Paterson Revises His Facial Hair Strategy

At left, Governor Paterson at the State Fair last week; at right, Paterson with Jay-Z today (left photo by Dick Blume/The Post Standard; right photo by Dave Allocca/Starpix)

Governor Paterson, coming off a week where he decided the media is and isn't racist amid still faltering poll numbers, has made a big change. No, not with his staff or policy—he got rid of his salt-and-pepper beard! Apparently when he was asked why he made the shave, Paterson joked, "More cutbacks."

PolitickerNY's Jimmy Veilkind also reports, "The governor's mustache remains intact, but his chin was visible for the first time in recent memory. By my eye, Paterson lets his whiskers bloom and trims about weekly. He was looking shaggy during an interview at the State Fair, so the trim appears to have happened sometime over the weekend. 'I tried to do it about 10 years ago, and it didn't seem to work out so I've got a new system,' Paterson continued." We hope the next Quinnipiac or Siena poll will ask voters what they think—we personally think Paterson should have stuck with the beard.