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It finally happened: after days of back and forth, who was too scared to face who, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and his Republican opponent, Marcus J. Molinaro, clashed Tuesday in their first and probably only debate.
But if you left the debate without having any idea of the candidates' vision for New York, you are probably not alone. The debate, full of ad hominem attacks and calculated escapes, was very difficult to understand – or even sometimes to listen to, while MM. Cuomo and Molinaro were eager to be heard over the interruptions of the other.
That is why we have broken down what happened, why and what effect, if any, could be in the two weeks remaining before polling day.
It has become ugly and fast
Considering it was only an hour and Mr. Molinaro was perhaps the best chance to reduce the governor's substantial lead in the polls, it was not surprising that he wanted to attack quickly. He accused the governor of running "the most corrupt state government of America" and being "born on a third base".
But Mr. Cuomo was just as combative, dismissing charges of gambling against Mr. Molinaro, and while he was not frankly interrupting Mr. Molinaro, he smiled and nodded sarcastically.
Mr. Molinaro attempted to present his attacks in a more dignified tone, repeatedly calling Mr. Cuomo "sir" and denouncing "intimidation and the threat" which he claimed had eventually dominated New politics. York. But overall, the gloves broke off early and rested, the two men bickering against the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, marijuana for medical purposes and, of course, President Trump. "That's how we do it?" Mr. Molinaro asked as Mr. Cuomo interrupted him again.
Yes, yes it was.
Meeting with Marc Trump – er, Molinaro
The debate was an opportunity for Mr. Molinaro – who struggled to raise funds and raise awareness – to introduce themselves and present their ideas to voters. And overall, he spoke convincingly and convincingly about politics and his vision of the state.
But Mr. Molinaro also did not neutralize Mr. Cuomo's central strategy of attaching him to the president. Rather than insisting that he had not voted for Mr. Trump, or that he had denounced some of the president's rhetoric, Mr. Molinaro avoided answering to the governor's questions as to whether he supported Mr. Trump, possibly in order not to alienate some of his members. Republican base. Mr. Molinaro later told reporters that he did not want to let Mr. Cuomo force him to give an overly simplistic answer.
But regardless of Mr. Molinaro's reasoning, the lack of a clear and unequivocal rejection of Mr. Trump fits perfectly with the governor's campaign strategy of belittling Mr. Molinaro by calling him me of Trump ".
The governor acts as the head runner that he is
While Mr. Molinaro needed the debate as a platform to give voice to insignificant changes to the tax code or extensions of mental health care that could tip voters to his side, Mr. Cuomo, with all the benefits of a warrant, has not undergone any pressure of this type.
The governor spent most of the debate asking for answers from Mr. Molinaro rather than describing his own vision for a third term. When he spoke of himself, he was more turned to the past than to the front, touting the bills he had signed or the statements he had made.
What happened behind the scenes also talked about the obstacles that Mr. Molinaro was facing, perhaps even more than what happened on the airwaves.
After the debate, Mr. Molinaro went to the newsroom to congratulate the journalists and convince them that he had managed to express his point of view. Mr. Cuomo did not visit, but sent his campaign chairman and a senior advisor to run the reporters. The governor, said an assistant, had long since left.
The end was … weird
The governor made some breathtaking statements during the debate, including a rejoinder early in the debate saying that he "had no problem dodging responsibility." (Presumably, he meant "take".)
At another time, he harassed Mr. Molinaro so that he would be "a politician for life", which is a strange reprimand from a man who was immersed in politics during the most of his adult life. He also said that the most iconic song of his campaign was "Empire State of Mind", a hit by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys, a curious and perhaps wrong choice, since "New York State of Mind" is a classic of his friend and supporter, Billy Joel.
But perhaps the biggest fall came in the final seconds of the debate, when moderator Marcia Kramer urged him to sing a little bit. (Yes, that's what really happened.) Mr. Cuomo laughed and moved before joking about the fact that though Ms. Kramer, CBS's longtime political correspondent, wanted to hear her sing, she should come in the shower. (Yes, this has happened too.)
And then?
Mr. Molinaro got what he wanted: a big stage and a niche in prime time to talk about his candidacy. But Mr Cuomo has sucked much of the oxygen to the screen. Many of the points that Mr. Molinaro sought to highlight – The convictions for corruption related to the administration of Mr. Cuomo, or the still fragile economic health of the north of the state – remained more or less intact.
Less than two weeks before the race, Mr. Molinaro lacks time to make his point of view heard by voters. He is short of money too.
And since Mr. Cuomo has not made any serious blunders (aside from the strange strangeness), it seems unlikely that this debate will change the direction of the race – a direction that is decidedly not in favor of Mr. Molinaro .
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