OntheWilderSide

Below is excellent pre-debate commentary by Ian Wilder. For post-debate commentary from Kimberly Wilder (with Ian’s post-debate in comments) please go: here.

Also, you can find full video of the live debate: here.

OK, the corporate media keep playing up the face-off between Paladino and Cuomo like it is some kind of WWE event.  I realize that they are their boys, but someone’s gotta point out that not only isn’t this Connecticut, but you couldn’t slip a Koch family contribution between their economic austerity plans.

Real face-offs.

1. Rent Strike: In one corner, we have the largest landlord in Western New York, Republican candidate Carl Paladino, and in the other corner we have the founder of the Rent is Too Damn High Party, Jimmy McMillan.  Can you see McMillan asking Paladino how much he rakes in from rents to individuals and to NY State?  It’s funny how those who yell the loudest about the state spending too much usually have pockets full of the state’s cash.
2. Cheaters: Then we have Kristin Davis of the Anti-Prohibition Party, who’s claim to fame is being Eliot Spitzer‘s Madam.  She has a point in that the Madam goes to jail and the “John” — Eliot Spitzer — goes scot-free.  She should be questioning Carl Paladino on that concept since he thought that no one would notice that he has a 10-year-old child by his mistress and constant traveling companion.  Was he so confident because he thought that, as the man, it’s ok to cheat?  He must, since he has the gall to speak out on the sanctity of marriage.  I hope Kristin Davis gives Paladino this year’s Sarah Palin Worst Parent Award for running for office when it would expose your child to ridicule in the press.  

3. 

   Mad as a Hatter: Everyone seems to be wanting to get into the Tea Party this year.  I guess no one is worried about the Red Queen.  Carl Paldino is claiming that he is the Howard Beale of Tea-Party fueled campaigns.   This has Libertarian Governor candidate Warren Redlich seeing red, since the Libertarians claim to have given birth (not birther) to the Tea Party movement.   Democratic governor candidate Andrew Cuomo wants in on this too, since he claims he has the same austerity plan as the Tea party, just without Paladino’s drama.  Even Governor candidate Howie Hawkins‘ own Green Party has appealed to the Tea Party to take on the corporate corruption of our government, rather than just be Astroturf for three billionaires: Australian Media Baron Rupert Murdoch, silver-spoon Oil trust fund babies Charles and David Koch.

4. Cult of Personality: Freedom Party Governor candidate Charles Barron‘s low profile run is a pointed message to Cuomo that you can’t run on an all-white statewide Democratic Party slate in a state as diverse as New York without someone commenting.  As former member of the Black Panther Party, Barron has the credibility to challenge Cuomo on White Privilege.
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5. Take the Green Pill: Hawkins is likely to broaden Barron’s attack on the Matrix-like-reality presented by the Democratic slate. As stated on Rochester’s Channel 13 WHAM report, Poll: 58% of Voters Say a 3rd Political Party is Needed:

What you get from this Green Party candidate for governor is an earnest discussion of tax and ethics reform. “People say ‘you sound like the democrats used to sound.’ New deal democrats don’t exist any more,” Hawkins explains. ‘The new democrats are like the old republicans.”

Related Articles

• Kimberly’s After-The-Debate impressions
• Guv cand Hawkins live on Capitol Pressroom 11am 9/30/10 (www.onthewilderside.com)
• Guv cand Hawkins (G-NY) Joined in SUNY Albany Protests Against Education Budget Cuts, Part of National Day of Action (www.onthewilderside.com)
• NY State Elections 2010: Ballot info posted at NYS BOE website (www.onthewilderside.com)
• Guv cand Hawkins (G-NY) Opposes Fare Hike for NYC Subway, Metro Area Supports Enactment of Congestion Pricing (www.onthewilderside.com)
• NY Guv cand Hawkins (G) To Paladino(R): Debate the Real Progressive (www.onthewilderside.com)
• Alan Singer: Green Party vs. Tea Party at Hofstra Gubernatorial Debate (huffingtonpost.com)
• All candidates invited to a NY Governor debate at Hofstra, LI (www.onthewilderside.com)
• Guv cand Hawkins (G-NY) Supports Ban on Hydrofracking for Natural Gas; WFP & Cuomo don’t (www.onthewilderside.com)

Filed under: Action Alert!, activism, debate, election, Election 2010, elections, governor, grassroots democracy, Green Party, hofstra, howie hawkins, long island, Long Island Politics, media, new york, New York State Politics, News, platform, politics, rants, third party, US Politics Tagged: | andrew cuomo, black panther party, Carl Paladino, Charles Barron, connecticut, Eliot Spitzer, green, howie hawkins, Jimmy McMillan, Kristin Davis, Mad Hatter, new york, Rent Is Too Damn High Party, Tea Party movement, united states, Western New York