Paladino, Candidates Prep For Gubernatorial Debate

When Jeanine met Carl...

After months of fanfare, conjecture, and fervent emailing, the first (and only?) NY state gubernatorial debate is finally taking place this Monday at Hofstra University! It's really happening guys—all seven candidates will be there, in their glammest outfits, their cakiest makeup, and with their glitziest stump speeches. Will they stay on message? Will Carl Paladino insult someone's mother? Will Andrew Cuomo say anything? Will anyone pay attention to those other five candidates?

The 90-minute debate will be broadcast commercial-free on News 12 Long Island, News 12 Westchester, News 12 Hudson Valley, News 12 The Bronx, News 12 Brooklyn, Time Warner Cable’s NY1, NY1 Noticias (with Spanish interpretation) and YNN (and on NPR, for you radio listeners). If you're dying to be there in person, Hofstra is also giving out 100 tickets to the public at random, so register soon!

Paladino in particular must be getting nervous. He's already had his campaign manager Michael Caputo lower everyone's expectations for his debating skills ("Andrew Cuomo is a very experienced, very polished, very smooth, very oily kind of career politician that is very difficult to defeat on the debate stage") ...as if our expectations of the future bikini-waxer could be any lower.

And now Paladino's turned to former Westchester District Attorney and current TV Judge Jeanine Pirro to help him practice. He definitely picked the most sympathetic person imaginable, since she is super familiar with men who cheat on their wives and have love children, because that's what her ex did during their marriage.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Ben Yakas in News on October 14, 2010 3:56 PM

Comments [rss]

Tim

Some debate. I could do this one from my living room.

Paladino: You are against State fiscal waste, correct? Enlighten us as to your plan to lower the rents the state is charged for office space in Buffalo? Oh, that is right, you own the buildings collecting the hundreds of millions of dollars in rent from the state you wish to clean up.

Paladino: Could you explain the tax loop holes and quid pro quo expectations involved in your state contracts? ie job creation?

Paladino: If you are elected Governor, will you, to prevent a conflict of interest, release the state of NY from it's contracts it holds with your companies?

Paladino: You have insulted the LGBT community by calling them "perverts" and "sick deviants" yet you continue to collect rent from them for taverns and bars they have established in Western NY... Could you explain this rather conflicting position?

Paladino: You have pledged to clean up the Internet as Governor of NY, yet you, yourself, have been caught numerous times spreading pornography, race baiting, misogynistic messages and images on the Internet. Could you explain? And, are you a pornographer, by legal definition of the word?

And finally

Paladino: You say you are "mad as hell" and a "tough talker" or "street fighter" who is "ready to take on Albany" yet you allowed Matt Lauer kick the crap out of you on live television... Matt Lauer? Come on... Today Show twerp outguns you? Matt freakin' Lauer????

Jimbo853okg

Oh man, will this be fun! The rageaholic, homophobic, mentally-unbalanced millionaire Paladino, a madam, a male stripper, an ex-Black Panther who still really hates white people, and a well-oiled politician with legendary prowess, all on one stage.

John L

It's going to be like a WWE Royal Rumble.

BTW, how's Linda McMahon doing up there in Connecticut?

oh not too good http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/10/14/blumenthal-pulls-away-mcmahon-statewide-poll/

Come on Dems don't lose hope!

Get out and vote!

Hey that rhymes!