Paladino 'Within Shouting Distance' in NY Gov Race

Apparently anyone can be New York governor these days. Proof? Carl Paladino—you know, the Tea Party candidate who likes email jokes about bestiality and recently questioned opponent Andrew Cuomo’s manhood—is “within shouting distance” of beating Cuomo, says a Quinnipiac pollster. “And—you can count on it—he will be shouting.” The new poll finds Cuomo leads at 49% among likely voters, but Paladino is shockingly close behind at 43%, the New York Daily News reports.

The latest poll is quite a change from the Rasmussen poll released Monday, which put Cuomo’s lead at 54% to 38%. Oddly, Cuomo’s approval rating is high: More than two-thirds of likely voters like the job he’s doing as attorney general, whereas only 36% view Paladino favorably. But apparently job performance isn’t hugely important to New Yorkers: Though Cuomo is already in politics, only 10% think the “right experience” matters most when deciding how to vote.