Former New York Gov. George Pataki says the problem with all the media attention surrounding Donald Trump is that it's a distraction from much more important issues, like the Iran nuclear deal.
Pataki told
The Wall Street Journal that he's not bothered by the fact that Trump is going to be on the Republican debate stage on Aug. 6 even though he's never been elected to office.
"I don't worry about that. The rules are what the rules are," the New York Republican said. "He's not going to be president of the United States."
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But Pataki told the Journal that the billionaire real estate mogul is hurting the Republican party "simply by diverting the dialogue from our ability to contrast our views as to how this country should be functioning to how [President Barack] Obama and Hillary [Clinton] are having it function is very important."
For example, Pataki said that the media and the candidates should be talking about "the Iranian nuclear deal — this is one of the worst examples of failed diplomacy posing grave risk to America and our allies."
"We should be talking about that and not whether or not he's on the stage," added.
While Pataki's poll numbers are so low that he doesn't even make the
Real Clear Politics average of national polls, he contends that if he has "the opportunity to compete … then I will win this race," he told the Journal.
"We have to nominate someone who can win the election. I know I can do that. I did that in the deepest blue state three times," Pataki added.
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