Eliot Spitzer’s television ads for the governor’s race are now up and running and they remind me of Mario Cuomo’s nominating speech for Bill Clinton in 1992. My condolences to Shakespeare, but the ad and Mr. Cuomo’s speech are both full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. Nevertheless, Mr. Spitzer’s spot has already gained praise from advertising critics, as did the oratory of our former governor. Speechifying has never held much allure for me. Glibness and telegenic talent may hold many voters in their sway but I prefer facts, real ideas, and solutions to problems.

I’ll never forget my sister’s call from her home in Los Angeles, where my Democrat sibling was awed by Mr. Cuomo’s stirring speech at the 1992 Democratic Convention. It may indeed have been a very moving speech but it’s also one that anyone could have given. All you have to do is complain about what’s wrong with the country and promise that your candidate has all the answers. Just make sure you leave out what the answers are and no one will notice. Mr. Spitzer’s ad claims that he is the voice of the New Yorker who has to leave the state to find a job; the New Yorker who is burdened with high property taxes; the New Yorker who is ignored or feels left out or has been told, “You can’t fight City Hall.” Mr. Spitzer will be our voice to do … drum roll, please … what?

Mr. Cuomo’s speech mentioned unemployment, bankruptcies, economic stagnation, and other maladies afflicting our nation. I had to remind my sister that she didn’t live in New York, where Mr. Cuomo had been governor for more than 10 years and hadn’t accomplished much toward solving these same problems. Always the Democratic solution seems to be another government program, which never, ever works efficiently. Why, then, is this city still overwhelmingly Democrat?

What I do know is why my family and others in the inner city ended up being diehard Democrats. Republicans were and are still MIA in the barrios and ghettos. Growing up on 110th Street, I recall seeing several Democratic social clubs, where the community had access to local politicians. Only Senator Jacob Javits showed any interest in our neighborhood, and he was always re-elected handily. Republicans need to get in touch with community leaders and hold town hall meetings to explain where they stand on the important issues. They would be quite surprised that on many social and educational issues, we are on the same wavelength. Unfortunately, Republicans still rely on expensive television ads and posters, which will never make a dent with minority communities.

I was recently drafted to speak at a New York Young Republican Club about the GOP prospects for 2006, and I had to tell the group that “slim and next to none” seemed to describe them. I’m not the only one who’s disturbed at what’s happened to the New York Republicans. “Raising the Titanic: Can the NYGOP be Saved?” is the subject of a forum scheduled for March 29 at the New York Academy of Sciences, 2 E. 63rd St., from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. The moderator will be syndicated columnist Deroy Murdock and panelists will include Herbert London and Patrick Manning, among others. The event is free and open to the public.

After my speech, I was asked, “How is it that Staten Island manages to elect conservatives?” Richmond County is one of the fastest-growing counties in the entire state and the most conservative in New York City, and one must look at its demographics to understand why. As of the last census, the borough of 463,314 people is 77.6% white, 12.1% Hispanic, 9.7% African-American, and 5.7% Asian. Nearly 64% of the residents own their homes, and only 10% are below the poverty level. The crime rate is the lowest in the city, and while there a few rough neighborhoods, the Police Department does an excellent job of maintaining law and order. More than 83% of the residents have graduated from high school and 23% have graduate degrees or higher. In other words, we’re doing fine, so why on earth would we believe the gloom and doom messages that we hear from the Spitzers and the Cuomos of the out-of-office party?

The Democratic message ignores the booming economy, the low unemployment, and the fact that inflation is under control because then they would have to give President Bush some credit for his leadership during some of the most difficult years in our nation’s history. Staten Island gets it, but the rest of the city would rather listen and vote for candidates who spout rhetoric instead of solutions.