Albany Watch

   A day after receiving continued dismal news about his popularity in the state (a 20 percent approval rating in a Marist Poll), Gov. David Paterson announced who his campaign manager will be for his 2010 gubernatorial campaign.

   Richard Fife, a 30-plus-year veteran of Democratic campaigns and politics in the state, has his work cut out for him. Seventy percent of voters in the Marist Poll, and 65 percent of Democrats, said they didn’t think Paterson was a “viable” candidate for governor in 2010. The poll found that 67 percent of voters, and 53 percent of Republicans, thought state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo should run for governor. The Democrat hasn’t declared his candidacy.

   Fife, who has been president of RJF Communications Inc., was senior New York adviser to Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. He was an Obama delegate at the 2008 Democratic National Convention and a member of the Electoral College in New York. Other campaigns he has worked on include Hugh Carey’s re-election as governor of New York, Tom Bradley for California governor and Jay Rockefeller as a senator from West Virginia. He was senior adviser for H. Carl McCall’s 2002 campaign for New York governor.

   “I’m thrilled to bring Richie onto my growing campaign team. His expertise is critical as we move into the election year, and I welcome his insights into shaping our statewide effort,” Paterson said in a statement. “He shares my commitment to bringing a true economic recovery to the state, and his leadership will help us deliver that message to all New Yorkers.”

   Fife is the son of Barbara Fife, deputy mayor in New York City under David Dinkins.