The organizers of tonight’s gubernatorial debate have hired security guards to watch over the candidates. Bouncers will be waiting just off stage as Democrat and Attorney General Andrew Cuomo and Republican Carl Paladino — and five others — square off.
Producer Michelle Murphy told the New York Post they expect candidates to behave like adults but “are prepared for anything.”
Campaign rhetoric and the cast of candidates has led to expectations of a raucous night. Paladino has accused Cuomo of love affairs. Cuomo, once known for a short temper, has shown little of it in response to Paladino’s comments.
The five other candidates to appear include Brooklyn City Councilman Charles Barron — who accuses Democrats of running an all-white ticket and is campaigning as the candidate of the all-black Freedom Party — and Kristin Davis, the “Manhattan Madam” who provided disgraced ex-Governor Eliot Spitzer with hookers. She is the Anti-Prohibition Party candidate for legalized marijuana, casinos and gay marriage.
