Kirsten Gillibrand has had a pretty amazing ride. Corporate attorney turned giant-slayer, she shoved aside John Sweeney in the 2006 House race.<\/p>\n
After beating Sandy Treadwell handily to win a second term, the Democrat was suddenly tapped by Governor David Paterson to fill Hillary Rodham Clinton’s Senate seat.<\/p>\n
From complete unknown to the pinnacle of New York politics in a few years. Wow.<\/p>\n
That leap means there have been growing pains, including public feuds with downstate Dems and some quick shifts in her own political views.<\/p>\n
Now Harold Ford Jr. enters the picture. He’s a former rising star in the Democratic Party, who’s been stuck in neutral for a few years.<\/p>\n
New York state has always been fairly welcoming to carpetbaggers. So he’s testing the water.
Fair enough.<\/p>\n
But my sense, having watched Sen. Gillibrand from her first campaign swings through the North Country, is that her backtrail is littered with people who underestimated her.<\/p>\n
When she was named to the Senate, some of the state’s political reporters were predicting a quick downfall.<\/p>\n
She was too conservative, too presumptuous, and too Upstate. She and her Accidental Governor would soon be distant memories.<\/p>\n
But then something curious happened.<\/p>\n
Everyone who poked at her armor came away frustrated, or with burnt fingers. Democratic and Republican contenders alike decided it wasn’t worth it.<\/p>\n
Why is she such a tough opponent?<\/p>\n
For starters, ruthless diligence. Like Clinton before her, Sen. Gillibrand has made a science of locking down key supporters, from pro-choice and women’s rights activists to core Democratic leaders.<\/p>\n
It’s hard to run a primary against a woman backed by Chuck Schumer and Barack Obama.<\/p>\n
She’s also built a robust war chest and from her perch in the Senate has every opportunity to out-fundraise almost any opponent short of Michael Bloomberg.<\/p>\n
So is Ford the guy who can find a chink in those defenses?<\/p>\n
It’s hard to see how. If she’s unknown, he’s more unknown. If she’s too conservative for Manhattan Dems, he’s more conservative.<\/p>\n
There are people in New York City who would dearly like to find a champion, any champion, who best Kirsten Gillibrand in the Democratic primaries.<\/p>\n
They know that if she wins election in 2010, she’s a permanent fixture.<\/p>\n
But if Ford is their best remaining option, that’s an indication of just how well Sen. Gillibrand has cleared the political field.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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