Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Was I wrong about Carl?

So, the email scandal did not take Carl down, and it seems to have emboldened his supporters. As much as I hate to admit it, I find him entertaining, and his brash, ridiculous statements (telling Susan Arbetter he was going to take a baseball bat to Albany, for one) somewhat refreshing in a state where legislators complain about working four day weeks and can't pass a budget. While enjoying wide support in Western New York, Paladino is a virtual unknown downstate. Picking Tom Ognibene, a conservative from Queens, was a smart choice in spreading his name around the state, but I doubt it's going to get him a win in the Republican primary, much less a win against Andrew Cuomo. At the end of the day, he seems more like a caricature of a candidate, something Hollywood thought up (he reminds me of the politicians in Robocop,for some reason), to be over the top and almost out of control, and less like a legitimate candidate for governor. Carl may be "mad as hell", but he won't be governor.