Debate Or Bust

Tonight's gubernatorial debate promises to provide more in the way of laughs than any substantive discussion of the issues in New York; the five fringe party candidates are guaranteed equal time. I'm sure none of them will be a bust.

As far as I'm concerned, the less time Cuomo has to speak, the better. For one thing, as his margin in the polls expand in direct proportion to people learning about Paladino, it would seem that only a series of truly colossal gaffes could sink him now. But also, for guy with such a fine pedigree when it comes to public speaking, I don't find him impressive at all, particularly in situations such as a debate, when he doesn't have a teleprompter in front of him. I find him to be halting, repetitive, and generally unimpressive when he attempts to articulate his positions on demand. Of course, he's fine compared to Paladino, who would have nothing constructive to offer even if he was as elegant as the president.

The Cuomo campaign released this ad last week.



Well, of course, we all just hate these attack ads. However, this one is completely fair given Paladino's extreme position on abortion, which would ban a woman's right to choose even in the case of rape, incest, or, I suppose, bestiality, a Paladino favorite. What I particularly like about this ad is the line: "In Carl Paladino's New York, the government would make medical decisions, not doctors."

That of course turns Republicans' and Tea Partiers' arguments against the healthcare bill, and for that matter, government programs in general, right back against them. It also brings to mind what Jon Stewart told the House Republican Whip Eric Cantor (in an enlightening and civilized exchange that I highly recommend checking out): It's a "fallacy that limited government is the principled stand of conservatives. It's only limited to the shit they want to do." Like tell women what they can and cannot do with their bodies, who can or cannot marry whom, who can wager on what online, and when we can invade sovereign countries for made-up reasons.

By the way, even the New York Post has eschewed Paladino, and endorsed Cuomo. That should surely tell you something.