We’ve been writing a lot about tomorrow being the deadline for Rick Lazio to decide whether he will indeed remain in the governor’s race on the Conservative Party line because it’s the last days parties can hold judicial nominating conventions.

To reiterate for the umpteenth time: The only way to get off the ballot line at this point is to die, move out of state or be nominated for a state Supreme Court judgeship anywhere in New York. (To be clear, he wouldn’t have to campaign for that position, merely have his name appear on the ballot for it).

As it turns out, however, candidates who are nominated have three days to accept or decline, which I believe pushes Lazio’s deadline back to Thursday.

Lazio hasn’t said yet what he plans to do, although Maggie Haberman noted that the tone of his remarks on WOR Friday sounded awfully like a guy who’s planning on running.

Chautauqua County Executive Greg Edwards, who is still Lazio’s Conservative running mate, but has agreed to run with Carl Paladino on the GOP line and appeared with him for the first time in Olean Friday night, told me this morning he hasn’t heard from his erstwhile Republican ticket mate yet.

Paladino’s campaign manager Michael Caputo told me yesterday that Paladino and Lazio have spoken at least three times on the subject of the Conservative line, but wouldn’t go so far as to say the Buffalo businessman has made a personal appeal that his vanquished primary foe quit the race.

State GOP and Tea Party leaders have done so, but there is a nagging concern on the part of some that Paladino might well implode, leaving Republican and Conservative voters with no options. That, of course, would spell the death of both parties, assuming they failed to hit the 50,000 mark.

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