The Post has endorsed political newcomer David Malpass in the three-way GOP US Senate primary, the winner of which will face Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand in November, calling him the “unquestionably superior candidate” who “follows the intellectual tradition set by the late Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan.”

(Moynihan, for the record, was a Democrat. He also held the seat Gillibrand now occupies and was replaced by Hillary Clinton upon his retirement in 2000).

The Post acknowledges that it “remains to be seen” whether Malpass’ brand of wonkiness can translate into votes on Election Day.

Today’s Q poll shows Gillibrand with a comfortable lead over all of her challengers, and she trounces Malpass, 45-24. The big problem for the GOP trio is that no one seems to know who they are. Each of them can count on the generic Republican vote, but little else.

A whopping 85 percent of New Yorkers said they didn’t know enough about Malpass to have an opinion about him.

One of his primary opponents, former Nassau County Legislator Bruce Blakeman, didn’t fare much better (84 percent), while former Rep. Joe DioGuardi clocked in with 76 percent. (Hmmm…something about that last name sounds so familiar).

The Post dismissed DioGuardi as an “uninspiring member of the House for two terms” who is now best known for his famous daughter. As for Blakeman, the paper says he’s encumbered by his ties to that county’s notorious GOP machine – as well as his role in pushing through a politically disastrous property-tax hike.”

Gillibrand’s Q poll favorable/unfavorable rating remains on the low side, 38-21, with 39 percent still saying they haven’t heard enough about her, despite the fact that she has held statewide office (thanks to Gov. David Paterson) for well over a year now.

The Post has never been a big Gillibrand fan (recall the photoshopped parakeet montage?), and in its endorsement of Malpass, swipes at her as the “unelected cipher senator” and says she “almost overnight morphed from centrist Democrat to slavish follower of every hard-left special interest.”

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