We note with respect and consolation the passing of Mike Long, the longtime builder and stalwart of the Conservative Party of New York.
The Conservative Party, established by two Wall Street brokers in the 1960’s used the model of the Liberal Party of New York founded twenty years earlier, to influence the candidates and policies of the Republican Party much as they believed the Liberal Party had the same influence on the Democratic Party.
Long and his party disagreed with the Liberal Party on every single policy matter and yet there was a grudging respect for his fervent approach on issues, because he honestly seemed to believe in them and backed that belief with fierce arguments and knowledge based on policies and what he thought his people wanted.
We had only two occasions to deal directly with him.
The Liberal Party had received an invitation from the American Family Institute, a decidedly conservative organization, to appear on a telecast to discuss matters of interest to its audience. We tried recruiting the various members of the leadership then to make that appearance but got no takers. And so we reluctantly made the trip to Long Island to a small studio right outside the Five Corners.
We were met cordially by those involved and was then introduced to Mr. Long who would be arguing for the other side of a single issue: Abortion.
We felt that we had been tricked into this meeting and one look at Mr. Long and we were seeing a very fervent zealot champing at the bit to unload on his unsuspecting and singularly unprepared opponent – mano a mano.
We just knew this much. The Supreme Court had made Roe v. Wade law and women could have abortions lawfully and safely.
Long and his believers had lost. What was there to discuss?
But we know now that the matter wasn’t dead then thirty years later and would never end.
What we heard from Mike Long was a religious ferocity we had not heard since we lived in West Virginia and listened to Baptist Preachers roar their dismay at sinners before them.
Long wasn’t talking policy problems, he was crying out his disbelief and concerns.
We answered when we were given the chance in quiet tones presenting the Liberal Party’s support of a woman’s right to choose as we had in a brief to the Supreme Court…the only political party to do so.
We didn’t shake hands on the way out.
As I drove away I thought well who listened to this station anyway. And found for years later that people would stop me on the street or in a gym and say they saw me on television.
The last and only other time I heard from Mike he and Joe Lhota wished the Liberal Party dead in newspaper stories for supporting John Catsimatidis against Joe in the Republican primary for Mayor in 2013.
Mike Long was a believer and a fighter. Just about right for a guy who was a Marine. Though he sometimes ran his own candidates rather than support Republicans…he was a committed absolute conservative as we knew it up until a few years ago.
It would have been interesting to know how he felt about conservative views practiced today.
Martin I. Hassner, Executive DirectorLiberal Party of New York
Good eulogy.
8/2/2022
Good article. I knew Mike Long for many, many years when I lived in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. I actually lived a few blocks from his store and business. His successor as NYS-CP Chairman was a few years behind me in high school. While I disagreed with him from time to time on policy issues and candidates, he was a staunch and sincere advocate for Brooklyn and his community.
May he rest in peace.
Prof. Stephen R. Rolandi, MPA
Larchmont, New York