-wing martyr destined for failure. They have come to realize that it is in the best interest of the party to place one of the least-qualified individuals into the race and hold out with their best candidate until after Spitzer’s first term, when it can be determined if he had lived up to all the hype and hopes.

It has been made quite apparent that through their continued and purposeful inaction and apathy, the Republican’s have thrown their towel into the ring, conceding this year’s race to the heavily-favored Democrats.

They have, basically, given up.