Who Is Carl Paladino?

Ms Estrich is correct, Carl Paladino is inexperienced at politics. By contrast, Andrew Cuomo is a consummate, lifelong 2nd-generation politician. That can be a problem.

For example, in 2008 we elected a President who was completely inexperienced with anything BUT politics. He filled his administration with inexperienced academics, by and large, who managed to make a bad economy worse and so alienate the electorate so as to drive them to the 'anger' which Ms. Estrich describes so eloquently. In fairness, the President's administration had willing, politically genius accomplices (and maybe more than accomplices) in the Senate and House.

The perils of inexperience are well understood. And the insufficiency of pure political experience is also quite apparent. The well-seasoned politicians have provoked a nation-wide groundswell of rejection and opposition.

The current thinking is that the experience and wisdom needed to rebuild our economic policies isn't purely political, perhaps (you think!) experience in running a business ("making a payroll") is what is needed for guiding the recovery. Now who's the experienced candidate for New York governor: the lifelong politician and bureaucrat, or the successful self-made businessman?

Cuomo brings with him zero business experience, but he also brings considerable baggage: a HUD administration which helped lay the groundwork for the infamous housing bubble, the tentacles of Democratic special interests which are the likely adversaries of New York economic recovery (see Chris Christie, New Jersey, pensions and benefits, unfunded liabilities, etc.), and a reputation for as combative divisive personality who indulges in grudges and retribution (see Eliot Spitzer).

Is political experience a guarantee of success? Of failure? It's not hard to figure out that political experience is a guarantee of neither. Hmmm, what's left of Ms. Estrich's column?

The businessman from Buffalo is a cipher, Andrew Cuomo not so much -- if you're grading on politics alone. Aside from politics, what are Cuomo's level of experience and qualifications?

Is it easier for a businessman from Buffalo to "learn politics", or for Cuomo to learn how to battle special interests and defend businessmen/women who will pay the payrolls and taxes which fund the government?

-- Bob Elkind

Gee Susan, where was this argument when Obama was running for President? He had never governed anything and was elected to the highest office in the nation. Now you are critizing a man running for governor of New York. Same old tired liberal theme - we know better - however - where has that attitude brought our once proud nation?

Small government vs huge government. That's the choice for New Yorkers. They will probably go for the person who will solve all that states' problems with more huge government programs. Spend, spend spend, tax, tax, tax.

It's worth remembering that Noah's ark was built by amateurs and the Titanic by professionals.

"Is he ready to actually govern — as opposed to venting? Is he prepared to deal with the legislature, the bureaucracy, to make the best appointments, address the challenges facing the state?"
These are wonderful questions!
Why, oh why, are they ONLY asked of Republicans?
Might the nation be in a much better condition if the bobbleheads in the media had asked these questions of Obama?

Suzie compared to those presently governing my dog is more than qualified.

Like many in the Democrat Party, Ms Estrich isn't listening. We are TIRED of Politicians with "sterling ability". They are the knuckle heads who've gotten us into the mess we are in. Their "plans" include continuing to live in luxury (100% salary in retirement? P-l-e-a-s-e) while everyone else is asked to tighten their belts and hold on for the ride. Andrew Cuomo helped make the mess. He's proud of it. Mr Paladino has plans. He has voiced them at many Tea Party events. The problem is, the Democrats and their loyal news media cronies don't cover what's said. They count colored faces in the crowd and pronouce the event not news worthy. If you would LISTEN instead of lecturing. You would learn.

Maybe Susan should pick a city in Upstate NY and visit for a day or two. Try to find a good paying job in Buffalo, Rochester or Syracuse. I forgot. There are none because most of our manufacturing base is gone due to high taxes and over-the-top regulations...thanks to our "experienced" political leadership. Maybe she can visit some middle'class Democrat friends (those that haven't moved away) and look at our our tax bills. Highest property taxes in the nation. Insane school taxes. Medicaid taxes that make up 80% of my county tax bill because our "experienced" politicians have seen fit to create the mosr generous Medicaid program in the entire country. I'm not saying Paladino is the answer, but he is right in that someone needs to take a baseball bat to Albany and change the way this state governs itself and taxes it's people.

Regarding therecovery without jobs, Maybe this will bethe norm. We area consumer socieity and most of what we consume is made someplace besides the USA. With this mind set how can we expect our fellow citizens to have decent jobs? We need to demand products made in USA even if it costs a buck or so more.

Terrible analogy. Plenty of "professional" plumbers charge outrageously high rates to fix problems that really do not exist. Think about it.

Re: Gene44: President Obama never governed any state because he didn't run for governor of any state; he ran for Senator from Illinois. And, he won handily. And, he got some exposure to how Washington works. Maybe wannabe governor Carl ought to have his sights lowered to a job where he can get some experience in government before he wants to run New York. But that's the same old conservative theme: whine when someone attacks your party.
Re: Early: Viewing your comments over the last few months, maybe you'd like the Grover Norquist-size government. maybe you should abstain from the use of and participation in any goods and services including but not limited to the following:
• Social Security
• Medicare/Medicaid
• State Childrens' Health Insurance Programs (SCHIP)
• Police, Fire, and Emergency Services
• US Postal Service
• Roads and Highways
• Air Travel (regulated by the FAA)
• The US Railway System
• Public Subways and Metro Systems
• Public Bus and Lightrail Systems
• Rest Areas on Highways
• Sidewalks
• All Government-Funded Local/State Projects
• Public Water and Sewer Services (goodbye toilet, shower, dishwasher, kitchen sink, outdoor hose!)
• Public and State Universities and Colleges
• Public Primary and Secondary Schools
• Sesame Street
• Publicly Funded Anti-Drug Use Education for Children
• Public Museums
• Libraries
• Public Parks and Beaches
• State and National Parks
• Public Zoos
• Unemployment Insurance
• Municipal Garbage and Recycling Services
• Treatment at Any Hospital or Clinic That Ever Received Funding From Local, State, or Federal Government (pretty much all of them)
• Medical Services and Medications That Were Created or Derived From Any Government Grant or Research Funding (again, pretty much all of them)
• Byproducts of Government Investment Such as Duct Tape and Velcro (NASA Inventions)
• Use of the Internets, email, and networked computers, as the DoD's ARPANET was the basis for subsequent computer networking
• Foodstuffs, Meats, Produce and Crops That Were Grown With, Fed With, Raised With or That Contain Inputs From Crops Grown With Government Subsidies
• Clothing Made from Crops (e.g. cotton) That Were Grown With or That Contain Inputs From Government Subsidies
• If a veteran of the government-run US military, foregoing your VA benefits and insist on paying for your own medical care
• No tours of government buildings like the Capitol in Washington, D.C.
• No taking yourself, your family, or your children on a tour of the following types of locations, including but not limited to:
• Smithsonian Museums such as the Air and Space Museum or Museum of American History
• The Washington, Lincoln, and Jefferson Monuments
• The government-operated Statue of Liberty
• The Grand Canyon
• The World War II and Vietnam Veterans Memorials
• The government-run Arlington National Cemetery
• All other public-funded sites, whether it be in your state or in Washington, DC
• Urge your Member of Congress and Senators to forego their government salary and government-provided healthcare.
• Oppose and condemn the government-funded military of the United States of America.
• Boycott the products of defense contractors such as GE, Lockheed-Martin, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics, Raytheon, Humana, FedEx, General Motors, Honeywell, and all others paid by our government to produce goods for our army.
• Protest security departments such as the Pentagon, FBI, CIA, Department of Homeland Security, TSA, and the Department of Justice.
• Upon reaching eligible retirement age, destroy your Social Security checks. Upon reaching age 65, forego Medicare and pay for your own private health insurance.
Small government, huh? Taxed too much for these services, with the lowest tax rate since 1950? What are you going to do when all of these goods and services aren't "free" any more?
Re: Tidford Tatt: "Why, oh why, are they ONLY asked of Republicans?" Since you haven't noticed, they are asked of Democrats, too. Or isn't our so-called "liberal media," which is owned by conservatives lock, stock and barrel, reporting the news the way you'd like to hear it?
Re: Barb: So you're "TIRED of Politicians with "sterling ability". They are the knuckle heads who've gotten us into the mess we are in." Why is it that none of you "tired" people spoke up when Bush was in office, taking a surplus in our budget and turning it into a massive debt with tax cuts and war? Where were you then? How did Andrew Cuomo help make the mess? Did he bankrupt all 50 states at the same time, like Bush did? Paladino can mouth off on all his wonderful plans at Tea Party events, but if he's an advocate of smaller government and lower taxes, how is that going to help you and provide you with the goods and services listed above? Saying it is one thing, actually understanding it and doing it is something else. And as for "the Democrats and their loyal news media cronies don't cover what's said. They count colored faces in the crowd and pronouce (sic) the event not news worthy:, if you're still living with the fable of the "liberal media," Pat Buchanan refuted that back in 1992. The conservatives only repeat that to make the news keep turning to the right - where the corporations that owns them reside. If the Teabaggers don't report the news as you'd like to hear it, blame the conservatives - they own the news media.

"But once you vote, the party's over."
Right...that is what happened to us. We now regret having fallen for the slogan "Hope and Change". It was just that: a slogan.
Now that the party is over we look forward to getting rid of people so partisan that voted for bill they did not read.
This party is OVER!

Oh Susan, we've been raped in the true sense and feeling the word connotes. The libs don't know it yet, and the snively, Whole Foods-shopping, Prius parking schlemiels have not a clue what their votes have wrought. Let's leave "sterling" out of any qualifiers, and add "stones" for a change. Elitists unite -- it's all you can do while morphing to Maureen Dowd-type clones. Please step aside and let another type of change approach! Please.

Ms. Estrich asks....".what happens the day after, when the Carl Paladinos are expected to govern?"
Answer: It can't be any worse than when the Bark Hussein Obama's of this world were asked (by some) to govern.
Thanks to ((N)obama, and pelosi, reid, frank, et. al. we have reached an all time low. We can't drop any further (unless, of course, they are reelected (God forbid!!!!).

Susan - Sounds like you arer making the case why Obama shouldn't hae been elected...

Re: Winslow
Where is the Constitution do you find the "federal government' responsible for providing assistance to any or all of the the named public benefits? Career politicians believe the feds must help because the feds tax the daylights out of their constituents, which they do. I have no problem with shifting federal taxation to local taxation. the key word here is 'shifting'. There are many, many federal agencies that can be terminated and the work 'shifted' to the local governments.

Re: Steve in Houston
Duh!!!!....:-)

susan,
um, your faithful readers are HAMMERING you in these comments. you are out of touch.

This is the liberal talking point (yes, only one) that they'll keep pushing through the election: They (new conservative Republican candidates) are not qualified. And of course this question only applies to Republicans; especially conservative Republicans.

Like a previous comment, my dog is also more qualified than those in office right now. New blood is exactly what is needed in Congress to stop this slow, long march to socialism. More government spending is not, and never was, the right answer.

Susan, I don't believe being a Congressional representative is hard. It's much harder to get elected. So once you're in, any honest person just has to stick to their values and vote along those lines every time. It's not hard; unless you have weak values and want people to like you!

Was Obama qualified for the presidency? We all know he wasn't. In fact he was behind in the pols until the economy took a bigger dump. Hey, all you need are unhappy constituents and a new, unqualified guy to come in and spew his mouth about change. It happens both ways. Now it's the liberals turn to be ousted and it's very satisfying to watch.

The children have had 21 months to show off their idealism; the vengeful, spiteful Democrat leadership has rammed through their liberal claptrap they felt was denied them for so long; the liberals have resolved their "white guilt". It's time for the adults who love and place this country's future above a narrow-minded agenda to take the wheel again.

Your arguments are being used against you. You have contradicted yourself. The Bamster wasn't, isn't qualified, and never ran anything but community agitators. I can't wait till November to hear your spin. Quit smoking, Susan, your voice shows that you are a heavy smoker. It will kill you.

The arrogance of political pundits like you are fueling the fire of the everyday people of this country. We are smarter than you think. The Socialist Democrats are about to be relegated to a minority status. You have been rejected by the majority in this country. IT has been a great blessing to see the Bamster, Pelosi, and Reid destroy your party. The God-hating, baby killing, whale saving Dems are about to be history.

Dear Susan,
You rightly are getting dissed for being a 'hypocrite' [again], {remember your admission of hypocrisy in the nun's case of building a 'memorial'(?) in one of the concentration camps} in that many elected Liberal Democrats weren't qualified to run gov't when they ran for office, yet you supported them none the less!
Nuff Said...Dennis

Re: dave

I totally agree with your first sentence!

Nuff Said...Dennis

Re: Gene44

Great article! Susan, what's your answer?

Nuff Said...Dennis

Re: Paul

My Samoyed has a higher IQ than the entire Liberal establishment, and although he's a thief, and con artist by breed, he has more loyalty than the Liberal voter.

Nuff Said...Dennis

Re: Steve in Houston
Great point!

Nuff Said...Dennis

Maybe Susan is right. Obama did not have any executive experience and look what has happened! The idea that being good at politics is the qualification needed to govern is really dumb. The constitution of the USA is 4 single space pages long and can be understood by any 6th grader. Elitest professional politcians have almost destroyed our country. I'll take a "real" business man who may be a little rough around the edges, over a "career" insider anytime.

Something to think about: Has anyone ever seen Susan, and Charlie Rangel in the same room?

While I agree with your column on "Anger may trump ability" regarding the governor's race in NY, it is too bad you did not apply the same criteria to the last Presidential campaign or does your opinion only apply when it is a conservative that lacks experience. Clearly, if experience is the criteria and knowledge about the candidate required to avoid the bad plumber, why did you not support McCain? As you concluded, you can fire a bad plumber when you stop being angry (and it was anger at Bush that fueled the last campaign), but once you vote the party's over. Your analysis, applied to Obama certainly explains why we are where we are.