State Conservatives Weigh In On GOP Presidential Rivalries

By: Nick Reisman

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For the past two days, the state Conservative Party has been celebrating its 50th anniversary as it hosted its annual meeting in Albany, and not surprisingly, the hot topic with many attendees is the Republican presidential primary battle. Nick Reisman from NY1's sister station YNN filed the following report.

With one day to go before the heated Florida Republican presidential primary takes place, Conservatives in New York were split on Monday over which of the candidates is best suited to take on President Barack Obama in the fall.

"You'll see something different in our government with a Newt Gingrich. And yes, show me somebody who doesn't have some flaw and I'll stand high with that person," said Carl Paladino, the 2010 Republican gubernatorial nominee.

But support for the former House speaker is mixed, to say to the least, at the Conservative Party Political Action Conference. Over the last two days, former and current officeholders, including ex-Senator Alfonse D'Amato, blasted Gingrich for his ties to Freddie Mac.

"You're looking at a nation that's facing extraordinary economic challenges. Wouldn't you want to have someone who has a lifetime of experience working in that economy in the private sector as an entrepreneur?" said former Congressman and gubernatorial nominee Rick Lazio.

It is easy to see the Romney-Gingrich rivalry as establishment versus outsider, or good hair versus rumpled. Though it has been one of the more contentious GOP primaries in years, Conservative Party Chairman Michael Long thinks the barbs will be forgotten.

"I think this is January and I think some of these harsh comments that are being passed back and forth, once the nominee is selected will be pushed to the background, people will unite," said Long. "The one thing that the candidates who are running for the Republican nomination are united about and that's to retire President Obama."

The conservatives did take a straw poll, which Rick Santorum edging out Romney, Gingrich and Ron Paul.