A number of contentious political debates happening all over the country are providing for some of the most amazing showdowns between candidates in races that remain neck and neck this year. And while serious debates between Republicans, Democrats, and, sometimes, third party candidates could go from boring to downright nasty, none have topped the outrageous nature of New York’s Gubernatorial debate on Monday night at Hofstra University.
It is truly ironic that while my home state of New York prides itself in being the capitol of cultural diversity and social awareness, while condescendingly looking down their noses at the rest of the country as hicks, no-nothings, and racists, the gubernatorial debate in Hempstead only proved how culturally un-sophisticated and embarrassing New York state can be.
The event, with all of the characters, zingers, and one liners, was tantamount to watching a political talk show on Manhattan’s Neighborhood Network.
The New York Governor’s race is a little off kilter to begin with. The loss of New York’s Liberal Party line did not stop fringe New York liberal activists from running in New York elections.
Not only did the debate include all seven candidates running for the office in Albany, but also included a Jimmy McMillan, who is running on the “The Rent is Too Damn High” Party line. Kristin Davis, the woman who provided hookers for former Governor of New York Eliot Spitzer, is running for governor on the “Anti-Prohibition” Party line, and Democratic New York City Councilman Charles Barron, who invited Zimbabwean tyrant Charles Mugabe to New York in 2002, is running for Governor on the “Freedom Party Line.”
A Libertarian and Green Party candidate also joined the mix at last night’s debate, which made the top two contenders for New York’s Governor’s office, Democrat Al Cuomo and Republican Carl Paladino, a little uneasy. In the end, while the other candidates have a slim to none chance of winning they were the ones who stole the show.
Jimmy McMillan of the “Rent is too Damn High Party” prides himself as a karate expert and wore a pair of black gloves on stage at the debate. Mr. McMillan says that he wears the gloves, because of the Agent Orange he was exposed to in Vietnam.
“It could be psychological, I don’t know, but I just put ‘em on and wear them anyway,” he said.
During the debate, Mr. McMillan, was asked about his thoughts on same sex marriage and he answered, “If you want to marry a shoe, I’d marry you.”
Ms. Davis, critical of the Metropolitan Transit Authority, referenced her former business saying, “The key difference between the MTA and my former escort agency is that I had one set of books and operated with on-time service.” I asked Ms. Davis what she thought about Mr. Spitzer, now that he has a new program on CNN, and she proceeded to say the former New York Governor smiled like a “Gremlin” who was “boring” in bed according to the girls who were part of her former escort service. Listen to Kristen Davis HERE
New York City Councilman, Charles Barron, was hardly remorseful for inviting tyrannical leader of Zimbabwe Charles Mugabe to New York in 2002. I asked him if he was concerned that the controversy still follows him around and he would only say that it was “not a controversy” in his mind. Listen to Charles Barron HERE.
