# Governor David Paterson (NY) **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 13, 2008, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-david-paterson-ny/441266 "2008-03-13T19:23:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-david-paterson-ny/441266/1 "2008-03-13T19:23:42Z")
So, now [David Paterson](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Paterson) will, as of next Monday, become governor of New York (first African-American in that post; first legally blind person to become governor of any U.S. state). What does this mean for New York’s future? ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2008, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-david-paterson-ny/441266/2 "2008-03-14T02:01:26Z")
I’m just waiting for the reaction when someone tells him he’s black. (Apologies to Richard Pryor) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2008, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-david-paterson-ny/441266/3 "2008-03-14T03:34:18Z")
I’ll admit I made my first tasteless joke at our new Governor’s expense earlier today. My co-worker and I are civil servants in New York. He was talking about some problems he was having with a report he was working on. I responded, “Why are you worrying so much about it? It’s not like the governor’s ever going to read it.” What? Too soon? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2008, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-david-paterson-ny/441266/4 "2008-03-14T03:44:29Z")
[QUOTE=DanBlather] I’m just waiting for the reaction when someone tells him he’s black. (Apologies to Richard Pryor) [/QUOTE] I was thinking David Chapelle. ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2008, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-david-paterson-ny/441266/5 "2008-03-14T04:30:19Z")
By all accounts, he seems to be much more of a consensus seeker than Spitzer – former state Senator, well thought of by his former colleagues on both sides of the aisle. I think he will have an easier time cutting deals on some of the big issues that face New York (particularly how to close the deficit), but he’s definitely not the kind of guy who’s going to bring the sort of political culture shock to Albany that Spitzer promised (although he was having a hard time delivering on that promise as it was). ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2008, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-david-paterson-ny/441266/6 "2008-03-14T05:54:20Z")
Well, I made a joke about him too. To a friend of mine, who is legally blind, like him. She also has partial sight, and, like him, is able to read papers by holding them very close. She basically touches her nose to the paper when reading it. At work, this was frequently done with copies, and often some of the ink/toner would come off, leaving her with a definite black spot on her nose. Which we used to tease her about. Today, when discussing the new Governor with her, I mentioned that he probably had the same problem after reading papers, _but nobody would ever notice it on him_. ---
**Author:** ![ed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c77e96/32.png) [@ed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ed)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2008, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-david-paterson-ny/441266/7 "2008-03-14T12:04:32Z")
At the very least, he’s funny. > [@the Times Union](#): > > When asked whether he had ever patronized hookers during his state career, Paterson paused for several seconds before answering: “Only the lobbyists. That’s why we want campaign finance reform.” ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2008, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-david-paterson-ny/441266/8 "2008-03-14T12:38:07Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] First legally blind person to become governor of any U.S. state). What does this mean for New York’s future? [/QUOTE] \*That’s nothing. 🙂 We had a legally blind president for over 8 years. I hated him for his politics, but his blindness didn’t seem to be a problem for him. He had a firm grip on his people and the nation. \*It could be argued otherwise seeing as the NY economy is larger than that of our entire country’s, and the population of the state is also bigger than ours. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2008, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-david-paterson-ny/441266/9 "2008-03-14T12:50:24Z")
It’s kind of a shame that reporter didn’t ask him if he’d be _seeing_ any prostitutes…classic straight line for Paterson to knock out of the park… ---
**Author:** ![ASAKMOTSD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/919ad9/32.png) [@ASAKMOTSD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASAKMOTSD)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2008, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-david-paterson-ny/441266/10 "2008-03-14T13:26:46Z")
[QUOTE=Mighty\_Girl] \*That’s nothing. 🙂 We had a legally blind president for over 8 years. [/QUOTE] I think you mistyped - you probably meant legally dumb, not blind. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2008, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-david-paterson-ny/441266/11 "2008-03-14T13:29:54Z")
[QUOTE=ASAKMOTSD] I think you mistyped - you probably meant legally dumb, not blind. [/QUOTE] **Mighty\_Girl** isn’t posting from the US. ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2008, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-david-paterson-ny/441266/12 "2008-03-14T13:59:52Z")
[QUOTE=jayjay] **Mighty\_Girl** isn’t posting from the US. [/QUOTE] There’s other countries? ---
**Author:** ![flight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbce88/32.png) [@flight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flight)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2008, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-david-paterson-ny/441266/13 "2008-03-14T14:09:20Z")
[QUOTE=ed] At the very least, he’s funny. > [@the Times Union](#): > > When asked whether he had ever patronized hookers during his state career, Paterson paused for several seconds before answering: “Only the lobbyists. That’s why we want campaign finance reform.” [/QUOTE] OK, I now have an official favorite Governor. ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2008, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-david-paterson-ny/441266/14 "2008-03-14T17:38:04Z")
To go back to the OP: What it means for New York is this: nothing. New York has what has to be the most dysfunctional government in the U.S. Literally everything is done via three men in a back room. Until _that_ changes, it doesn’t really matter who the governor is. Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2008, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-david-paterson-ny/441266/15 "2008-03-14T17:39:02Z")
[QUOTE=Little Nemo] I’ll admit I made my first tasteless joke at our new Governor’s expense earlier today. My co-worker and I are civil servants in New York. He was talking about some problems he was having with a report he was working on. I responded, “Why are you worrying so much about it? It’s not like the governor’s ever going to read it.” What? Too soon? [/QUOTE] You win. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2008, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-david-paterson-ny/441266/16 "2008-03-14T17:41:28Z")
[QUOTE=zev\_steinhardt] To go back to the OP: What it means for New York is this: nothing. New York has what has to be the most dysfunctional government in the U.S. Literally everything is done via three men in a back room. Until _that_ changes, it doesn’t really matter who the governor is. Zev Steinhardt [/QUOTE] Don’t suppose there’s such thing as a cite for any of that? ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2008, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-david-paterson-ny/441266/17 "2008-03-14T17:56:28Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] Don’t suppose there’s such thing as a cite for any of that? [/QUOTE] Not really. Just common knowledge. 🙂 Republican. Democrat… It doesn’t matter. Until the Legislature isn’t totally controlled by the leaders of the respective houses, not much will change. Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2008, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-david-paterson-ny/441266/18 "2008-03-14T18:00:31Z")
He’s black? Seriously, I saw his first public apperance after Spitzer resigned on the news and I had no idea he was black. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2008, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-david-paterson-ny/441266/19 "2008-03-14T18:08:50Z")
[QUOTE=ASAKMOTSD] I think you mistyped - you probably meant legally dumb, not blind. [/QUOTE] Yeah, we also had one like that. I am Dominican. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2008, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-david-paterson-ny/441266/20 "2008-03-14T18:12:10Z")
[QUOTE=Justin\_Bailey] He’s black? Seriously, I saw his first public apperance after Spitzer resigned on the news and I had no idea he was black. [/QUOTE] I doubt most Americans know much about their lieutenant governors. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/governor-david-paterson-ny/441266.md?page=2)