Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
General Paladino Preps For Fight With "Immature" Cuomo
By
Ben Yakas
Published Sep 15, 2010
Modified Sep 15, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Don Heupel/AP
By
Ben Yakas
Published Sep 15, 2010
Modified Sep 15, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Carl Paladino pulled off an upset victory over Rick Lazio in the GOP gubernatorial primary yesterday, and he's wasting no time moving forward with his campaign against his main opponent, current Attorney General Andrew Cuomo. "Carl's whole life is an open book to the people of New York, and Cuomo is clearly frightened of his own life and failed career being under the spotlight with us. We have a message for Andrew Cuomo: You can run but you can't hide. Prepare for a full and complete vetting. Your time has come," said his campaign manager, Michael Caputo.
Paladino was seen by most political insiders as an extreme longshot for the Republican nod as recently as last month. But the Buffalo tycoon committed to spending millions of his own money on TV ads and mailers, and was able to rouse the Tea Party-wing of the GOP (or perhaps benefited from Lazio's boringness) for support, despite a series of increasingly ludicrous gaffes, such as forwarding racist (and bestiality) videos, badmouthing 3/5 of NY, and proposing housing poor people in jails.
In an interview with the Times today, Paladino compared himself to General Patton, and said he would attack Cuomo's "immaturity" and "ego." Of course, this is what Cuomo (allegedly) wanted, because many people view Paladino's "mad as hell" rhetoric as damaging to the Republican party. "GOP voters who picked Carl Paladino because they were 'mad as hell' are in for a rude awakening when they realize that Paladino embodies everything that they're mad about," said state Democratic Party Chairman Jay Jacobs.
Though Governor Paterson seemed to agree with the sentiment, he warned against not taking Paladino seriously as a candidate: "Even when someone comes across as perhaps being a little bit preposterous, the fact that he has gained this incredible victory ... means you have to pay attention to him," he told NY1. That said, he also warned Paladino not to take his commanding victory over Lazio as any kind of mandate, and urged him to change his tone and avoid "undignified remarks."
Paladino, whose other proposed policies, include cutting taxes by 10 percent within six months of taking office, ending the Park51 controversy by taking the property by eminent domain, and barring newcomers to New York from applying for welfare or Medicaid, is seen by some Republicans as their worst nightmare: "He will be extremely harmful to the party. You're going to see a lot of people extremely turned off by the Republican brand because of him...and candidates running down ballot will be forced to distance themselves," said Republican strategist Susan Del Percio. We can definitely expect more stinky brochures in the future!
Tagged
andrew cuomo
carl paladino
election 2010
gop
mad as hell
primary
republican
rick lazio
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Federal judge rules Mamdani administration must give ICE names of Bronx shelter residents
The city argued the request was more "political" than investigatory.
By
Willow Higgins
Published Nov 7, 2026 at 4:49 p.m. ET
NYPD arrests and charges city schools employee in murder of Brooklyn jogger
Lawmakers are asking how Sayed Mohassib was allowed to work at a school.
By
Kaya Laterman
News
NYPD arrests and charges city schools employee in murder of Brooklyn jogger
Lawmakers are asking how Sayed Mohassib was allowed to work at a school.
By
Kaya Laterman
Work is underway to replace deteriorating Newark Bay Bridge, a major NY-NJ route
By
Michael Sol Warren
Quest Diagnostics pays $13M to settle kickback allegations involving NY Giants tickets
By
Kaya Laterman
Person found dead with stab wounds in Queens building, NYPD says
By
Giulia Heyward
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .