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Gov. Paterson with Rep. Charlie Rangel in 2009.
Gov. Paterson's Harlem base is crumbling.
African-American elected officials and business leaders who have long been the core of the embattled governor's dwindling support are now second-guessing their loyalties.
They're openly wondering if a "soft landing" can be found for Paterson prior to the fall elections.
The "What to do about Dave?" topic came up at a meeting two weeks ago at Sylvia's Restaurant.
The table was filled with Harlem's top powerbrokers: Rep. Charlie Rangel, Assemblyman Keith Wright, Sen. Bill Perkins, Assemblyman Herman (Denny) Farrell Jr. and former state Controller Carl McCall.
Paterson's political strategist, Bill Lynch also was at the meeting - and didn't speak up to defend the governor, according to a source who was there.
The meeting was called to support Rangel, who's running for reelection with a still-unresolved ethics investigation hanging over his head. The group also talked about the primary challenge Paterson likely will face from Attorney General Andrew Cuomo.
"People were concerned about the fact that you could have a new governor, and nobody helped him get there from our community," the source said. "If we stay with [Paterson] until he quits, and he quits in September, we're too late. This is about who's going to be onboard that [Cuomo] owes something to."
Rangel, who once warned of "racial polarization" if Cuomo mounts a primary against Paterson, confirmed the meeting. He insisted he wasn't the one who started the exit-strategy talk.
"I was in listening mode for most of that meeting, most of which concerned me and not the governor," Rangel said. He added he was "not prepared to share" his views on Paterson's future.
The loss of faith for Paterson in his backyard is a serious blow.
He lives in Harlem and represented the neighborhood for some 22 years as a state senator. A key element of his comeback strategy has been to rally black voters as New York's first black governor.
A recent Quinnipiac poll found Cuomo has a higher job- approval rating among African-Americans, 78% to 60%. But black voters still say they'd vote for Paterson over Cuomo, 42% to 34%. Overall, Cuomo leads Paterson, 55% to 23%.
Paterson also risks losing the support of another key black leader: the Rev. Al Sharpton. Sharpton's aides are urging him to distance himself from the governor. They're worried sticking with Paterson will damage Sharpton's standing with both Cuomo and the White House, which has made clear its preference is that Paterson not run this fall.
"He hasn't made any decision yet. He's still with the governor for now, but I can tell you, there's a lot of pressure on him not to be," said a source close to Sharpton.
"There's no value for him to stick with Paterson. It erodes everything he has done both locally and nationally. ...Why does he need to throw that all away for a completely quixotic effort?"
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