This morning Diana Taylor joined G.O.P. Senate hopeful David Malpass as he stumped for votes in the bowels of Penn Station, after spending yesterday’s morning rush with Democratic congressional hopeful Reshma Saujani on the Upper East Side. Far more commuters greeted her by name there than in the region’s central commuter hub.
Malpass and Saujani couldn’t be more different in their approaches. Malpass, for example, said at a recent debate, “I don’t think carbon dioxide caused by man is causing global warming,” while Saujani pledges to find “innovative solutions to solving global climate change.”
Asked to explain how she could support both, Taylor said, “They are both extremely competent. They understand how to create jobs and they will be really good for New York City. This is a non-partisan thing as far I am concerned. I am totally pro-non-partisan elections. I will support people who I think are good and I think Reshma is really good and I think David would be an absolutely spectacular senator.”
Asked on what issues she agreed with them both, Taylor cited, “The economy, jobs, education.”
In the job creation section of his website, Malpass says, “We need to create an environment in which American businesses can thrive again. That means lower tax rates, less government spending, and fewer government regulations that strangle entrepreneurship and growth.” Saujani, meanwhile focuses on student loan credits for students who want to go work for bio-tech and clean tech start-ups in New York City, doubling the amount of grants given to small businesses, and “strong consumer protections and oversight to end predatory lending and abusive credit practices.”
Taylor said that they are both “socially liberal and fiscally conservative” and said it was more than approach and background than any specific policy proposal.
It’s not so much how they are similar. They are similar in that I agree with them. I think they both would be really good. They both work really hard, they both are really smart, they have good judgment. There are some things we agree on and some things we wouldn’t, but I think their thoughtprocesses are good. They both have some really good experience in the world. They worked. They know what it is to create jobs…Most people who sit in Congress right now never created a job in their lives. David has actually employed people. He knows what it is to earn a living…They would never put anything in a health care bill,for instance, that required small businesses to submit to the IRS receipts every time they spent more than $600 on a procurement. That’s ridiculous. Who does that? They would never do that because they would know that it would completely choke small business. Its stuff like that. Common sense.
On her website, Saujani does mention how rising health care premiums are choking small businesses.
Taylor added that what appealed to her about both is that neither comes from the political class.
“I am really angry,” she said. “I think Washington is doing a horrible job. I agree with the New York Post this one time-‘Throw the bums out.’ We need some people in there who have some common sense and who aren’t politicians.”
Neither Malpass nor Saujani are favored to win tonight, but Taylor said either could pull it out. She did not think she would be attending either’s victory party however.
“I don’t know,” she said. “I think I am doing something with the mayor tonight.”
